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| 演歌 Enka | |||||||||||||||
| Educator Ken Maziki | |||||||||||||||
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Regarding 演歌 / Enka |
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| The Western scale is seven scales. However, the Japanese scale is five
scales. Enka and Japanese trad song must be composed with five scales. The Japanese scale "ヨナ抜き" (Yona-nuki : "Yo" means 4, "Na" means 7, "Nuki" means Without) It without using 4 "Fa" and 7 "Si". Also other Japanese scale "ニロ抜き" (Niro-nuki : "Ni" means 2, "Ro" means 6, "Nuki" means Without) It without using 2 "Re" and 6 "La". This is the roots of Enka kobushi vibrato. Tuvan throat singing, Khoomei, Hooliin Chor (in Mongolian, ‘throat harmony’), or Mongolian throat singing is one particular variant of overtone singing practiced by people in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Tuva and Siberia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvan_throat_singing The kobushi vibrato of Japanese home Enka and Min'yo songs shake the throat, and convey the gentle lyricism of the native township far away. This is a traditional way for Asians to express their voices to distant people with emotion. Throat singing, which is said to have originated in the mountainous region of the northwestern part of Mongolia, uses its unique vocalization method to make a roaring sound that is said to be an amazing singing method, and to roar in the grassland. Khoomei is a singing method that is deeply tied to pre-Lama Mongolian traditional shamanism. Originally it was not intended to be heard by the audience, but as a praise of the natural spirits that live in mountains, rocks, lakes and deserts. When Khoomei's voice echoes in the mountains, Mongolian spirits turn into vehicles like swans. Khoomei can be played even higher, entrusting the swan with the desire to coordinate the upper and lower worlds. 水前寺清子 - 三百六十五歩のマーチ https://www.discogs.com/ja/Kiyoko-Suizenji-. She is a famous Enka singer, but not all songs she sings are Enka. The following inquiries were I received from American users living in Japan. 「三百六十五歩のマーチ」は「ど演歌」からかなり遠いものだけど、 日本人が作る「演歌ベスト」オムニバスに入ることがあるから、 ある日本人に演歌だ、ある日本人に演歌でない。 “三百六十五歩のマーチ” is far from "ど演歌" (Emphasis prefix, Do-Enka = Right Enka), this song is an Enka for some Japanese, but not an Enka for some Japanese, because it sometimes enters the omnibus of the "Best Enka" made by Japanese. I can told you it is no problem to make "三百六十五歩のマーチ" into Enka in the Japanese market. But as a style it is a march and a cheering song for their life. If you use Enka tag as a style, foreigners who can not understand Japanese they will use even march for Enka. Enka tag is for Enka style. It is not for "Enka is the Japanese mind" It should not be a criterion specific to the Japanese. Explain the style of music structurally technically. This is not a matter of race and nationality. That's why Discogs does not admit discussing Enka's style with books that only Japanese can read. Such expressions by word play can only be understood by Japanese people. How to read kanji is not necessary to explain Enka style. Is it possible for people who can not read Japanese to explain Enka's style? Even though I talk using Japanese, Discogs gives me a penalty. Previously, I received a penalty from Discogs for such a thing. They said, "Conversation in Japanese is invalid" This site is an American site. What they are asking users is an explanation that people around the world can understand. So we do not need to explain Enka which credits with word play by kanji. We have to tell people around the world the structure to the style of music called Enka. |
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| A regular customer at my store who the boss of Hiroshima Enka Promotion Association. He gave me a lot about Enka. The Enka and Kayoukyoku he studied were huge. I helped sort the songs on his list into Enka and Kayoukyoku. I seem so that you don't know "ヨナ抜き" (Yona-nuki) Western music has 7 scales. But Enka is 5 scales. They compose Enka without using 4 "Fa" and 7 "Si". This is a composition method that you can learn the musical structure of Enka. “Korean trot” also has a similar style, ”Korean trot” must be 3 beat or 4 beat. "ヨナ抜き" is the identity of Enka. For example, 一柳慧 オペラ横尾忠則を歌う [Opera "From The Works Of Tadanori Yokoo"] https://www.discogs.com/ja/%E4%B8%80%E6%9F%B3%E6%85%A7-h Western users’ explanation had a very interesting theory. Although according to their theory this album must be an opera. But why does not anyone choose an opera tag under the Classical genre? Is 一柳慧 the avant-garde compaser? According to their explanation, it is a song title called Enka, but It is not a song style for Enka. I removed Enka tag because the Western user tagged it to this album. According to his description, "4-1 Love Blinded Ballad (Enka 1969) is Enka" LOL, Oh he was deceived by the title "Enka" instead of the definition of Enka. This is an "Enka" tag for style. This is not an "Enka" tag for the title. I made "Kayoukyoku" and "Min'you" tags for wipe work on Japanese music. It is very helpful for users. Perhaps they misunderstood with old melodies and effective radio noise. This was truly a tricky way. 