Last night, NHK's "Uta Kon"（うたコン）had its final episode for the year and not surprisingly, it wasn't quite the usual supremely festive show that would signify the end of another 12-month period before the Kohaku Utagassen because of COVID-19. However, it still had a good amount of energy and there was a bit more of a lean toward the kayo aspect.
Of course, being the final show for the next 6 weeks or so, enka legend Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）has got to show up, and sure enough, his contribution last night was a melancholy ballad titled "Tooki Showa no..." (Showa Far Away...). Heck, nice touch with the three dots at the end of the title which rather hints at the look back into the foggy past.
About a couple of months ago, fellow enka singer Shinichi Mori（森進一）was on "Uta Kon" to perform one of his most recent songs, something that he penned himself called "Showa/Heisei/Reiwa wo Ikiru"（昭和・平成・令和を生きる）as a joyful tribute to all that has come before him and what will lay ahead. "Tooki Showa no..." is, as I mentioned above, a little sadder as Itsuki wonders what has become of his old friends from decades past, namely in the Showa Era (1926-1989) when kayo kyoku was born and raised.
Lyricist Hiroo Takada（高田ひろお）and composer Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）took care of this enka which I believe was released for Itsuki just a few months ago. I specifically chose the video above since it appears that the series "Enka no Hanamichi"（演歌の花道）had another comeback special recently, and with its penchant for crafting the right mood and setting for many an enka tune, simply having this enka-and-Mood-Kayo-centered program showcase "Tooki Showa no..." was perfect.
The thing is, though, that Itsuki's rendition of the song is a cover. Actually, the original singer for "Tooki Showa no..." is singer-actor Akira Kobayashi（小林旭）and he first recorded it for an April 2010 release. Arguably, Kobayashi's original take may be even more melancholy since my impression of the singer himself is that he's lived even more of the rambunctious life alongside his friends, and perhaps the fading of at least some of his old buddies wasn't exactly due to happy reasons. Maybe there are some more scars on this performance.
Even though he seemed quite sanguine about it when he was briefly interviewed on "Uta Kon" last night, there must have been some bittersweet feelings surrounding Itsuki since this year was going to be one of celebration leading up to the 50th anniversary of his breakthrough hit of "Yokohama Tasogare"（よこはま・たそがれ）which was released in April 1971. Of course, COVID-19 got in the way of all that, but again, the anniversary is still not for a few more months, so there is still a fighting chance for Itsuki to pay tribute to that song and his career with his fans.
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