Anna Banana -- Himitsu（秘密）

 

A little over four years ago, I introduced singer Anna Banana（アンナ・バナナ）to the pages of KKP, a lovely lady with some golden vocals. Just from what I've heard thus far, it seems like she inhabited some of the more urbane genres such as City Pop and jazz. My first article on her "Smile" from her 1993 album "High Dive" revealed a breezy pop sense somewhat akin to some of the works of actress-singer Miki Imai（今井美樹）.

From the same album, here is "Himitsu" (Secrets) and perhaps the secret that I envisage as I listen to this one is the secret but oh-so-desirable club in a city alley where this might be playing. Written by Yukinojo Mori（森雪之丞）and composed by Tsutomu Nakayama（中山努）, it comes across as a nice slice of sophisti-pop or British blue-eyed soul especially with that muted trumpet solo. I think of Swingout Sister and Basia when I listen to that refined and funky arrangement.

Anna Banana -- Smile

 

This song with its own YouTube video popped up on the right side of the screen a couple of nights ago. When I first saw the name Anna Banana（アンナ・バナナ）, I immediately thought it was some kind of quirky line of tropical summer wear. And then I discovered that there was an octogenarian Canadian performance artist under that same name but this was a different Anna Banana altogether.

Actually this Anna Banana does have a J-Wiki article. What I found out is that Anna Demeo had been born in California to an Italian-American father and a Japanese-American mother, and she came to Japan to pursue a modeling career and do some singing between the late 1980s going into the 1990s. She released 9 singles and 6 albums.

From her penultimate album "High Dive" from June 1993, I give you "Smile".😀 It's a nice and groovy pop tune written by one of the Queens of J-R&B Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）and composed by Original Love himself, Takao Tajima（田島貴男）. I have to say that I do like Anna's vocals, and though they are different from those of this particular singer, I think that Miki Imai（今井美樹）would be someone who could easily cover "Smile".  

There is something urban and urbane about "Smile", although I don't think it fits in with any of the City Pop, Shibuya-kei or AOR genres. It's just good listening in the pop vein, and I've read that it was used in NHK's "Minna no Uta"（みんなのうた）series of songs for kids.