SION, a Japanese blues singer

Sion's songs were my favorites in the late 1980s. He was as hungry as me in those days. The following is "Sorry Baby" by Sion:



Another clip of Sion, "街は今日も雨さ" (It's still raining in this town).

Runaway Girl by ROGUE

ROGUE was a Japanese rock group led by a vocalist/guitarist Okuno Atsushi in the late 1980s. It was one of my favorite rock groups in the late 1980s, partly because it was from my hometown, Maebashi.



After the breakup of the group in 1990, Okuno Atsushi had been working as a solo singer and an actor until last year.

Recently, I was shocked to learn that he had had cervical vertebrae damage when he had accidentally fallen off a building while he had been voluntarily helping his friend who is a scrapping worker. The accident took place last September, and, after that, his left arm and legs have been paralyzed; he can move only his right arm. I wish that he would recover from the injury, and some day he would be able to sing songs or write new songs.

Purple Haze Ondo by HIS

Three Japanese musicians, Hosono Haruomi (a basist who is a former member of YMO), Imawano Kiyoshiro (a rock musician) and Sakamoto Fuyumi (an enka singer), transiently formed a music unit named HIS in 1991. The name was after their initials (Hosono, Imawano and Sakamoto). HIS played Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze changing its tune into ondo; ondo (音頭) is a genre of Japanese dance music, which is commonly used in bon odori dance.


[HT to nairon3]

HIS's "Purple Haze Ondo" was not a sole attempt to perform western music in the goofy tune of ondo. The following is "Yellow Submarine Ondo" by an enka singer Kanazawa Akiko. It was a minor hit in Japan in 1982. It might make you giddy as it did the Japanese in 1982.

Funeral service for Imawano Kiyoshiro gathered 43,000 people

Funeral service for Imawano Kiyoshiro was held yesterday in the Aoyama Funeral Pavillion. According to Sankei [Japanese], the service gathered as many as 43,000 people. UMI BLOG has a report on the funeral.

Today, I spent a whole day watching Imawano Kiyoshiro's videos on youtube. I remembered again how much I had been addicted to his songs when he was a vocalist of RC succession and how much the messages in his songs have been affecting my real life. Although I provided many links to youtube videos yesterday, I'd add two more video clips of Kiyoshiro.

Jiyu (自由, Freedom),


[HT to taikutyuotoko]

Akirete Mono mo Ienai (あきれて物も言えない, Speechless being disgusted),


[HT to dubwiser33]

Imawano Kiyoshiro passed away

Imawano Kiyoshiro (忌野 清志郎), a Japanese rock musician who represents the J-POP scene in the early 1980s, passed away on May 2, 2009 at the age of 58. I liked his songs so much that I used one of his songs, Transistor Radio, as a BGM in my wedding party.

The followings are random clips of his songs from YouTube.

"Ue o Muite Arukou": This song was the first one that I saw him singing as a rock musician on TV. It was perhaps in 1979. The song is a cover of Sakamoto Kyu's "Ue o muite aruko" known by an alternative title "Sukiyaki" in some western countries.

"Sweet Soul Music": Kiyoshiro's homage to Otis Redding. He also sang a song entitled "Otis ga oshiete kureta (Otis taught me)".

"Slow Ballad": This song was released in 1976, but Kiyoshiro's records sold so badly at the time that they became out of press in a few years. They were re-issued after he became famous, and this ballad is now a standard number in J-POP.



"Kimi ga Boku wo Shitteru": Originally released in 1980 as a rock version. The following video clip is an acoustic guitar session with Nakaido Reiichi (also known as Chabo) aired on TV in 1994.



"Hippie ni Sasagu": The title means "Dedicated to Hippie". He made this song for his first manager, who was also a friend of his, whose nickname was Hippie and who passed away before Kiyoshiro's songs became popular to the public. In the later part of this song, he just crys out loud for about 2 minutes for his late friend.



"Music funeral" for Kiyoshiro is being held at the Aoyama Funeral Pavilion from 13:00 to 18:00 tomorrow (May 9). R.I.P., Kiyoshiro.

