Japanese Hymns in English

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Elgar in J-rap Seamo's "Continue" CD

Japanese rap artist Seamo's 10th 'single' Continue, released October 15th 2008, samples Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (aka Land of Hope and Glory) on its title track. (In fact the 'sample' lasts the full length of the track.) Seamo's same track was previously used as the theme song to the Japanese TV drama "Yume wo Kanaeru Zou".

There are four tracks in all on the CD - track 2 乾布摩擦 uses traditional Japanese instruments. Tracks 3 and 4 are instrumental-only reprises of Tracks 1 and 2.

The promotional video of Continue, featuring Seamo as an Alice-in-Wonderland rabbit, among pantomime tin-soldiers and Victorian athletes, is vaguely (very vaguely) reminiscent of a video backdrop Jim Moray showed at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2005?).

I am sorry I can't translate the lyrics yet, but it is roughly about being true to yourself, not giving up, and following your own path in life. The video makes it look as if it all refers to England, but the lyrics don't seem to at all.
If you are outside Japan and would like this CD, contact me and I'll send it to you - it will cost about seven UK pounds + p&p.
Seamo - Continue PV

Sukiyaki Song 上を向いて歩こう

Ue o Muite Arukou (1961 Japan) aka "The Sukiyaki Song" (1963 US, UK) by Kyu Sakamoto (坂本 九) (1941-85) is possibly the best known Japanese 'pop' song in the UK or US. There are lots of versions on the web; here are a few basic links...
Sukiyaki Song info on Wikipedia
Sung by Kyu Sakamoto on YouTube

English translation of the Japanese lyrics.

English version sung by A Taste of Honey & their lyrics

Dance version by Ed Rennie on Hohner Melodeon

Kenny Ball version with his Jazz Men
Guitar Chords on Chordie

More comments on the song, this time from Deep Kyoto : Most people are familiar with the "Sukiyaki Song" - I was surprised though when I first learned it had nothing to do with sukiyaki! It's proper title is "ue wo muite arukou" or "I look up as I walk" but British jazz player Kenny Hall figured "Sukiyaki" was an easier name to remember. Actually it's a sad song of lost love and loneliness... Just recently my girlfriend told me how the singer, Sakamoto Kyu, died in an air crash in 1985. It's a pretty moving story. Between the first sign of mechanical failure and the final crash, 32 minutes passed. Knowing it was the end, Sakamoto had enough time to write a farewell note to his wife - though the vibrations of the plane made his writing shaky. Of 524 people only four survived but the final messages of Sakamoto Kyu and other passengers were also recovered. I don't think I can ever listen to this song now without feeling a wee bit teary...

Kawa no Nagare no You ni 川の流れのように

This remarkable song was composed by Akira Mitake, with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto. Originally sung by Misora Hibari, it was released on Japan's Columbia Music label on January 11 1989. She died in June of the same year. Eight years after its release, it was voted number one in an NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.
VERSIONS
Misora Hibari 美空ひばりoriginal singer
A few interesting covers
Los Panchos (Mexico)
12 Girls Band (Shanghai) 女子十二楽坊
Mariachi Vargas
Placido Domingo
Angklung (West Javan instrument)
Gentra Seba (on Angklung, W. Java?)
KMS and MMS middle school orchestras (Japan)
Fuga Akira (electric jazz guitar, Japan)

Partial English translation (adapted from Taiwanensis on Youtube)
Unknowingly, I have walked here
This long and narrow road.
Looking back, far away
I can see my hometown
On the uneven and winding road
There is no map to follow.
And so life goes on.

Like a river flowing leisurely,
Time passes through the ages
Like a river flowing endlessly,
The sky is reddened by the setting sun....

See also the 'Enka' post

Smoke on the Water

Here is the Kabuki-za Orchestra with part of the Suntory Hall Orchestra, playing Ooedo No Hikeshi (大江戸の火消し) (The Great Fire of Edo) based on Smoke on The Water.
The piece commemorates the 250th anniversary of the 1657 Great Fire of Tokyo (then called Edo), which was reputedly started by the cremation of a furisode (maiden's long-sleeved kimono) in honour of the souls of three young girls. (There a various English translations of the Japanese lyrics in the comments.)

Kabuki-za Orchestra: We Will Rock You 2007
Super Metal Missionaries Japan: Smoke on the Water, 2008?
Senor Coconut: Smoke on the Water, Tokyo Oct 2006
Senor Coconut: Yellow Fever Japan interview 2006
Deep Purple: Smoke on the Water, Live at Budokan, Tokyo 1975
If you liked those you might like these...
Shamisen: Kevin Kmetz: Led Zeppelin: Black Dog
Shamisen: Yoshida Brothers: Rising

Thanks to Eric Bray for the Kabuki-za heads up.