軍艦マーチ、丘を越えて、ストトン節 etc 俗謡, 昭和流行歌, 端唄 used in sampling style for track 4-1 Love Blinded Ballad (Enka 1969) However there has not Enka. Track 4-1 uses the prewar Japanese popular songs as sampling style to image the situation the Japanese empire has progressed to war. As it resembles the collage psych method they think it' Enka by subtitle (Enka 1969). It is a tragedy of the Japanese empire seen from Japan. The atmosphere made in 4-1 is connected 4-2 very well. Enka (怨歌) 怨 is "Urami" Resentment or Chagrin. What do you think about 怨 Chagrin? The Japanese people received thought from the Japanese empire, but the Japanese knew that the Japanese empire cheated the people. The society at that time is roughly such a thing. In the country we live in before and after the war the country name is different and the policy is different. Naturally the national thought is different. But now Japanese knows that it was a propaganda made by the United States. The grues Chagrin expressing 4-2 in the end is humiliated. |
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| 高倉健 Ken Takakura’s song on 一柳慧 - オペラ横尾忠則を歌う This song by Ken Takakura who was controversial on It is a Kayoukyoku. ジャンル 歌謡曲 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B6%B2%E8%B5%B0%E7%95 Listening to this song by Ken Takakura, many Western users think this is Enka. This is not Enka. But this is Kayoukyoku in "Nagasi" style. Sing with acoustic guitar play at dark spot / bar. Especially at that time dark Kayoukyoku were popular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzXaSt9-jBA 三上寛 Kan Mikami sings with a guitar in the Nagashi style It's not Acoustic guitar = Folk music. Structurally it's 歌謡曲 and it's singing using Kobushi vibrato, It is only easy to be mistaken for Enka. Many of the roles in the movie that Kan Mikami appeared at that time was "Nagashi singer" Columbia also made Kan Mikami sing”夢は夜ひらく” while Keiko Fuji at the time was also from “Nagashi” and used to expand the RCA' “Enka campaign" in the Kayoukyoku market. The result of trying to bring the crossover market to the Enka side They decided their public image. It wasn't "ヨナ抜き演歌". That is the biggest sacrifice of the expansion of the Enka market by major record companies. |
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| For this matter, if you are an over 50aged Japanese and remember then, You will understand it easely. In Japan, major companies had various strategies to expand the Enka market in the early '70s. I know it because I am often working with Japanese major companies. Their credits and comments are very irresponsible on their products that appealed for their sales strategy. Those songs made use of Enka by way of phonetic equivalent and new meanings regardless of the definition of Enka. For example 艶歌, 怨歌, 援歌, these are Enka if all alphabetical notation. Japanese wiktionary showed such stupid explanation. "Japanese ballad" for 演歌/艶歌. Can you believe that?? https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%88%E3%82%93%E3%81%8B I just found a unique sample 藤圭子 - ベスト・ヒット 昭和歌謡を歌う Keiko Fuji - Best Hit / Sings Showa Kayou https://www.discogs.com/ja/%E8%97%A4%E5%9C%AD%E5%AD%90- I don't understand why western users want to make Keiko Fuji an Enka singer. Where is the element of enka in her songs? Keiko Fuji - Best Hit / Sings Showa Kayou You can see these tracks. These songs have already been released as Enka in her original album. These her tracks are soulful female singer in Nagashi style. However her dark vocal was doomy. She was given a character image named Enka singer by RCA. She emphasized Kobushi vibrato and sang like that. RCA just used Keiko Fuji as a strategy for expanding the Enka market. Keiko Fuji was faced with a fate called Enka. However, after these songs were defined as not Enka, the record companies stopped Enka credit and printed Showa Kayou credit. Recently, Kiyoshi Maekawa talked about the deceased ex wife Keiko Fuji. "I and Keiko suffered from the gap between reality and the image that the company made.As a result, our married life was short." So What he wanted to say is "Keiko Fuji, who was carrying a fateful image by the strategy of the major record company, She was suffering, and she committed suicide." Do not you think we should remove the heavy stone called Enka from her? These threads are descriptions I have described Enka to western users through Keiko Fuji. Does Keiko Fuji sing Enka? https://www.discogs.com/ja/group/thread/742576 Does Keiko Fuji sing Enka? part 2 https://www.discogs.com/ja/group/thread/772784 |
