Ayako Fuji -- Futari Michi（ふたり道）

On another recent episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）, I was able to hear Ayako Fuji（藤あや子）with a new enka number.

"Futari Michi" (A Couple's Path) is Fuji's 44th single from November 2019, and it details a woman's devotion to her significant other despite what highs and lows the path might bring. I realize that for a lot of folks who aren't crazy about enka, the various examples from this genre may sound all the same, and to be honest, the same grand strings, accordion and guitar populate "Futari Michi" as well. However for me, although I don't consider myself as much of an enka fan than I am an enthusiast for all things City Pop, I've become a fair bit more appreciative of the traditional genre when compared to my early years. As I've mentioned before, when I feel that I've heard enough of the synths and bass, coming across a classic (or a new) enka number acts as a refreshing tonic.

For some reason, the arrangement for this particular Fuji song has hit me like a good slug of Canada Dry tonic water. It conjures up those images of a bracing belt of cold air while stepping outside an old-fashioned Japanese house in the north country. Then again, if it is a Japanese house, it's pretty bracing inside as well (central heating is often a mere fantasy in the old countryside abodes).

A couple of interesting things about the making of "Futari Michi". The lyricist is someone by the name of Sai Kono（小野彩）which just happens to be the pseudonym of singer Fuji herself. Apparently, it's still rather rare for a female enka singer to write her own material. The other thing is that the composer was Tensho Nakamura（中村典正）who specialized in kayo including enka. He actually passed away last year in August at the age of 83, so "Futari Michi" was probably one of the very last creations by him.