加茂川会 Kamogawa-kai Chanson & Sakura

At the weekend I paid my first visit to a Kamogawa-kai event - their Annual Cherry party. This year it was hosted by Mr and Mrs Oyagi in their huge beautiful old Japanese house on the banks of the Kamogawa River, one of the most spectacular spots for blossom-viewing. The weather was gorgeous, and so was the buffet laid on by the "twenty-four ladies" of Kamogawa-kai, but even more amazing was the chanson concert, which I'll tell you about in a minute.

Kamogawa-kai is a non-profit international friendship organisation established in Kyoto in 1984. Among their many projects, they arrange monthly cultural visits in the Kyoto area to (in their own words) "deepen your appreciation of different cultures and peoples".

Of the 49 people there on Sunday, about one-third were from outside Japan - there was a space-scientist from India, research-doctors from Malaysia, students from all over China, and many other countries represented including Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, UK and US. It's not always easy to talk to strangers but the program made it so, with greetings by each language speaker and a funny round of self introductions, Mr Oyagi's song in four languages, and plenty of time and space to mingle under the weeping sakura.

But I must tell you about the chanson. This was all Japanese, some songs peppered with French refrains. A pianist accompanied four singers who took turns and made flamboyant costume changes for each set: Mrs Setsuko Okuzawa sang 'Paris', 'Se-shi-bon', 'Jolie Momu', 'Adieu' and 'Sorezore no Table', variously in black evening dress and red trilby, silver flapper wig and mauve boa, and blue velvet sheath; Ms Sueko Yokoyama sang 'Kanashii no Venice', 'My Way' (in Japanese) and 'J'aime Paris au mois du Mais', sporting a blue music hall dress and My Fair Lady hat followed by a QE2 blue beaded frock with medieval sleeves; Mr Kiyohide Okuzawa sang 'San Francisco no rokumai no kaiha', 'Watashi no kodoku' (my loneliness), and a song about whales and another of a kamikaze pilot thanking his mother in his will - he wore a pale pink sports jacket which matched the blossoms perfectly; the MC, the Kamogawakai comedian, sang 'Bon Voyage!' and 'Ikanaide!' (Don't Go!) with all her heart.

The concert was brilliantly put together so that wherever they were from, everyone in the audience could empathise - sorrow, seduction, loneliness, broken hearts, lost time - the sadder the song the more the melodrama, so that strangers from all around the world found themselves beyond language, laughing and crying together. A hilarious, profound, generous and delicious day.

1. KAMOGAWA-KAI 加茂川会 (国際交流グループ): k*a*m*ogawakai1984@yahoo.co.jp (take out the *s)
2. The SINGERS are all members of ITC (International Training in Communication) in Kobe.
3. There will be a big CHANSON CONCERT in Osaka 21st August 2008 - I'll try and get details to post.

Karaoke: Japan v UK カラオケ: 日本 v UK

Karaoke in the UK is quite different from karaoke in Japan. The main difference is that in the UK it is mainly in pubs, whereas in Japan it is mainly in smaller, more intimate settings.
When I saw karaoke in London, Manchester and Brighton the singer had to go up on stage in a huge pub before an audience largely composed of strangers; it was solo, and a 'performance' rather than self-entertainment for their group; it was kind of just for laughs and it raised a few; it took courage - Dutch or otherwise. Not everyone gets to sing - or wants to - and many would like to but dare not.
In Japan, karaoke is not so daunting. Japanese bars are incredibly small and karaoke bars in particular are ooh very dark; you sing in your seat, surrounded by your friends, and there are two mics or more up for grabs. Everyone gets a few turns. There are songs in both Japanese and foreign languages - sometimes with spelling mistakes and funny English. Lately, 24-7 karaoke boxes are gaining popularity over the karaoke bar. In a karaoke box you rent a private room to sing with/for your friends (or alone) so if you don't want to sing to strangers, or if you just want to be with your own mates, or if you want the mic to go round quicker so that you get more chances to sing, the box is even better than the bar. You can alter the pitch of the song, order room-service (of food and drinks) by intercom and stay as long as you like. In the highest state-of-the-art boxes you can even get a score based on how in-tune you were! They're booming such that more multi-storey karaoke-box complexes are being built all the time in spite of zero population growth.
Link: How to do Karaoke the Japanese Way