I've been a fan of Japanese popular music for 40 years, and have managed to collect a lot of material during that time. So I decided I wanted to talk about Showa Era music with like-minded fans. My particular era is the 70s and 80s (thus the "kayo kyoku"). The plus part includes a number of songs and artists from the last 30 years and also the early kayo. So, let's talk about New Music, aidoru, City Pop and enka.
Credits
I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.
Showing posts with label Masato Sugimoto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masato Sugimoto. Show all posts
Enka singer Aya Shimazu（島津亜矢）has been a frequent presence on shows such as "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌）, and for good reason. She's one of the best chanteuses out there who also possesses a hint of soul in her delivery. But I feel a bit regretful that I seem to have usually posted articles which include her doing cover versions of other singers' songs. Maybe the last one I posted which was on a Shimazu original was "Natsu Tsubaki"（夏つばき）back in 2022.
Well, she was on "Shin BS Nihon no Uta" last night and she sang her 25th single from March 1999, "Tokai no Suzume" (Swallow of the City). Written by Osamu Yoshioka（吉岡治）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, I'm kinda on the fence on whether the song is a contemporary enka or whether it's a blend of enka and urban contemporary which would then put it into the category of New Adult Music. Whichever genre I ultimately decide upon, it is a song that shows that soulfulness in her vocals
When I first heard the song last night on NHK, my impression of the lyrics was that the swallow, being a migratory bird, was a metaphor for any wayward ex-boyfriend or new boyfriend being invited (back) into the fold as it were by a lonely hope-deficient woman. However, seeing the official music video above, "Tokai no Suzume" may actually be more about a wayward buddy in arms stuck in a criminal crisis.
Well, it wasn't quite Snowmageddon, thankfully, but there was still enough snow falling yesterday and today to snarl up a lot of traffic. So, a lot earlier than usual in Toronto these days, we got our first major snowfall of the season. Does that mean a White Christmas? Not at all...after all, this is the city whose weather is predictably unpredictable.
I gather then that it was kismet that I encountered this song by the luminous Naomi Chiaki（ちあきなおみ）last night on the latest episode of NHK's "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌）. It took a bit of doing but I believe I was able to track down the year of this ballad as 1988. "Fuyudonari" is a fair mouthful which literally translates as "Next to Winter" while Jisho.org gave me the definition of "late autumn that makes it seem like winter is coming". I will be happy to go with "Snowy Late Autumn" for conciseness.
Regardless, "Fuyudonari", which was written by Ou Yoshida（吉田旺）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, has some melodic connections with Chiaki's most recognized hit, "Kassai"（喝采）. I would say that it approaches enka through a pop ballad filter, as if David Foster had opted to give his skills a try on a traditional Japanese song. Under the circumstances, I'd be happy to apply New Adult Music here.
Getting drunk under a full moon, eh? Must be a September in Ueno Park then during tsukimi season. It probably does happen a fair bit although I have never participated in a moon-viewing session myself.
The last time I wrote about enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）was a little more than six months ago when I noted her 1990 single"Noto wa Irankai ne"（能登はいらんかいね）that has gained quite a lot of poignancy since the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day 2023. But this time around, it may be time for a little more fun in a teasing way.
In February 2024, Sakamoto released her 55th single,"Horoyoi Mangetsu"(Tipsy Under a Full Moon). The cover of the single features a sultry-looking Sakamoto not looking like a prim and proper enka singer at all with those long luxuriant tresses, black dress and shoeless feet which should be enough to convey that things could get a little irresponsible, carefree and chaotic, thanks to some libations. Written by Mami Takubo（田久保真見）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, I could say that the arrangement of "Horoyoi Mangetsu" kicks things between the genres of enka and rock n' roll, so maybe we can categorize it as a New Adult Music tune. The song reached No. 39 on Oricon.
