Coffee Color -- Jinsei ni Kanpai wo! ~ Wakare no Kyoku（人生に乾杯を! 〜別れの曲〜）

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Coffee Color（コーヒーカラー）is a group that I had never heard of before. The name had me wondering how it even came to be but luckily there is a short J-Wiki article on them, and apparently it's from a Serge Gainsbourg song title. Currently consisting of just vocalist Uzuki "Paris" Nakayama（仲山卯月） (although at the beginning, he had been joined by pianist TESHI and drummer Koutarou), Coffee Color got its start in 2000 as an indies unit but then got under a major label in 2004 with five singles and five albums under their belt.

Perhaps the Serge Gainsbourg origins may be responsible, but listening to their most recent single to date, "Jinsei ni Kanpai wo! ~ Wakare no Kyoku" (Here's to Life! The Goodbye Song) from February 2009, I get the impression that Coffee Color is all about the rousing and commiserating and celebrating tune. Nakayama wrote and composed this tune and the accompanying music video says it all as a small company, despite all of the hardships and hard work, ends up going under with the president taking his erstwhile staff for one final drink. One door may be closing forever but another one is on the verge of opening.

Ironically, an original and slightly more elegant version of "Jinsei ni Kanpai wo!" was Coffee Color's debut single from October 2004. Since the release of the song, it's been a popular karaoke request at the annual year-end and New Year's parties. I can imagine so.