Mariko Takahashi -- Suashi no Bolero（素足のボレロ）

It's been about 6 months since I put up Mariko Takahashi's（高橋真梨子）"Haruka na Hito e"（遥かな人へ）, her contribution to the long line of Olympic themes in Japan, and I've recently written about her old group, Pedro & Capricious（ペドロ&カプリシャス）, so I've decided to indulge in another Takahashi song.

In fact, "Suashi no Bolero" (Barefoot Bolero) is the coupling song for "Haruka na Hito e", Takahashi's 22nd single from February 1994. Compared to the main song, "Suashi no Bolero" is more introspective and romantic (although the arrangement takes on a more march-like beat as the end approaches) as her wonderful voice relates a couple's love for one another through thick and thin via her own lyrics. Akira Okamoto（岡本朗）was responsible for the Latin-tinged melody which could envision the couple walking down the beach one night.

The above is, of course, a concert performance of the song so not having heard the original recording, I'm not sure whether the rendition here is a note-by-note recreation, but I think that things get a little too devoted to Ravel's "Bolero" at the end. Still, another lovely song by Takahashi. One thing that I didn't mention in the "Haruka na Hito e" article is that both songs were included on the singer's 20th studio album "Couplet" which was released that same year later in September.