Welcome to another work week at KKP! To start things off, I received a message from a downtown foodie emporium that Wednesday June 18th is International Sushi Day. Had no idea...I do love my sushi, though, although the realization hadn't punched in until that Japanese Language School trip to Japan in 1981. It wasn't just the love for music that arose within me that fateful July that year...sushi, sashimi and eel all became a thing for me.
Of course, I was scouting around for some sort of sushi-themed kayo kyoku. I'd already posted Shibugakitaki's（シブがき隊）"Sushi Kui ne!"（スシ食いねェ！）and Hibari Misora's（美空ひばり）"Edokko Sushi"（江戸っ子寿司）, both of which are pretty genki tunes.
But on the other hand, enka singer Chiyuki Asami's（あさみちゆき）"Sushi ya de..." (At the Sushi Restaurant...), her 8th single from December 2008, there's quite a solemn and bittersweet atmosphere hanging over the father and daughter dining at the titular eatery. The lyrics by Chiho Inoue（井上千穂）talk of the daughter, on the verge of her wedding day, no longer being able to have regular talks with Dad and no longer being to talk with Mom for quite a while now. Not sure if Mom had already passed away or left the family, but there is plenty of regret emanating from the lass as the sushi chef is molding his wares. Masato Sugimoto's（杉本眞人）melody is also very sad in a folk music kind of way. Masashi Sada（さだまさし）would nod in approval. "Sushi ya de..." managed to reach No. 38 on Oricon.
Commenter Brian Mitchell and I were having a brief discussion on that recent Harumi Miyako（都はるみ）article where singers' works can intertwine two or even more genres. Basically, I guess we are talking about crossover music a la Taylor Swift or Shania Twain. I even indicated that the Queen of Kayo Kyoku, Hibari Misora（美空ひばり）, delved into a number of genres although most of her songs were encapsulated within their own genres with a few exceptions such as "Kawa no nagare no youni" (川の流れのように) which seems to have merged a couple of genres in a New Adult Music style.
I also get that impression from the song "Tengoku kara no Yakusoku" (A Promise From Heaven),the 6th single by singer Miki Sawada（沢田美紀）. Released in April 2008, it was a little difficult for me to definitively put my stamp on a single genre for it. I could hear the enka, but there was also folk and so perhaps I could use the hybrid genre of New Adult Music for it.
Written by Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, "Tengoku kara no Yakusoku" is a poignant message by Sawada as the protagonist tells her older brother who has been in heaven for a while that she's managing to do OK in life. The song was actually inspired by an incident involving the sister of the president of Tokuma Japan Communications (Sawada's recording company) who suddenly died during a trip through China.
Sawada's real name is Miyuki Oda（尾田美由紀）who was born and raised in Toyama Prefecture. While working in a company in 1996, she participated as a contestant in NHK's "Nodo Jiman"（のど自慢） amateur singing contest where she eventually became a champion. She moved to Tokyo the following year to become a professional singer and released her first single in 2004.
A few weeks ago, we were watching NHK's "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新・BS日本のうた）on Jme, and thankfully, it's finally returning on a regular schedule, when we saw a slim young lady with short hair in what looked like a rocker's outfit. Hm...I thought that she rather stood out among the other enka and Mood Kayo guests.
Well, shades of Ayumi Nakamura（中村あゆみ）and GAO. This is singer-songwriter Michiru Yuasa（ゆあさみちる）from Niigata Prefecture and her profile has stated that she's basically open to any genre to sing. But in this case, her 7th single from May 2024, "Osozaki no Hero"(Late-Blooming Hero) is a good ol' rock-n'-roll tune from yesteryear and that's why I made the comparisons to the first two singers. It kinda feels like a 80s pop-rock song. Written by Yuhei Hanaoka（花岡優平）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, the song seems to be paying tribute to the little guys...the people who plug away at their professions day in and day out, just trying to make a good living and lifestyle.
As for further information on Yuasa, she won a prize at the "Nodo Jiman"（のど自慢）national championship in 2007, has participated as a backup singer on a GLAY album, recorded songs for commercials, and made her official major debut with the single "Watashi no Hana"（私の花...My Flower） in 2020. She was also greatly influenced by acts such as Anzen Chitai（安全地帯）and the Carpenters. Among her hobbies are illustrating, reading and making her rounds of the onsen.
