Hiroshi Miyama -- Yume Oibito（夢追い人）

 

Last night's "Uta Con"（うたコン）did have its theme of looking at kayo that made it big in other countries, but in the last fifteen minutes, the show brought in the usual new tunes.

One involved enka singer Hiroshi Miyama（三山ひろし）and his latest single from June this year "Yume Oibito" (Dream Chaser). Written and composed by Joji Hara（原譲二）, aka enka legend Saburo Kitajima（北島三郎）, the song has that usual swagger and boss trumpet that Kitajima often enjoys in his own music. But this time, there's even some softness and soul in the arrangement. Within the lyrics, it's all about a fellow who remembers when he first got into Tokyo chasing his dreams one wintry night. As a more seasoned citizen now, he reckons that he still isn't quite there yet so he can't head back to his hometown quite yet either. He still wants to reach for that brass ring. In a way, it feels like those old Showa Era kayo of folks emptying out of the regional villages and towns to attempt to make it big in Tokyo and other metropolises during the postwar period.

I figure that Miyama will be invited to the Kohaku Utagassen again at the end of this year, so I wouldn't mind it if he sang this tune. It's got some nice brio in there.

(short version)