Hachiro Kasuga -- Hawaii no Shima kara (ハワイの島から)

 

My Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) tribute articles have so far been heavily fixated on the Hachi-Mr. Nakano combo, so let's change things up a bit and talk about a piece by the other singer-songwriter with a knack for jazz King Records was known for: Isao Hayashi (林伊佐緒). 

I'm comparatively not as familiar with Hayashi's compositions for Hachi (and just Hayashi in general), but I know for certain that the Hachi-Hayashi combo was the far more successful one, spawning hits on a far larger scale. Not only was the Yamaguchi native responsible for Hachi's revival hit "Nagasaki no Hito" (長崎の女) in 1962, but he also created some fan favourites like "Rozario no Shima" (ロザリオの島), "Umineko ga Naku Hatoba" (海猫の啼く波止場), and the one I personally hold quite close to my heart, "Nigate nanda yo" (苦手なんだよ). Perhaps because of the string of successes and Hayashi's longevity age-wise, it seems that both the singer and musician collaborated a lot more and for a longer span of time, from the 1950s all the way up to the 1980s.

While I think Tadaharu Nakano's (中野忠晴) compositions provide a fun listening experience with their myriad of instruments and amusing arrangements, I would describe Hayashi's as atmospheric and rather exotic. They make it feel as though you're being transported to the location set by the lyricist. So, where shall Hayashi and Hachi bring us today, then? Well, summer is already in full force in the Tokyo area. I just began my summer vacation... How about Hawaii?

The song I'll be featuring today is "Hawaii no Shima kara" (From the Island of Hawaii). This was actually an unreleased piece that only saw the light of day in 1997 via the CD album containing a number of his shelved tunes, "Hizou Mi-happyou Meikyoku-shuu Kasuga Hachiro" (秘蔵未発表名曲集 春日八郎). 

Despite "Hawaii..." being an unreleased song, I'm guessing that it may have been recorded in the early 1960s judging from its theme and Hachi's voice quality. If my memory serves, like jazz, I believe Hawaiian melodies got a resurgence in the postwar era, and Hawaii just seemed like the dream island getaway ever since, so Hawaiian-themed songs around this era were the norm. As for Hachi's voice, it had a high, nasally twang in the 50s that slowly became less and less noticeable progressing into the 60s when it matured. His voice sounded like it was somewhere towards the end of that transition, but I could be wrong... ... Never have I felt the term "maniac" in my bones more than when I made that point, which is saying a lot when I have Sanrio photo card holders with monochrome photos of 7 men with an average age of 109.

Anyways, since "Hawaii no Shima kara" is a tune centered on Hawaii, Hayashi makes it unmistakably so with the sharp metallic twang of that steel guitar slicing through the languid, ukulele-filled melody. But what I like about it is how that same shrill steel guitar drops a few notes and pulsates hypnotically to a rhythmic beat. That reminded me of Katsuhiko Haida (灰田勝彦), his brother Haruhiko Haida (灰田晴彦),  and the New Moana Glee Club's take of "Beauty Hula," which I began listening to just before I came across "Hawaii...." You can give it a listen in the video above. To make the tune even more so Hawaiian, the instrumental bit after the first stanza also included the widely-known folk tune "Aloha Oe."  I know it's cliché to say, but together with Hachi's relaxed tone, listening to "Hawaii..." feels like the ear version of melting on a quiet beach without any worries, drink in hand.

But as holiday-like as "Hawaii..." sounds, Ryo Yano's (矢野亮) words may possibly tell a slightly different story. From my understanding, the protagonist leaves the Land of the Rising Sun for Hawaii (via Haneda), and feels rather nostalgic for their homeland. Since the lyrics give off a more bokyo-esque vibe, it could be about a Japanese person immigrating to Hawaii who then misses the sights and sounds of home, like Mt. Fuji and local festivals. It sounds plausible since many Japanese folks have been immigrating to the Polynesian islands for ages. Also, I don't think you'll feel that homesick if you're just on a few days of vacation, right? Or is that just me? 

Now that's fan service

I enjoy "Hawaii no Shima kara" quite a lot, so I'm curious about the reason why it was shelved. It could be just simply because the record company powers that be just didn't think it'd sell, or maybe another singer from King did something similar but "better." Who knows.