The above is a theatre near the Toei Animation Museum in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. My friend and I visited the museum in 2014 although we didn't actually see a flick at the T-Joy. As someone who's been catching movies for decades, a multi-year move to Japan didn't change my habits for the most part and so I continued to see the Hollywood blockbusters in Tokyo. I think in the last half of my stay in Ichikawa, I noticed that theatres were getting more advanced up to the level of VIP versions which I've gotten spoiled on. But before then, a number of the movie houses had been darn old with seats small enough that at one point, I was virtually wearing them like a diaper...yes, let's not imagine that, shall we? I don't think red velour is that absorbent anyways.
It's those old places of Ginza, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro that I used to frequent that get the spotlight in Chiyuki Asami's（あさみちゆき）"Tasogare Cinema" (Sunset Cinema). I first wrote about the Yamaguchi Prefecture native in November 2023 regarding her 2004 song "Inokashira-sen"（井の頭線）, and noted how her choice of music settled in that middle ground known as New Adult Music between folk and enka.
"Tasogare Cinema" was released as her 10th single in April 2010 and it's a poignant ballad about a woman returning to a neighbourhood for the first time in a decade where she and her ex-boyfriend used to hang out. An old theatre there was one of their haunts and she goes inside noting that her old flame is probably now still living in the neighbourhood with his current girlfriend or wife. Written by Mami Takubo（田久保真見）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, there is very much a "que sera sera" feeling in the song as if the woman has moved on with her life but still wants to remember old times. The single peaked at No. 40 on Oricon.
"Tasogare Cinema" also appeared in an earlier version as a track on Asami's 2nd album from June 2005"Asami no Uta II"（あさみのうたII...Asami's Songs II）. The original version has an even more elegiac feeling with that orchestra backing the singer up. On the other hand, the later 2010 single feels more along the lines of some of the power ballads from the 1970s and maybe early 1980s such as Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue" and Saburo Tokito's（時任三郎）"Kawa no Nagare wo Daite Nemuritai" (川の流れを抱いて眠りたい）.
We've got our long weekend right now with tomorrow (Monday) being a Civic Holiday and all. With Toronto going into August, we can look forward to events such as the Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade and the Canadian National Exhibition. Nights ought to be getting a little cooler, too.
Near the end of last month, I mentioned in the article for Momoiro Clover Z's（ももいろクローバーZ）"HOLIDAY" that my friend Scott had his usual "Holly Jolly X'masu" podcast with the theme being "Christmas in July". Now, "HOLIDAY" wasn't featured in the podcast itself but this article's song was, and I believe it was the first tune there.
"Hachi-gatsu no Christmas"(August Christmas) isn't really an Xmas tune per se although it has the romanticism that the Yuletide in Japan possesses in its role as a second Valentine's Day. Additionally, the recording artist here isn't usually a pop singer but an enka singer by the name of Akiko Ozawa（小沢亜貴子）. The singer from Nagano Prefecture released "Hachi-gatsu no Christmas" as a single commemorating her 15th anniversary in show business in April 2007. Written by Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ） and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, it's a summery story about a woman reminiscing over the love of her life who has now departed her due to breakup or death. What stuck out to me especially was Sugimoto's arrangement of the song which hit me as something that the late Eiichi Ohtaki（大滝詠一）would create: a twangy 60s pop ballad.
I'd be interested in hearing some of Ozawa's enka material, but in the meantime, since it is also listed in her J-Wiki article, I'll mention some of her hobbies. She enjoys the shamisen, Japanese dance and min'yo songs and she is fluent in Mandarin. Her favourite colour is aqua and her favourite dish is tonkatsu.👍
Well, I've got most of the cards out and I've got some that have come in. One card that I received yesterday was from my old English circle that I taught on Tuesday mornings. It had been several years since hearing from them, so I'm glad that they're all well. They're still learning the language, too. Hopefully, I'll get a card off to them tomorrow and maybe it'll get there by Xmas.