Nocturne by Ayaka Hirahara

Lyrics

Love, true love is to ask nothing in return
You are my destined soul mate
Your love, adoring eyes
We can see the light because we know the darkness
Everything has meaning, even campanula in the wind

Each one of us has pain and sorrow
Sheds a secret tear
But drops of your tears will fall to the earth and
Welcome new life into the world again and again with love

Love, true love is to ask nothing in return
Fated love that is meant to last
My love, your gentle gaze
A drop of your soul within me that I adore
Everything has an end, but we'll be united

My love, your gentle gaze
A drop of your soul within me that I adore
Everything has an end, but we'll be united

-------
The melody of the song is based around the melody to Nocturne by Chopin.

This song is now being used as the ending music of a TV drama, "風のガーデン (Garden of the Wind)", which happened to become a posthumous work of a Japanese actor Ken Ogata who passed away on October 5th.

Sumiko Yamagata - a Japanese folk singer in '70s

The followings are video clips of Sumiko Yamagata from a TV drama "おさななじみ" (Childhood Friend) aired in 1973. She debuted as a singer in the year when she was 17 years old.

Kaze ni fukarete ikou (風に吹かれて行こう, Let's go in the wind)



Kono hiroi nohara ippai (この広い野原いっぱい, Full in this large field)
Natsu ni nattara (夏になったら, When summer has come)

She is still releasing new CDs but she rarely appear on TV after she got married in 1978.

B.B. Queens - Odoru Ponpokorin

Smash hit of B.B. Queens in 1990 when Japanese economic bubble was at its peak. This song is symbolic of those lighthearted days.

The male vocalist in B.B. Queens, Fusanosuke Kondo, is a blues singer who usually sings songs like this one (cover of "Sweet Little Angel").

[HT to gorogoro117]

Anna Tsuchiya cannot appear in NHK?

Previously, I linked some of Anna Tsuchiya's music videos here and here. She is a fashion model, an actress and a singer. And she has recently made a debut as a voice actress in an anime "Sore Ike Anpanman: Yousei Rinrin no Himitsu", or "Let's go, Anpanman: the secret of fairy Rinrin", that is being screened in Japan since July 12. Her role in the anime is the heroine, Fairy Rinrin.

Also, this week's issue of Shukan Gendai reported that Anna caused trouble in the filming of an NHK documentary that was planned to be aired on NHK BS this summer. She was on location for the documantary when she started quarreling with the director of the documentary. She finally hit him in the face causing light injury on his eye. The filming was immediately cancelled. Perhaps, NHK would never offer jobs to Anna in the future. It seems she behaves like her roles in the films such as Kamikaze Girls and Sakuran even in her real life. The photo at the top of this entry and the youtube video to follow are from Sakuran.

Cheap Hippies by Rebecca

From a TV show aired probably in 1986. This song reminds me of the lighthearted atmosphere of the Japanese society in the days just before the era of the Japan's Bubble Economy. I liked NOKKO's powerful lyrics and performance in those days.

(HT to hakuno1020)

Punk Rock Violin by Aria Aizawa

Aria Aizawa describes her performance as Punk Rock Violin.

Her performances in all over Japan.

Aria with her band.

Sambomaster - Utagoe Yo Okore (Raise the voice of song)

I like this cool band.

(HT to ServantSab3r)

Their song "Sekai wa sore wo ai to yobundaze (That is what the world calls love!)" was used in the ending of the legendary TV drama "Densha Otoko" aired in 2005.

(HT to watzy)

Freddie Mercury sang in Japanese

"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" by QUEEN. Freddie sings in Japanese at 1:58 and 3:02. Lyrics were as follows.

