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 Shigerharu Mukai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shigerharu Mukai. Show all posts
Rather sad news that I found out about from the Mixi news feed, but Brazilian singer-songwriter Astrud Gilberto, a lady for whom the Japanese reporter described as The Queen of Bossa Nova, passed away yesterday at the age of 83. Gilberto has a file here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" and deservedly so since I'm also a fan of bossa nova.
Of course, one of the earliest songs that I got to listen to as a child was "The Girl from Ipanema". However, the first song that I provided regarding her came from her collaboration with Japanese jazz trombonist Shigeharu Mukai（向井滋春）, "Champagne And Caviar", from their 1983 album"SO & SO ~ Mukai Meets Gilberto".
In tribute, I'm providing another track from "SO & SO", "Nos Dois" (Both of Us) which was written by Gilberto and composed by Mukai. As with "Champagne and Caviar", "Nos Dois" is another honey-coated splendid combination of the lyricist's golden cooing voice and the composer's comfortable trombone. My compliments to the pianist as well. Of course, my condolences as well to Gilberto's family, friends and fans.
Nope, no champagne and caviar above. I barely drink the former and I don't much like the latter but I did adore my dinner of Beef Tenderloin on the cruise ship.
I think that even the members of the current young generation have heard of "The Girl From Ipanema"whether in its original 1960s version or as part of the Muzak playlist on elevators or in department stores. There is nothing like the original, though, by bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto, his wife, singer Astrud Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz, as I first remember hearing it as a kid and even attempting to play it as a clarinetist in the school band way back when. Basically, "The Girl From Ipanema" is Bossa Nova 101 for anyone who's just started his/her exploration of the genre; it and Astrud are joined at the hip.
That's one reason that I was surprised to hear this song "Champagne And Caviar" by the Brazilian singer in collaboration with jazz trombonist Shigeharu Mukai（向井滋春）on his February 1983 album"SO & SO ~ Mukai Meets Gilberto". The other reason is that I've been using the expression "champagne and caviar" to describe the City Pop sound in the late 1980s for years, only to find out that Astrud herself had gotten access to it.😬
According to the YouTube video explanation, she is the one behind the really pleasantly peppy bossa nova melody and the lyrics. Now, usually when I categorize a song as a duet, it's because that there are two people singing away behind the mike, but I just so love both Astrud's adorable delivery and Mukai's trombone solo that I am willing to make the exception here for this song celebrating a great relationship, platonic or otherwise.
As for Mukai, he was born and raised in Nagoya, and he first started playing the trombone when he attended high school. He debuted in 1976 with the album "For My Little Bird" and has collaborated with other great Japanese jazz figures including pianist Naoya Matsuoka（松岡直也）, guitarist Kazumi Watanabe（渡辺香津美）and trumpeter Terumasa Hino（日野皓正）. Mukai went over to New York City for a year in 1979 to learn about fusion jazz. He was releasing albums up to 2011 and has been teaching jazz at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Kawasaki.