I found this slightly unusual song by Cheuni（チェウニ）in that it's not only a Christmas song but one that isn't in her usual wheelhouse of contemporary Mood Kayo. Titled "Ichijikan dake no Christmas Eve" (Christmas Eve for Just One Hour), this was the coupling song for her 21st single"Minato no Serenade"（港のセレナーデ...Harbour Serenade） from November 2012.
Written by Kyoko Asahina（朝比奈京子）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）who has often created the melodies in Cheuni's discography, the lyrics give off the impression that the December 24th date here involves a couple of a certain older age: possibly less than a romantic couple but certainly more than friends. Anyways, since they can't afford to catch a cold, the apartment block mates are probably going to briefly share some coffee at the nearby café in the neighbourhood. The other interesting thing is that the melody is more reminiscent of American 50s or 60s pop or even doo-wop; that intro especially reminded me of The Cascades'"Rhythm of the Rain" from 1962. Even the background chorus had me thinking of a certain 70s love song for which I can't quite remember the title.
The thing is that Cheuni's song is a cover of Sugimoto's own creation that he recorded for his 6th album"Heartful & Soulful" back in September 2008.
Last night, I was watching a 1986 episode of "The Best 10" from the collection that former contributor and good friend JTM had sent me a few years back. Well, lo and behold, in that episode's special segment, thespians and singers Tetsuya Watari and Ayumi Ishida（渡哲也・いしだあゆみ）came through that silvery revolving door. Even back then, it had become somewhat occasional that older celebrities would appear to sing on "The Best 10".
As it turned out, the two of them were on "The Best 10" to perform a November 1986 duet single called "Wakare Michi" (Parting of the Ways), a bittersweet Mood Kayo on the sad realization that a romantic relationship was coming to an end, despite the cover of Watari and Ishida walking down the path arm in arm. Written by Kaoru Mizuki（水木かおる）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）, the melody kinda strikes me as what was popular in the arrangement of kayo, whether it be Mood or enka, in the 1980s with that addition of a French accordion and built-in ennui (I'm a sucker for good accordion). From what I heard in the interview with them on "The Best 10", it was the first duet for Ishida at least, but she said that Watari made it very easy to follow along in the recording of "Wakare Michi".
(Sorry but the video has been taken down.)
Well, how about that? The video is straight from that episode of "The Best 10". It's ironic considering the lyrical content since both Ishida and Watari look great together as a couple, and their performance most likely made the song a popular one at karaoke. Watari would continue churning out the singles but for Ishida, "Wakare Michi" would be her 57th and penultimate single for many years until 2015 when she put out her final one to date.
Summer has come back with a blast here today as the heat and humidity have soared once more. The Canadian National Exhibition, one of our local examples of late summer festivities, will be wrapping up its time over the Labour Day weekend. I'm sure that even now the Japanese summer festivals are still being held throughout the nation, although I think the bulk of them got their time last month. All that yukata-wearing, food-noshing, fireworks-viewing and sparkler-holding stuff have become so ingrained into culture that even anime franchises would be lacking if they didn't have a summer festival episode.
I'm covering an entire single by enka singer Sayuri Ishikawa（石川さゆり）but I'm beginning from the coupling song. "Natsu, Ureshii ne"(Summer's Fun) is an enka/pop tune celebrating the season. Written by Satoshi Tarumi（垂水佐敏）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）, it's a traditional-sounding jaunty song centering around the quintessential scene of romantic couples in their summer garb making the rounds at the festival at night.
The above video has a number of commercials for mostly Kincho insect repellants, another symbol of summer life in Japan. At 1:00, one ad uses "Natsu, Ureshii ne" as the jingle.