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| 馬淵玄三 Genzo Mabuchi, a producer of Nippon Columbia, He was in charge of 島倉千代子 Chiyoko Shimakura and 美空ひばり Hibari Misora. Genzo Mabuchi and 北島三郎 Saburo Kitajima were transferred to Crown Records when the producer 伊藤正憲 Masanori Ito established Crown Records in September 1963, who was formerly Managing Director and Record Division of Nippon Columbia. Saburo Kitajima was transferred to Crown Records by duty and humanity because 船村徹 Toru Funamura, the benefactor who grew up Saburo Kitajima and a composer of Enka and Kayoukyoku, was an investor in Crown Records. Around the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Japan was beginning to enrich the lives of large cities due to rapid economic growth. At that time, enka was popular, and enka was the center of Showa popular songs, and the contents sung in enka and Kayoukyoku were also based on modern lifestyle at that time. 五木寛之 Hiroyuki Itsuki released a novel "艶歌 (Enka)" in 1966 that modeled on Genzo Mabuchi, but the idea of "艶歌 Glossy Song" pointed to rich style beauty. Around 1966, the Japanese people really enjoyed over the course of 10 years that the passage in the preface of "White papers on Japanese economics" in 1956, "It is no longer post-war". The major Japanese companies felt a sense of crisis as Crown Record announced a label specializing in "Enka". At the same time, they set out to expand the enka market, which was at the center of popular Showa songs, and at the same time, turned the songwriters into an enka crossover. Enka as a style was preceded by a character image representative of Japanese kimono, and the crossover of lyrics and sounds evolved into 怨み歌（怨歌 "Enka" grudge songs) represented by the lyricist 阿久悠 Yu Aku. At that time, a long-established record company in Japan had an exclusive system in which both the singer and the writer had an exclusive contract. |
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| Japan Colombia, which released many hit songs such as Enka and Kayoukyoku at the time, founded its subsidiary Denon in 1968. https://www.discogs.com/ja/label/65996-Denon The Denon label was founded in 1968 as a Nippon Columbia subsidiary. It originally focussed on New Kayoukyoku (more pop song in western style), and was under the management of Nippon Columbia's third division. The label was created at a pivotal moment in Japan's music industry. Until the mid-1960s record companies had signed singers and writers to exclusive contracts. However, during the 1960s a new wave of independent music publishers (such as Pacific Music Publishing) began to train freelance writers and singers, and then market masters produced by the music publishers to the record companies. Denon was created to respond to this change and make use of songs by freelance writers, effectively competing with Nippon Columbia's exclusive writers. This made a confrontation between independent writers and independent writers, but at the same time promoted the crossover of Enka and Kayoukyoku . The Enka controversy at that time began with an Enka campaign conducted by RCA Records in Japan in 1970. This is because the song of the artist whose RCA Records, which was a Western music label, credited "Enka" was not "Enka". That was the big hit Keiko Fuji and Cool Five. |
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| Both Saburo Kitajima and Keiko Fuji have something in common. They came from the north to escape poor living They were playing "Nagashi" in Tokyo. "流し Nagashi" is a profession that existed before karaoke became popular. Nagashi sings songs for customers in streets and bars. At that time, there were many orders for dark songs. Saburo Kitajima was an aspiring 歌謡曲 singer from Hokkaido and played Nagashi for his life. Keiko Fuji was working Nagashi with her mother, who was born in Iwate Prefecture and was a 浪曲師 for their life. "ギターを持った渡り鳥" is a movie of "Nagashi" played by Akira Kobayashi Even Kan Mikami, who had that root, was a poor young guy from Aomori. A common life background is group employment. Collective employment is from the northern villages that were actively performed during Japan's high economic growth period. A large-scale employment movement by northern young people in urban areas, immediately after graduating from northern junior high school, These young people were go to Tokyo and they were called "Golden eggs" at the time. Japan achieved rapid economic growth around the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but only in Tokyo and the major cities. People from Hokkaido and the northern part of Tohoku, who cannot live by agriculture alone, went to Tokyo, where there were not enough workers. Young people who have only graduated from compulsory education. There was a situation of sending out young people who just graduated from junior high school. In particular, until around 1970 (昭和45年), many households could not afford to go to high school, etc. because their income was not so high. For this reason, both parents and schools have thought that they would actively seek employment in urban areas, hoping that children would become financially independent by finding employment in urban companies. This made a disparity society by educational background. It was a disparity society between Tokyo and local. Young people from the northern part became a social gear in Tokyo, and men and women from middle and high school graduates had lower salaries than university graduates, and there was a large difference in welfare such as company housing. |
