Naoki Sanada -- Ni-Yon-Roku (246)

 

There didn't seem to be a theme for the latest episode of NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）a couple of nights ago, but I did pick up on at least a couple of songs during the broadcast.

Wherever you are reading this, I'm not sure whether you have parts of your national highways taking on different street names. Over here in Toronto, our main north-south route known as Yonge St. becomes Highway 11 outside of the city limits and just goes all the way north for hundreds of kilometres. In Tokyo, there's a similar if far shorter route that begins as Aoyama Street near the Diet Building and extends through the entertainment district of Shibuya and then becomes National Route 246 as it goes into Kanagawa Prefecture and finally ends in the city of Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture after a little over 125 kilometres. Walking through Shibuya all the time way back when, I must have put my footsteps onto Aoyama Street/Route 246 a fair number of times myself.

It seems my Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）entries are coming in on an annual basis. Last year, I put up his "Yoe Nee yo!"（酔えねぇよ！）, but for this year at least, it's his latest single from May, "Ni-Yon-Roku", which was written and composed by his teacher, singer-songwriter Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）. With this one, Sanada sings about inviting that lucky lady for a night out in his car painting the town red in Tokyo and then heading even further west. As usual, Sanada brings his lusty vocal brio which matches how Yoshi usually tackled his own tunes back in the day.

Although Sanada has been branded as an enka singer and certainly, I've labeled some of this other tunes as enka, I have to say that "Ni-Yon-Roku" is just too brassy and downtown party-hearty for that label. Perhaps I can categorize it as a very modern Mood Kayo or a New Adult Music tune.

Naoki Sanada -- Yoe Nee yo!（酔えねぇよ！）

 

I believe that it's every singer's dream to come up with a distinct personality or style for oneself. Perhaps I'm watching one example of this right here. Over the past few years, I've noted the enka singer, young Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）, who's learned his craft under singer-songwriter Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）, carving out this niche of a stylish man-about-city with oodles of growly verve and passion. His song titles have involved the general imbibing of mass quantities along with certain metropolitan areas.

Well, his latest single which came out on April 19th is "Yoe Nee yo!" (Ain't Getting Drunk!). Once again, his mentor Yoshi was behind words and music and if I've got my understanding in check, it's about a guy trying to get through a rough patch while ensconced in his bottle with the love of a good woman, although it's up in the air whether he'll succeed. Yelling out the title in his vocals, he only promises that he won't get drunk today.

Sanada seems like a chip off the old block with that low and raspy delivery and emotional rough-hewn oomph that Yoshi has used in his own songs like his trademark "Yukiguni"（雪国）. Melodically, I've categorized the other songs by Sanada as either Mood Kayo or enka, but "Yoe Nee yo!" is especially difficult because it has elements of different genres: the garrulous brio of enka and maybe even rock but with those punchy horns which takes things into a more soulful direction. Could this be what Neo-Mood Kayo sounds like or is it more along the lines of the New Adult Music blend of enka and rock that I mentioned in Sanada's "Yoi no Blues"（酔いのブルース）?

Whatever the case may be, I think Sanada's persona in his videos is the type of guy you'd want to take you on a barhopping tour in Tokyo...provided that he picks up the tab.🍷

Naoki Sanada -- Shibuya de...Dou?（渋谷で・・・どう？）

 

It's rather odd that although Tokyo hubs Shinjuku and Ginza have gotten the lion's share of Mood Kayo over the past several decades, another major entertainment centre in Japan's capital, Shibuya, doesn't seem to have had a number of songs devoted to it. But then again, Shibuya is known as the Youth Mecca of the country and as such, Mood Kayo, a genre of Japanese music that usually refers to the older crowd, might not really apply here.

Still, I'm happy to find out that "Shibuya de Go-ji" (渋谷で5時）, and I realize that Martin's song is fully into the City Pop field, is not quite alone anymore since I was able to discover "Shibuya de...Dou?" (How About In...Shibuya?) through last night's episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）. Performed by the young kayo singer Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）, a disciple of enka singer Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）, it's got quite the brio since Yoshi provided both words and lyrics, and it matches quite nicely with the gravelly-voiced and punchy Sanada.

Released about a week ago on the 9th as Sanada's latest single, I think Yoshi could have handled this one as well and I can imagine that the veteran singer could even cover it sometime down the line. In any case, the song is an invitation for a night out in Shibuya but whether it's to a fellow drinking buddy or a romantic date, I'm not quite sure. However, it certainly seems that the inviter has seen all sorts of things on a Friday or Saturday night there...as have I. Another observation is that after the past couple of years of COVID-19, "Shibuya de...Dou?" might be the clarion call for folks to get back to the bars again, when it is safe to do so.

You can also take a gander at the shortened version of the music video below. Also, I did hear about the earthquake in the Tohoku region earlier today and so I'm hoping that everyone and everything are OK. At the same time, I'm happy to hear that perhaps the power is coming back to the Kanto area following some wide blackouts.

Naoki Sanada -- Maji de Horeta（本気で惚れた）

 

I was slightly caught off-guard last night just when "Uta Con"（うたコン）was signing off for another week when the concierge Shosuke Tanihara（谷原章介）quickly rapped off about a saishuukai（最終回）. Well, saishuukai means final episode so did that mean that "Uta Con" was wrapping up things after a 5-year run? As it turns out, I think that I am mistaken and that probably the saishuukai was in reference to the current NHK morning serial "Ochoyan"（おちょやん）, although I'm also surprised that it's finishing its run since it just seemed to speed by. Plus, I don't think that I ever heard of any Japanese television show suddenly cutting out less than a month after the new fiscal year kicks in. If "Uta Con" had ended its run, it would have been at the end of March, not April.