The A-side, so to speak, was Ishikawa's 67th single from July 1995, "Osaka no Onna" (Woman of Osaka). This is definitely solid enka written by Osamu Yoshioka（吉岡治）and composed by Chiaki Oka（岡千秋）, and the lyrics perhaps tell of a story of a woman working at a bar in the titular metropolis falling for one of her customers and quixotically hoping that the magic elixir of sake will change his attitude into a more accommodating one toward her. Well, there are such things called affairs. I didn't see any indication that "Osaka no Onna" was ever used for any commercial dealing with a sake brand, but on second thought, perhaps taking into consideration the lyrics, it was a good thing that it wasn't used in that way.😅
When I first listened to this song, "Tokyo Musume" (Tokyo Girl) which was recorded by Tamako Sakura（桜たまこ）as her 2nd single in December 1976, I thought that the general rhythm was rather familiar although I also believe that it was surprisingly late in the day for this sort of genre to be continuing on.
That staggered shuffle of a rhythm and what became a briefly popular genre is dodonpa（ドドンパ）, a Latin rhythm which was given a kayo kyoku arrangement. It had its heyday in the early 1960s with the premier song being "Tokyo Dodonpa Musume"（東京ドドンパ娘）by Mari Watanabe（渡辺マリ）. Indeed, according to Sakura's J-Wiki article, "Tokyo Musume" is based upon "Tokyo Dodonpa Musume", although the songwriters were different with Masao Ishizaka（石坂まさを）being the lyricist (and Sakura's mentor) and Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）as the composer. It may have been years since the dodonpa craze in Japan, but "Tokyo Musume" got to be Sakura's biggest hit as it sold around 200,000 records.
Sakura's voice is also quite distinct since when she recorded "Tokyo Musume", she was all of 15 years of age and yet she sounded like a seasoned kayo singer behind the mike with some of that underlying growl. Her real name is Michiru Bepu（別府みちる）from Kagoshima Prefecture and she had a brief career with only four singles up to the end of 1977 and one album also titled "Tokyo Musume" which was released in May of that year. She would retire from the geinokai in 1979.
Indeed, it is Golden Week in Japan, and so as such, regular TV programming is non-existent; it's been replaced by a bunch of special programs and reruns. Therefore, we get no "Uta Con"（うたコン）this week and I won't be able to have the opportunity to discover any possible new Mood Kayo tunes, at least through this route.
However, I've had this song in the backlog for a while so I'm more than happy to finally bring it to the fore. This is "Hoshizora no Tokyo"(Starry Night of Tokyo), Cheuni's（チェウニ）3rd single from June 2001 and the third in her series of Tokyo-themed Mood Kayo following her 1999 debut of "Tokyo Twilight"（トーキョー・トワイライト）and her sophomore outing, "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu"（Tokyoに雪が降る）from 2000.
Written by Yuko Natsumi（夏海裕子）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）as was the case with her first single"Tokyo Twilight", "Hoshizora no Tokyo" takes Cheuni back into the pleasant mix of Mood Kayo and urban contemporary. Once again, I also say that Teresa Teng（テレサテン）could have also taken this on with aplomb. It's perfect listening while looking out over the nocturnal megalopolis from a swanky if quiet hotel-top bar.
In the article for "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu", I mentioned that composer Sugimoto had done his own version of that song via his October 2014 album"Nijuu Seiki ni Kanpai!"（20世紀に乾杯！...Here's to the 20th Century!）. Well, he also covered "Hoshizora no Tokyo" via an earlier album, the September 2006"Bar Starlight", and this version has more of a moody rock arrangement.
Good heavens! It's been almost 6 years since I wrote up an article on South Korean singerCheuni（チェウニ）and her blend of Mood Kayo and City Pop in her September 1999 debut single"Tokyo Twilight"（トーキョー・トワイライト）. It was quite fascinating hearing this kayo that seemed to combine the sounds and arrangement of two styles of Japanese music that reflected the city from two different eras.
As I mentioned for "Tokyo Twilight", this began a series of Tokyo-based songs which leads to her sophomore outing from December 2000, "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu" (Snow Falls in Tokyo). However, despite the release date, I don't think that this sad ballad has anything to do with Xmas or the weather in the megalopolis so much.
