How would you explain what enka is to the people who are interested in things Japanese?
How could I put it, let’s say that if in France there is the "chanson" and in the America there is “country” music, enka is the Japan’s country music. In the olden days there was “min-yo” and “rokyoku”, which were songs about everyday life. As regards enka, it treats of various topics which are hard to go through in just a few words. For example, in the case of minyo, it was born out of the shouts people would give to keep the rhythm while working. Τhey would bang the plates, for example, and ate the same time they would sing and dance. Taiko drums had the same function.
Enka is derived from “enka-shi”, singers who wandered in the streets singing satirical songs with the accompaniment of the violin. Before long, they started singing about love and other trendy issues of the day. It could also be called a trendy song. Nowadays foreigners think that enka singers should sing in kimonos, as I do, and use certain melismas, etc. That is how they perceive enka. The truth is today different music genres are very precisely categorized, however the term “enka singer” did not exist until fairly recently. So today, we are called enka singers, whereas thirty years ago we were considered just trendy singers. Whatever the name, I believe enka is music born out of the everyday life.
If, as you said, enka is a song about everyday life, and given that kimonos are hardly ever used in everyday life, is it not strange that enka singers sing in kimonos?
When I started singing a lot of enka singers would wear kimonos, although many older singers wore Western clothes, because copying the West was the trend in their day. My generation tried to preserve the Japanese tradition, hence the typical kimono-clad enka singer. However, even today there are enka singers who prefer Western clothes. In the end, we wear whatever makes us look better.
What interested you in enka as opposed to other genres, e.g. pop or rock music?
I was very much influenced by my grandfather, who loved music and drama. At home I would listen to enka hits, not classical music, from a very young age, so I grew up singing these songs. When I was about 10 years old I happened to listen to a song titled Tsugaru Kaikyoo Fuyu Geshiki (lyrics by Yiu Aku and music by Takashi Miki). The singer’s name was Sayuri Ishikawa. She was a huge inspiration to me, I wanted to be like her. So, I was heavily influenced by my family background.
So the song that impressed you the most is Tsugaru kaikyoo Fuyu Geshiki.
Yes, because it is the first record I ever bought when I was a child.
Had you not become a singer, what would you have become?
I suppose I would have gotten married and would have become a typical housewife with two or three kids, but I can’t imagine myself as anything other than a singer.
You have collaborated with different artists from different genres. How was your collaboration with them?
Whenever I work with artists from different genres I reassert my style, you know the kimono, melismas etc. I reassert myself as an enka singer. Mr. Kiyoshiro expressed interest in my style. When I collaborate with people from different genres I feel obliged to be an enka singer.
Does it feel different when you sing with other enka singers as opposed with singers from other genres?
In Japanese the word music (ongaku) is make up of the meanings “sound” and “fun”. When I sing enka dressed in a kimono, in a way I act the part of Sakamoto Fuyumi. When I work with other musicians, to be sure I feel I participate in something as an enka singer, however, to a great extent I feel I am having fun with sounds and music. It doesn’t feel like work that much. When I am working in my genre, I have to make certain decision about how to perform a song, so whenever I work with artists from different genres I really enjoy it.
What other kinds of music do you usually listen to, aside from enka?
I listen to radio station sometimes in the car, but I hardly ever buy CDs by other artists.
Do you go to concerts, when you have time?
I used to when I was younger. When I was a student, I remember buying Michael Jackson’s CDs which were trendy back then, and trying to imitate his songs, but I don’t have the time now. On the way to my concerts, in the train or the aeroplane, I always study songs. So, I rarely listen to music for fun, only the charts sometimes when I am in the car.
Among all those songs, is there a particular song that is special to you or that has really impressed you?
Not that recently, but there are so many brilliant singers today. I was impressed by Ayaka-san. Her voice was so impressive, I couldn’t believe she was younger that twenty. I can’t really understand some of her lyrics, because she belongs to a younger generation, but her voice is brilliant. Recently I also bought a CD by Yozorano Muko, produced by Suga Shikao
 .
Have you ever given a concert outside of Japan? In what way was it different from your Japan concerts?