One segment on last night's episode involved showcasing four of the young Turks in the enka/new kayo world, including Ikuzo Yoshi's（吉幾三）protégé, enka singer Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）. I first wrote about him back in 2018 with his "Yoi no Blues"（酔いのブルース）and since then, he seems to be doing his old master proud.

Well, Sanada has come back with his latest single from February 2021, "Maji de Horeta" (Really Fallen In Love). Naturally, written and composed by Yoshi, the Saitama Prefecture-born singer brings out a lot of gravelly and boisterous brio in his vocals, something that has probably also been cultivated by Yoshi since he's also got a similarly rumble in his delivery when it comes to his songs. "Maji de Horeta" has quite the grandeur and I'm sure that the karaoke folks will love tackling the undulating first line in each verse. I just think that the end is a little too abrupt.

I think that there is something quite Tadao Ando（安藤忠雄）in the building in the shortened video where Sanada is singing. But aside from that, I think young Sanada is beginning to show a few of his own characteristic physical flourishes during his performances...kinda like Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）. "Maji de Horeta" hasn't done too shabbily, either, by peaking at No. 6.

Naoki Sanada -- Ebisu（恵比寿）

Tokyo's Ebisu district isn't nearly as sprawling as Ginza or Shinjuku but it's also got its fair share of restaurants and watering holes. When I think of the area, I usually think of Ebisu Garden Place, the entertainment/commercial complex across the street from JR Ebisu Station on the Yamanote Line, and one of the main buildings at EGP is Sapporo Beer Station. As I recall, I've been there a few times with friends for a medium mug of the suds and the usual snacks that surround it.

Enka/Mood Kayo singer Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）looks like he's been inhabiting a more stylish establishment there and he's been there for a lot longer considering that goofy grin in the thumbnail for the video above. That's because he's performing the short version of his latest single "Ebisu" which was released in January 2020.

I've found out from his J-Wiki profile that enka veteran Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）has been writing and composing all of his singles (four, including "Ebisu"), so I'm wondering whether Sanada has been Yoshi's apprentice for the past few years. Sanada is showing a lot of guttural brio in his delivery as if he's been knocking back a lot of that reserved Old Parr at his favourite tavern. "Ebisu" is quite the heroic-sounding Mood Kayo and I can see it as a potential current favourite at the karaoke boxes for the business folks.

Naoki Sanada -- Yoi no Blues（酔いのブルース）

Another regular NHK kayo-based program that has made its way onto TV Japan is "Gogo Uta"（ごごウタ...Afternoon Music） which is co-hosted by veteran funny man Kazuki Kosakai（小堺一機）. Compared to the other shows including "Uta Con"（うたコン）, "Gogo Uta", with its Friday afternoon time slot, is a program which seems to be a bit more relaxing for the guests (well, as relaxed as one could be in front of a large studio audience). I'm not sure whether the producers had meant it as such, but I take it as if the Green Room atmosphere were brought out into the open (although, of course, no sordid secrets get out here). One of my parents has often complained that everyone just talks too much on this show, but I think that has always been the point for "Gogo Uta"...more pleasant chit-chat and then some of the enka/Mood Kayo stuff.

I think another purpose for "Gogo Uta" is to provide a nationwide platform which may be less intimidating than "Uta Con" for up-and-coming singers or singers who need that extra promotional boost. One such guest today was enka singer Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）from Saitama Prefecture. He's been performing since 2016, and today he performed his third single from September this year (2018), "Yoi no Blues" (Drunken Blues).

As has been the case for his previous two singles, "Yoi no Blues" has been created for Sanada by enka master Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）, and why I'm writing about it is because aside from the fact that I like it, it also doesn't really come across as an enka tune to my ears although the theme of being at the end of one's rope or at the bottom of the barrel is a typical one for an enka or Mood Kayo song. But come to think of it, there is some of that oomph in Yoshi's melody that would indicate a warrior's call to battle.

Yoshi's lyrics talk about a fellow, perhaps someone who is associated with the underworld, who has just had enough of his life and is drunkenly desperate for a fresh chance to go in a better direction. Perhaps the guy is confessing his sins to the nomiya's proprietor or just blasting himself alone somewhere on the pier while knocking back a One Cup Ozeki (I like sake sometimes but I will never ever go near that stuff again) which kinda strikes me as being Mood Kayo. I've also noticed some of that muscular rock feeling through the guitar. Basically, I wonder if Yoshi has created the 21st-century version of a Nyc Nyusa（ニック・ニューサ）New Adult Music song. New Adult Music is a genre that I actually found out about for the first time earlier this year through his hit single "Sachiko"（サチコ）.

One other thing that I've noticed about Sanada himself is that his movements kinda hinted at a young Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）and that delivery in "Yoi no Blues" also made me wonder whether he was even incorporating a bit of bluesy Akiko Wada（和田アキ子）. Pretty interesting fellow and song, and I hope either with "Yoi no Blues" or any future song that he gets that breakthrough hit.

Last thing...in the lyrics, Sanada sings that he just can't seem to get drunk no matter how much he knocks back. Considering the "Woe is me" tone of "Yoi no Blues", I kinda wonder whether this would be the ideal kayo for Captain America currently after I had caught the trailer for "Avengers: Endgame".😁