Written by kayo singer Katsuhiko Miki（美樹克彦）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, who had also come up with "Tokyo Twilight", the precipitation here has as much to do with the snow in one woman's heart. You see, Miki's lyrics relate the melancholy tale in which the lass simply can't open up herself to the one that she loves (and vice versa) because she can't stand the thought of ending up rejected once again. Damned if you do, damned if you don't...that sort of thing.
Unlike that debut single though, I think "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu" is more along the usual Mood Kayo line although it comes out quite dramatically. It could even make for an ideal ending theme for one of those mystery dramas that is broadcast weekly on Japanese TV.
Up to now, composer Sugimoto has had his works for other singers shown here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", but on J-Wiki, he is known as a singer-songwriter. Therefore, I'm happy to also present his own cover of "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu" which was recorded on his October 2014 album"Nijuu Seiki ni Kanpai!"（20世紀に乾杯！...Here's to the 20th Century!）. It's no less dramatic.
I was watching "Uta Con"（うたコン）last night as would usually be the case on a Tuesday, and the theme was requests so I saw performances of the kayo classic "Izakaya"（居酒屋）and the Shonentai（少年隊） ballad "Kimi Dake ni"（君だけに）.
But there were also some of the newer tunes by the guests, and I heard this one, "Stage Light", by enka singer Kaori Kozai（香西かおり）. Released last month on CD, the song was written by Kozai herself and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）, but this time around, instead of it being a traditional enka number, "Stage Light" is more of a classy pop song. In fact, I was getting some Fashion Music vibes as I was listening to it which meant that I was being reminded of 80s singers includingRuiko Kurahashi（倉橋ルイ子）.
Kozai's vocals have that balance of enka softness and steel against a background of shimmering strings and stately rhythms, and perhaps it's indeed that reminder of a certain segment of late Showa Era balladry.
Back in October 2019, I wrote up an article on "Sweet My Baby" and "Open Your Eyes", a couple of songs by rock band Pink Cloud（ピンククラウド）which consisted of consisted of guitarist/vocalist Char, bassist Masayoshi "Louise Louis" Kabe（加部正義）, and drummer/vocalist Johnny Yoshinaga（ジョニー吉長）. Of course, the three individual musicians also had their own solo parts of their careers. I've covered Char and Kabe, and now it's Yoshinaga's turn.
Johnny Yoshinaga, whose real name was Nobuki Yoshinaga（吉長信喜）, released a solo album in 1980 titled "Hello Kids", and I've fallen quite hard for one of the tracks...the 8th one, to be exact. At 36:03 is "Go-gatsu no Kaze" (The Winds of May). With the Fender Rhodes and the harmonious horns gently bringing the listener in, the strawberry at the top of this shortcake is Yoshinaga's bluesy voice and that falsetto of his. It's the type of song that generally demands a tumbler of whiskey on the rocks.
I think part of what makes "Go-gatsu no Kaze" so likeable for me is indeed the horns and the languid arrangement. As a kid, I watched my fair share of "Saturday Night Live" off and on from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. No matter how great or how horrifying the skits were, the one constant was the ending when everyone got on stage to say goodnight and then the SNL band started up to see everyone off with what I would consider to be an urban lullaby with the horns. "Go-gatsu no Kaze", written by Takemi Yoshida（吉田健美）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）, reminds me of the ol' sendoff at the end of each and every episode of SNL. It is rather reminiscent of a jazzy good night before slumber.
Yoshinaga was born in the city of Kokura in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1949, and as a musician, he started his career around 1965 by first participating with Checkmates（チェックメイツ）, a blues-rock band in Kobe. Later on, he would start up his own group, Yellow,（イエロー） in 1972. He would also have his first solo album in 1977, "Johnny"（ジョニー）, before getting together in the following year with Char and Kabe to form JOHNNY, LOUIS & CHAR, later to be renamed Pink Cloud.