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| This is also noted in the note "Tears of Ignorance" by Norio Nagayama, the culprit of the consecutive shootings from 1968 to 1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norio_Nagayama Keiko Fuji and Kan Mikami's songs were heavily influenced by Nagayama's murder. Because it has the same background and sadness of young people living in the north. But it is a theme that has nothing to do with enka, and their songs at that time have no enka skills or composition. But their strong grudges are like kobushi vibrato and the songs are so dark that western users will think they are enka singers. This may be a tragedy made by the educated and disparity society. Therefore, since Saburo Kitajima, Keiko Fuji and Kan Mikami have the same backbone, the sorrows they sing are based on the sadness and regret shared by those from the north at that time. It is not just a theme of enka, and the sorrows of the indigenous agricultural people living away from home may not be understood by Western nomads or hunter-gatherers. However, it may be similar to the common theme of immigrants who suffer discrimination, the hardship of living from poverty. I felt a similar feeling from the early album of the Scottish female folk singer Moira Kerr. |
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| Due to the social evils that was behind these Japanese economic growth periods, "艶歌 Enka" became pop song featuring Japanese musical instruments at the bar, "怨歌 Enka" became singing song with a dislike of the disparity society, and "援歌 Enka" became a cheer song for farmer, fisherman, truck drivers that encourages social minorities. And by the karaoke that spread in the boom of Japan in the 1980s The Nagashi disappeared from the city. So-called”盛り場ポップス” and “デュエット歌謡” replaces enka. These songs became representative of 歌謡曲 for Enka fans likes. Since music is sold according to the trend, singers and musicians who are representative icons of the genre and style do not necessarily belong to a certain genre, but crossover according to the trend. Old-fashioned record dealers and record company officials knows these rules, but collectors and enthusiasts gather and release data on Discogs, and they do not understand the definition. Foreigners have defined any kind of Japanese ballad as "Enka" or even Japanese chanson cover song as "Enka". Foreign people tend to use "Enka" for any emotional vibrato sung by the Japanese. When I saw that Eikichi Yazawa (Yazawa from Hiroshima, The king of Japanese rock) was tagged "Enka" on Discogs, I corrected the enka and J-pop correctly all at once. In particular, western users sensuously misused enka and J-pop, and couldn't interpret it logically. For example, because it is a dark song that uses vibrato, They used Enka tag for Yazawa, and and GS also used J-pop tags. However, it's made my big laugh that they tagged "Enka" for the entrance music of pro wrestler Jumbo Tsuruta. Don't you think it's an abuse? (LoL) If there were foreigners who purchased such categorized records or CDs, they would recognize this. "In the end, the music form called J-pop is omnivorous sound with no moderation that quotes all the essences of Western music." Even 昭和歌謡and Japanese rock singers that were incorrectly categorized as J-pop at that time may be misunderstood and They may be ridiculed by the western users. That may persecute the public image of Japanese musicians and singers. I think this is very dangerous. |
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| Enka is must be written in the Pentatonic scale. Skilled Japanese authors will be able to know the composer and arranger from the song title. They can determine whether Enka or Kayokyoku from the credit. Of course, me too. Because they were living together with these songs in Showa era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonic_scale When Masao Koga popularized Enka, it was a time when Showa Kayou was the most popular, so many Westerners misunderstood moody kayou of that time as Enka. Or vibrato on Showa Kayou and vibrato ballad songs tend to be misunderstood by Westerners as Enka. Japan RCA made Enka campaign to Early 70s. That's because Crown records appeared to be a special label for Enka's release. But Crown records had certainly expanded terms to make Enka popular. For the release of Sakariba Kayou and Moody Kayou they credited Enka. RCA records used Keiko Fuji and Cool Five as image singer for their Enka campaign. Cool Five is not Enka. They are moody kayou vocal group. The group can not sing Enka. Enka is a style that solo singers sing. Strictly speaking, even Tonosama Kings is not Enka. To be exact, they are Sakariba Kayou with Enka style vibrato. Just Cool Five's lead singer Kiyoshi Maekawa was a singer with a distinctive vibrato and he married Keiko Fuji. Strictly speaking, Keiko Fuji of that time is not Enka. It is "Nagashi" style to sing with an acoustic guitar. It's not "Nakashi" That Wikipedia english is wrong. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakasi At this point, Keiko Fuji was a female singer in Nagashi style. Nagashi does not necessarily need to be Enka, but they sing in response to customer requests at a dark spot and bar. At the time it was demand that only dark and sad songs reflect Japanese society. Keiko Fuji sang it. RCA records released Keiko Fuji as Enka singer. But it made many arguments against Enka fans. It was like debating whether BABYMETAL was heavy metal or J-pop. After all Keiko Fuji was singing Enka fans' favorite song style and her song was not on the Enka term made by Masao Koga. But like Meiko Kaji, Keiko Fuji also became Enka singer at late 70s. Westerners want to call "Enka" for the emotional song that the Showa female singer sang. Do you think blues code will be Enka? If so, Blues queen 青江三奈 Mina Aoe's blues songs are became Enka songs. But those blues songs are moody lounge songs. That is not Enka. (Mina Aoe was a moody lounge singer, but she became an enka singer in late 70s) Enka style twang guitar and Kobushi vibrato such like a 森進一 Shinichi Mori. But this is not Enka vibrato. This is Monzetsu vibrato. In the case of Enka vibrato, it vibrates with pronunciation of "N", but does not use vibrato for amplification like "wah wah". Emphasizing this vibration with Japanese tension is Monzetsu (agony) Which like Shinichi Mori style heavy vibrato. |
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| 坂本冬美 Fuyumi Sakamoto was a student of 猪俣公章 Kosho Inomata's school. When Kosho Inomata died, Fuyumi Sakamoto made a live concert in San Francisco. San Francisco Civic Auditorium. I went to her concert at that time because I stayed in San Francisco. Fuyumi Sakamoto wearing kimonos, but those songs were not Enka. As a result of being conscious of American audiences, she sang was Enka-like pop songs. It was a clear answer for me to solve the musical style question. Yes, the terms like Enka and J-Pop are evolving away from their origins. Although the cause is various, all music changes styles according to demand for sale. Therefore, people who inherit the revival movement and old classic style as counterculture are also active. There are other factors that have made western users astray. Even now Japanese web stores tend to have abused the J-pop to sell Japanese music products. They even have the unfair business that took advantage in the J-pop movement. Of courseThey misuse Enka and Showa kayou even on Wikipedia to sell the old catalog they own. And continues to make many misunderstanding people (including Japanese) and continues to expand the term of Enka and Showa Kayou. It by music listeners who were with the wrong recognition for J-pop, Enka and Showa Kayou has increased. And they have made confusion on the market with expand wrong interpretation. It is because they want to sell them in addition the old catalog to the revival movement. |
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| Enka and J-pop can not coexist on the same genre. Archetypal Enka singers employ a style of melisma - where a single syllable of text is sung while moving between several different notes in succession - known as kobushi. Kobushi occurs when the pitch of the singer's voice fluctuates irregularly within one scale degree; this compares with vibrato, which vibrates in a regular cycle. Mood Kayou is not Enka such like a Hiroshi Wada and Mahina Stars, Even Masayoshi Tsuruoka And Tokyo Romantica is not Enka. They are Mood Kayou group. Mood Kayou is sub genre of Showa Kayou. I can tell a simple criteria to you for Enka style. Enka will not be able to sing in the group vocal style. Because Enka does not have a back group chorus. There has Enka duet. But there has not Enka group. It will be Kayoukyoku when they sang such as Enka by a group style. For Example, Keiko Fuji and Meiko Kaji are not singing Enka. Their debut made a big debate on the Enka fan. After all They were singing Showa Kayou in the style that Enka fan loves. Showa Kayou Songwriter who are also popular song writers not Enka-based writer took advantage of them in order to expand the span of Enka genre. Even the Babymetal has been discussed all over the world whether heavy metal now, but songs of Keiko Fuji and Meiko Kaji was also such style and position. Actually Keiko Fuji and Meiko Kaji's songs were not Enka. Legendary Enka composer Masao Koga found Pentatonic scale Aka "Yo-Na Nuki" However Keiko Fuji and Meiko Kaji's songs does not has it. Categorized as "Enka" was popularized by Japanese Victor's promotion in the early 1970s. Keiko Fuji and Meiko Kaji were successful in expanding the Enka fan is used in the promotion. But it is not strictly in Enka. J-pop and Enka can not exist on the same music genre. Skilled Japanese authors can determine composer and arranger from Enka title. They can determine whether Enka or Kayoukyoku from these credit. |
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