Shizuko Kasagi/Shuri -- Sentimental Dinah（センチメンタル・ダイナ）

A swing band done in Art Deco.

 

Keeping on the "Uta Con"（うたコン）theme from last article with Yu Sakai（さかいゆう）, there was a performance of an old chestnut that had been done on the currently running NHK morning serial "Boogie Woogie"（ブギウギ）starring Shuri（趣里）. Back in October, when the series just started, there was already some buzz flying about due to the barnstorming onstage performances of the actress as entertainer extraordinaire Suzuko Fukurai（福来スズ子）based on the real-life force-of-nature singer Shizuko Kasagi（笠置シヅ子）. Pretty hopping stuff to see and hear in the morning. The song that set the tone was "Sentimental Dinah".

The song about exhorting young Dinah to get out of her funk and do her singing and dancing whirlwind was written by Kobun Nogawa（野川香文）and composed by Ryoichi Hattori（服部良一）for Kasagi to record in 1940. It certainly starts out in a down-on-your-luck morose way but by the end, things seem to pick up for Dinah at last. 

The above video by Super Retro TV has Kasagi performing "Sentimental Dinah" in 1949. It's interesting to compare the 1940 recording with the 1949 performance on stage in front of a camera considering that the original record had been made right in the middle of World War II with the clampdown on entertainment (except for songs thought amenable by the Imperial government at the time). 

I'm pretty sure that Shuri's cover of the song was arranged by Takayuki Hattori（服部隆之）, Ryoichi's grandson, who is handling the soundtrack for "Boogie Woogie".

Yoshie Nakano, Yu Sakai & Shuri -- Happy Boogie（ハッピー☆ブギ）

 

A few days ago, another NHK morning serial was launched and has been the case in the past, "Boogie Woogie"（ブギウギ）is based on a fictionalized account of a real-life celebrity (with the names changed to prevent any complaints). During the pandemic, there was the drama "Yell"（エール）which was based on the kayo kyoku songwriter Yuuji Koseki（古関裕而）.

"Boogie Woogie" shows the life and times of the brassy singer Shizuko Kasagi（笠置シヅ子）whose trademark song was "Tokyo Boogie Woogie"（東京ブギウギ）, and as you can see above, the production staff didn't waste any time making that point clear right from Episode 1. That is indeed Shizuko Kasagi Suzuko Fukurai（福来スズ子）performing the famous upbeat kayo kyoku from 1947. Pretty darn happy way to start one's day.

(not the opening credits but a good video nonetheless)

I also saw the opening credits to "Boogie Woogie" and I was impressed with the different animation styles being used. Even the design of the title looking like four people cutting up the rug is fantastic. And the wonderful thing is that the music for the series is created by Takayuki Hattori（服部隆之）, the grandson of the composer of "Tokyo Boogie Woogie", Ryoichi Hattori（服部良一）.

Grandson Hattori was also responsible for the theme song "Happy Boogie" and it fulfills both words very well in the sound. I was automatically attracted of course by the jazz but also by the three singers behind it: Yoshie Nakano（中納良恵）of bohemian jazz and indies group Ego-Wrappin', Yu Sakai（さかいゆう） who's often collaborated with Tomita Lab（冨田ラボ）, and actress/singer Shuri（趣里）. Could get people dancing from the breakfast table.

The Hattoris aren't the only intergenerational celebrity association in "Boogie Woogie". Main actress Shuri happens to be the daughter of Candies' Ran Ito（伊藤蘭）and actor/singer Yutaka Mizutani（水谷豊）whose character has continued to solve crimes in the long-running "Aibou"（相棒）.