The drummer had been married to soulful singer Mari Kaneko（金子マリ）before divorcing in 1999, and they have two sons, drummer Nobuaki Kaneko（金子ノブアキ）of the band RIZE and bassist KenKen. Yoshinaga passed away in June 2012 at the age of 63.
Last night, NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）had its final episode for the year and not surprisingly, it wasn't quite the usual supremely festive show that would signify the end of another 12-month period before the Kohaku Utagassen because of COVID-19. However, it still had a good amount of energy and there was a bit more of a lean toward the kayo aspect.
Of course, being the final show for the next 6 weeks or so, enka legend Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）has got to show up, and sure enough, his contribution last night was a melancholy ballad titled "Tooki Showa no..." (Showa Far Away...). Heck, nice touch with the three dots at the end of the title which rather hints at the look back into the foggy past.
About a couple of months ago, fellow enka singer Shinichi Mori（森進一）was on "Uta Kon" to perform one of his most recent songs, something that he penned himself called "Showa/Heisei/Reiwa wo Ikiru"（昭和・平成・令和を生きる）as a joyful tribute to all that has come before him and what will lay ahead. "Tooki Showa no..." is, as I mentioned above, a little sadder as Itsuki wonders what has become of his old friends from decades past, namely in the Showa Era (1926-1989) when kayo kyoku was born and raised.
Lyricist Hiroo Takada（高田ひろお）and composer Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）took care of this enka which I believe was released for Itsuki just a few months ago. I specifically chose the video above since it appears that the series "Enka no Hanamichi"（演歌の花道）had another comeback special recently, and with its penchant for crafting the right mood and setting for many an enka tune, simply having this enka-and-Mood-Kayo-centered program showcase "Tooki Showa no..." was perfect.
The thing is, though, that Itsuki's rendition of the song is a cover. Actually, the original singer for "Tooki Showa no..." is singer-actor Akira Kobayashi（小林旭）and he first recorded it for an April 2010 release. Arguably, Kobayashi's original take may be even more melancholy since my impression of the singer himself is that he's lived even more of the rambunctious life alongside his friends, and perhaps the fading of at least some of his old buddies wasn't exactly due to happy reasons. Maybe there are some more scars on this performance.
Even though he seemed quite sanguine about it when he was briefly interviewed on "Uta Kon" last night, there must have been some bittersweet feelings surrounding Itsuki since this year was going to be one of celebration leading up to the 50th anniversary of his breakthrough hit of "Yokohama Tasogare"（よこはま・たそがれ）which was released in April 1971. Of course, COVID-19 got in the way of all that, but again, the anniversary is still not for a few more months, so there is still a fighting chance for Itsuki to pay tribute to that song and his career with his fans.
For the first time in over 2 months, NHK's"Uta Kon"（うたコン）refrained from its regimen of several weeks of viewer requests and past video footage, and finally put on a live show onstage. Mind you, it was just the house band and no orchestra, and of course, there was no audience, but it was a start at having something close to the old days of multiple singing guests appear while the hosts sat appreciatively in the seats with some chats. In a way, it was rather cozy seeing singers such as Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）and Yoshimi Tendo（天童よしみ）talking about the past few months in isolation.
Ah, speaking of Yoshimi Tendo, one of the grande dames of enka performed her 75th and latest single from March 2020, "Hinode Mae". Initially, I took a look at the arrangement of the title in its native Japanese and wondered it would be translated as either "Before the Sunrise" or "Home Delivery of the Sun". Y'know, I think that I'll tempt fate and go with the former. The short version of the music video above pretty much proves my choice anyways.
"Hinode Mae", written by Reiji Mizuki（水木れいじ）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本眞人）, is truly a grand enka, a traditional ballad that sounds tailor-made for the late Hibari Misora（美空ひばり）to whom Tendo has often been compared. It gives great tribute to the wonder of nature and the push for people to take those long strides forward into life. The electric guitar, the timpani and the low brass really punch the message through while the singer gives a performance that would probably have Misora nod in affirmation wherever she is now.
