Chakra -- Nanyo de Yoisho（南洋でヨイショ）

 

Yes, I know...Jamaica isn't in the southern Atlantic Ocean but I merely wanted to put up something tropical for this particular song.

When I wrote the first article on the band Chakra, it was for their 1981 "Myun Myun" (ミュンミュン) which was adorably nutty, and with Mishio Ogawa's（小川美潮）loopy vocals and the synths bombing away, the New Wave was strong with this one.

Recently, I discovered another song by Chakra, the title track from their final May 1983 album "Nanyo de Yoisho" (Heave Ho on the South Seas). Though there are whispers of the technopop and New Wave here and there, "Nanyo de Yoisho" actually does sound more like a calming tropical pop tune, and there are even hints of Haruomi Hosono（細野晴臣）and Tin Pan Alley especially when some of the percussion taps in. It feels like the band decided to relax a bit and take a cruise somewhere in the South Atlantic. Band guitarist Bun Itakura（板倉文）took care of the music with Ogawa and Itsuro Shimoda（下田逸郎）helping out with the lyrics.