Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Yuuki Matsuzaka -- Reiwa Yume Oi Daiko(令和夢追い太鼓)


Just like with strapping young lad Yuuto Tatsumi(辰巳ゆうと)a month ago, I found another enka singer through the venues of NHK's "Uta Kon"(うたコン)and "Gogo Uta"(ごごウタ).

(short version)

Although Yuuki Matsuzaka(松阪ゆうき)isn't quite as young as Tatsumi (Matsuzaka debuted all the way back in 2004), the fellow born in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture as Yuuki Ninomiya(二宮優樹)looks very fresh-faced indeed. I found out on "Gogo Uta" today that he had actually started his geinokai life as a monomane artist or impressionist, and apparently he's quite good in impersonating his fellow enka singers (according to the Nippon Columbia website, he can imitate more than 30 celebrities). Matsuzaka had been interested in enka since his childhood days but during the early part of his career, he was a musical actor, narrator and voice trainer in addition to his time as an impressionist. But in 2012, he started training in minyo and then made his major debut as an enka singer in 2015 with "Furusato Gaeri"(ふるさと帰り...Going Back To My Hometown).

The song I heard today by Matsuzaka was released in May 2019, and "Reiwa Yume Oi Daiko" (The Taiko Drums Pursuing the Reiwa Dream) is a jaunty and zesty number with an air of festivity. That's pretty appropriate considering that Japan is entering its festival and fireworks season (hopefully, Typhoon No. 6 doesn't ruin things this weekend).

(empty karaoke version)

Natsumi Watanabe(渡辺なつみ)was the lyricist here while Keisuke Hama(浜圭介)provided the music. According to Matsuzaka's file on J-Wiki, "Reiwa Yume Oi Daiko" has been his first ticket to get onto the enka charts of Oricon although I couldn't find out which place the song reached. Good for the lad; maybe an invitation to the Kohaku Utagassen might be in order since the New Year's Eve special can always use a performance with plenty of tradition and spice.

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