Koichi Aoki -- Genki de ne, Sayonara （元気でね、左様なら。）

Getting back home after dinner with my friends tonight, I flicked on Turner Movie Classics where I caught the last 45 minutes of the classic musical "The Band Wagon" (1953) with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Of course, there were some of the wonderful routines involving "Dancing In The Dark" and especially "That's Entertainment".  And now I know from where the music video for Art of Noise's "Peter Gunn" was inspired along with Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal".

Anyways, after the movie ended, I was left wondering about some of the kayo that had come out in that same year of 1953. There are four previous songs from that year listed on the blog and I found out another one titled "Genki de ne, Sayonara" (Take Care, Goodbye) by enka singer Koichi Aoki（青木光一）.

Aoki is already represented by a song that has become an enka standard, "Kaki no Kizaka no Ie"（柿の木坂の家）which was released in 1957. However, it was with "Genki de ne, Sayonara" that the singer from Saga Prefecture got his first big break. And unlike the slightly sorrowful "Kaki no Kizaka no Ie", "Genki de ne, Sayonara" sounds more cheerful despite the theme of parting-is-such-sweet-sorrow.

Released in March 1953, the lyrics were by Toshio Nomura（野村俊夫）with the music provided by Minoru Mikai（三界稔）.  The other interesting thing about the song is in the title; I don't think I had ever seen the word "sayonara" written in kanji before.