Besides giving me my first karaoke experience, the karaoke bar in Sugamo had also allowed me to listen to songs I had otherwise not heard or found on my own accord. From the enka-loving trio or quartet of oldies, I got to take in decent attempts of "Hyotan Boogie" (瓢箪ブギ) and "Takeda Bushi" (武田節) - I'd be nuts to pick this work of MichiyaMihashi (三橋美智也). And from two middle-aged kayo fans, it was Naomi Chiaki's "Akai Hana" that caught my attention.
If I remember right, "Akai Hana" was either sung during the second or third round (since we arrived) by the prim-and-proper-looking lady. I was about two or three songs in but I still had yet to fully get over the jitters, plus the pressure of wanting to do good wasn't doing me any favours, so being greeted by the mellow music helped to loosen some knots in my stomach. As "Akai Hana" went on, it became clear to me that this was one tune I had to look into afterwards as I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would, and it also became apparent that this grandma is one of - or - the best of the lot in terms of vocal prowess.
Sugimoto's version.
From what I had read from the J-Wiki a while after coming back to Singapore, "Akai Hana" was Chiaki's 34th and last single. It was released on 11th October 1991, almost a year before her husband, Eiji Go (郷鍈治), passed away, which makes the song rather poignant, as I will explain in a while. Composing the music was singer-songwriter, Masato Sugimoto (杉本真人...or すぎもとまさと when he's the "singer"), who had done a self-cover, and writing the lyrics was Fumiaki Matsubara (松原史明).
Looking at what Matsubara had written, it looks to me like the main character is reminiscing the times she once had with someone over a glass of sake, and she wishes to for things to be as they were, back to the happy times. Chiaki delivers the heroine's wistfulness very well, something I picked up when listening to the original and why I prefer it to the folkier rendition by Sugimoto. She starts off crooning in a mostly subdued manner, then further into the song, her husky delivery increases in intensity and becomes more pained. I liken this transition to when the character just begins to recall the events, after which she gets more bitter as she knows things ain't going to be as they were before, no matter how much she wills for it to be... I wonder if Chiaki might have become said character when Go was no longer around.
On a lighter note, I could also imagine Chiaki singing this at some smoky nightclub/music bar with Sugimoto in his cool guy shades on the acoustic guitar. Perched on a high stool, spotlight shining down on her, glass of brandy in hand, y'know, like Yujiro Ishihara (石原裕次郎). Speaking of Tough Guy, I would love to hear his boozy vocals lazily tackling "Akai Hana". Too bad it came out a few years too late.
I believe I've seen Korean-born singer Cheuni（チェウニ）at least a couple of times on NHK's "Kayo Concert" since the name rang a bell. According to J-Wiki, she made her debut in 1972 at the age of 8 before releasing a Japanese album in the late 1970s, although it was in her native South Korea where she had her first hits into the 1980s.
However in 1998, Cheuni took another stab at fame in Japan and (re-)debuted with "Tokyo Twilight" in September 1999. Written by Yuko Natsumi（夏海裕子）and composed by Masato Sugimoto（杉本真人）, the song sounded like the 2nd coming of Teresa Teng（テレサテン）although I realize that Cheuni sounds a fair bit different from the late Teng. But there is something about the arrangement of "Tokyo Twilight" that made me think that this would have been a tune that Teng would have tackled. And that same arrangement has a somewhat natsukashii flavour since it feels like something that I would have heard almost a decade before. I would describe it as an urban and wistful melody that could be heard as a turn-of-the-century type of City Pop.
Cheuni won a Newcomers Prize at the Japan Record Awards in 2000 for "Tokyo Twilight". Her debut would start off a series of Tokyo-based songs which included her next two singles, "Tokyo ni Yuki ga Furu"（Tokyoに雪が降る...Snow Falls in Tokyo） and "Hoshizora no Tokyo"（星空のトーキョー...Starry Night of Tokyo）.