I have performed in Brazil, Los Angeles and San Francisco, mainly for the Japanese expatriates who live there, but there were also local people in the audience, who sent me fan letters, even though they could not understand the language. I realized that, despite the language barrier, I managed to get across my soul, and this made me very happy.
What are the differences between a concert at home and a concert abroad?
When I sing abroad, the audience feels a kind of nostalgia for Japan. So every song, every word, creates a very powerful ambience. Whereas in Japan, it is no big deal to go to my concerts.
That’s true, in Japan they don’t necessarily have to attend your concerts, since they have buy your CDs.
My CDs are hard to find abroad, so the audience listens to my songs more attentively, some even become tearful. Moreover, some third or fourth generation Japanese may have lost touch with the language, however there is still Japanese blood running in their veins and they get excited and nostalgic when they listen to the sound of the taiko or the sakuhachi. Their joy is hard to describe, even I feel so emotional sometimes that I feel like crying.
Have you ever been to Greece?
No, not even privately.
If you were to perform in Greece, which songs would you choose?
I would choose Yozakura Oshichi (lyrics by Amari Hayashi and music by Takashi Miki). It was composed in September 1994. I would choose this song because it is about the cherry tree (sakura), which is the symbol of Japan, and I would like to sing it in a cherry tree-patterned kimono.
How do you view the future of enka, given that we are being deluged by so many different kinds of music today? Do you think is will continue to appeal to the public?
I think enka will survive, but the reason it doesn’t sell so well is because music stores are mostly geared to young people and enka lovers, older people for the most part, find it hard to visit these stores. Sales are better at concert venues. So I would like more CD stores geared to older people. Enka CDs are hard to find at CD stores, one has to place an order. However, even if sales are unlikely to go up, the number of older people is increasing, so I think enka will survive, even if times will change.
Would you please talk to us about your teacher Mr Kooso Inomata? (1938-1993)?
He was a very generous person. He was a student of Masao Koga (1904-1978) and arranged his beloved teacher’s music scores. His music contains a multitude of elements, sensitive and bold, manly and feminine, he had so much inside of him, this is why he would compose such dramatic melodies.
In my opinion, Inomata differs from the other songwriters in that his music sounds like a novel, even when there are no lyrics.
Indeed, he loved drinking and was a daring person. He was self-destructive at times, but there was also a very sweet and lovable side to him. He was loved by older and younger people, men and women. I believe he was a very good teacher.
How do you spend your free time when you don’t work?
I enjoy playing golf and relaxing at hot springs (onsen). I have been to lots of onsen throughout Japan, but lately I usually go to onsen within the Tokyo area.
What are your aspirations as an enka singer?
I do not have a specific goal. I am forty, so I need to be well both physically and emotionally, if I want to sing well. Apart from being healthy, I want to be able to sing with passion. Sometimes, when I am overworked, I don’t feel like singing at all! I am only human! If I can be good at what I do, I will be very happy. If I go on singing until I am seventy without realizing it, then I will have lived a very fulfilling life.
Do you mean you want to achieve more as a singer?
I want to preserve what I have, I don’t have any higher goals. If I can preserve my health as it is now and sing for the public, I will be very happy. If I can go on living like that till I reach the age of seventy, that will be great.
So you mean you want to be the best you can be.
Yes, indeed, I am forty and I could still work very hard, but I want to be in the best possible condition in front of my audience. I feel happiest when I see my audience satisfied and hear the applause. This is the greatest joy for me. Had I gotten married, I might have experienced greatest joys as a woman, however, being a singer I feel happy when I see the joy in the audience’s eyes.
Could you please say a few more words for the lovers of the Japanese culture and your future fans.
Thank you from the bottom of my heard for giving me the opportunity to express myself. Some of the readers of this interview may develop an interest in enka and listen to enka songs. Thank you for allowing me through this article to make enka music more widely known. A big thank you to all the readers of this interview. |
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Interview: Junko Nagata (Greece-Japan.com)
Date : 3 October 2007
Time: 15.30 -18.00
Venue : ΕΜΙ Japan, Τokyo.
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