When I'm gone no need to wonder
If I ever think of you
The same moon shines
The same wind blows for both of us
And time is but a paper moon
Be not gone

Though I'm gone it's just as though
I hold the flower that touches you
A new life grows
The blossom knows there's no one else
Could warm my heart as much as you
Be not gone

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned

手をとり合って このまま行こう
(Teo toriatte konomama ikou)
愛する人よ
(Ai suru hito yo)

静かな宵に 光をともし
(Shizukana yoi ni hikari wo tomoshi)
いとしき教えを抱き
(Itoshiki oshie wo idaki)

Hear my song still think of me
The way you've come to think of me
The nights grow long
But dreams live on
Just close your pretty eyes
And you can be with me
Dream on

手をとり合って このまま行こう
(Teo toriatte konomama ikou)
愛する人よ
(Ai suru hito yo)

静かな宵に 光をともし
(Shizukana yoi ni hikari wo tomoshi)
いとしき教えを抱き
(Itoshiki oshie wo idaki)

When I'm gone they'll say we were all fools
And we don't understand
Oh be strong don't turn your heart
We're all you're all we're all for all for always

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned


The following is "La Japonaise" sung by Freddie Mercury and Montsy Caballè.

Lyrics:
Subarashii asa ga akeru
(素晴らしい朝が明ける)
Yoake ga yobikakeru
(夜明けが呼びかける)
Kokoro no izumi ga wakideru
(心の泉が湧き出る)
Yume no yo
(夢のよう)

I feel the power of a stranger inside me
A force of magic surrounds me
This fountain within me is overflowing

Peaceful and inviting
Beautiful and enticing
Yoake kisetsu yume kibo
(夜明け, 季節, 夢, 希望)
Umi to hikari ga yondeiru
(海と光が呼んでいる)

Rising sun you bless my morning with a smile
A magic pearl from the seas
Born in a willow breeze
Loyal friend my guardian angel in the sky
You've served me well all these years
Greeting with both hands
Trusting with no fears
Till the end

Toi kuni no anata ni miserarete
(遠い国のあなたに魅せられて)
Amarinimo utsukushii yume no yo
(あまりにも美しい 夢のよう)
Itsumademo ii
(いつまでも いい)

Ai no hikari kibo to yume
(愛の光, 希望と夢)
When everything is golden and everything is oh
Fuji no yuki, Kyoto no ame, Tokyo no yoru
(富士の雪, 京都の雨, 東京の夜)
And everything is ah

Fire and beauty
My only living treasure on this earth

Kibo hikari yume (oohh yume oooh)
(希望, 光, 夢)

Asa ga hohoemikakeru
(朝がほほえみかける)
Itsumo kimi dake wa kokoro no tomo
(いつも君だけは心の友)
Toi kimi no omokage shinonde
(遠い君の面影偲んで)
Amarinimo utsukushii yume no yo
(あまりにも美しい 夢のよう)

When everything is golden
And everything and everyone is ahh

Yoake, kisetsu, yume, kibo (oohhhhh)
(夜明け, 季節, 夢, 希望)

Yoake, kisetsu, yume (oohhhhh)
(夜明け, 季節, 夢)
Hikari, kisetsu, yume, kibo
(光, 季節, 夢, 希望)
Hikari, kisetsu, yume, kibo
Hikari, kisetsu, yume, kibo

(HT to TITANHEADROOM and Stifler2005652007)

Anna inspi' Nana (Blackstones) - Rose

One more Anna Tsuchiya's clip.

Akihiro Miwa - Yoitomake's song

Japan Probe showed the ranking of photos that older Japanese people take with cameras on their cellphones. Akihiro Miwa's picture was ranked 5th in the survey. They say it's lucky to have his picture. Who is Akihiro Miwa?

Akihiro Miwa (1935- ) is a transvestic celebrity in Japan. He started his carrier as a professional cabaret singer in the 1950s. It is said that in those days Yukio Mishima told to Akihiro Miwa: "You only have one flaw. That you don't love me."

While he was very popular in the 1950s, people soon lost interest in him. By the early 1960s, he was an almost forgotten singer. Anyway, he continued shows in suburban cabaret. Japan was still a poor country in the 1960s. He was distressed in those days, asking himself: "What am I doing wearing gaudy dresses taking money from poor people? Am I just a clown wearing peacock-like costumes?" One day, he wrote rylics for poor laborers based on his own experience in his childhood. Putting a melody to them, he started to sing the song wearing plain clothes. His song touched the audience's heart and moved them to tears every time he sang the song. The song became a smash hit in 1966. After that, he returned to the major stages in show business.

Title of the song is "Yoitomake's song". The word Yoitomake that is not used today was a slang for day laborers or navvies that was often used as a derogatory term. The following is the rylics of the song.

