Mariya Takeuchi -- Mizu to Anata to Taiyo to（水とあなたと太陽と）

Well, despite having written an original article on Mariya Takeuchi's（竹内まりや）great "Variety" album (1984) in 2012 and then even a follow-up on some more of the tracks in 2017, there are still even more tracks to cover. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

(cover version)

In "Variety", Takeuchi has gone through the various genres as would be expected for an album with this title. There is the City Pop of "Plastic Love" and the tribute to 60s Britpop through "Merseybeat de Utawasete"（マージービートで唄わせて）, for starters. Well, Mariya also provides some lovely Latin through the bossa nova of "Mizu to Anata to Taiyo to" (The Water, You and The Sun).

Indeed, it is the singer-songwriter who has created this lovely relaxing number which sounds almost as if it should have belonged to a later album. I say this because the arrangement sounds so clear and close to similar Latin music efforts by singers such as Akiko Kobayashi（小林明子）and Hiroko Kokubu（国府弘子）much later at the turn of the decade. I don't usually hear bossa nova from Takeuchi so it was nice to hear this one again after so long. Bring over the caipirinha!