------

ヨイトマケの唄 / Yoitomake's song

父ちゃんのためなら　えんやこら /For the sake of my husband, ENYAKORA!*
母ちゃんのためなら えんやこら /For the sake of my wife, ENYAKORA!
もひとつおまけに えんやこら /One more time additionally, ENYAKORA!

*) "Enyakora!" is a shout that laborers make when they pull or push heavy loads.

今も聞こえる　ヨイトマケの唄 / I can still hear Yoitomake's song.
今も聞こえる　あの子守唄 /I can still hear that lullaby.

工事現場の昼休み /During the lunch time in a construction site,
たばこふかして　目を閉じりゃ /When I close my eyes, smoking a cigarette,
聞こえてくるよ　あの唄が /I can hear that song,
働く土方の　あの唄が /That song of muscular laborers,
貧しい土方の　あの唄が /That song of poor laborers.

子供の頃に小学校で /When I was a child, in a school,
ヨイトマケの子供　きたない子供と /"Yoitomake's son! Dirty child!"
いじめぬかれて　はやされて /So I was bullied. I was teased.
くやし涙にくれながら /Shedding tears in my mortification,
泣いて帰った道すがら /I returned home crying. On the way home,
母ちゃんの働くとこを見た /I saw my mom working.
母ちゃんの働くとこを見た /I saw my mom working.

姉さんかぶりで　泥にまみれて /Covering her head with a scarf, getting muddy,
日にやけながら　汗を流して /Being burned by the sun, being drenched in sweat,
男に混じって　ツナを引き /With male navvies, she was pulling a rope.
天に向かって　声をあげて /Letting her voice out toward the sky,
力の限り　唄ってた /She was singing a song at the top of her voice.
母ちゃんの働くとこを見た /I saw my mom working.
母ちゃんの働くとこを見た /I saw my mom working.

慰めてもらおう　抱いてもらおうと /Wishing to be consoled and hugged by my mom,
息をはずませ　帰ってはきたが /I was returning home, but
母ちゃんの姿　見たときに /When I saw my mom,
泣いた涙も忘れ果て /I forgot that I was crying.
帰っていったよ　学校へ /I returned to the school,
勉強するよと言いながら /Muttering "I'll study hard in the school."
勉強するよと言いながら /Muttering "I'll study hard in the school."

あれから何年たった事だろう /How many years has it passed after that?
高校も出たし大学も出た /I graduated high school and finished collage.
今じゃ機械の世の中で /Now, it's an age of machinery.
おまけに僕はエンジニア /Moreover I am an engineer.
苦労苦労で死んでった /You lived and died in hardships.
母ちゃん見てくれ　この姿 /Please see my present status, mom.
母ちゃん見てくれ　この姿 /Please see my present status, mom.

何度も僕もぐれかけたけど /I almost went astray many times, but
やくざな道は踏まずに済んだ /I fotunately didn't fall into evil ways.
どんなきれいな唄よりも /More than any other beautiful songs,
どんなきれいな声よりも /More than any other beautiful voices,
僕を励ましなぐさめた /That song encouraged and consoled me.
母ちゃんの唄こそ　世界一 /My mom's song is indeed the best in the world.
母ちゃんの唄こそ　世界一 /My mom's song is indeed the best in the world.

今も聞こえる　ヨイトマケの唄 /I can still hear the Yoitomake's song.
今も聞こえる　あの子守唄 /I can still hear that lullaby.

父ちゃんのためなら　えんやこら /For the sake of my husband, ENYAKORA!
子供のためなら　えんやこら /For the sake of my children, ENYAKORA!

--------

I believe this song encouraged many people in the 1960s helping the start of the rapid economic growth of Japan afterward.

(HT to ganbaganba)

You can also watch his performance in the 1950s that Mishima loved here on Youtube.

Anna Tsuchiya - Taste my skin

One more clip of Tsuchiya Anna.

Anna Tsuchiya - sweet sweet song

I'm a big fan of Tsuchiya Anna (土屋アンナ) since I first saw her in a film "Shimotsuma monogatari (aka. Kamikaze Girls)". She is an American-Japanese who has a Russian-American father and a Japanese mother.