Enka Special: Akina Nakamori

Jump to Comments

“Sake shall be tepid, grilled squid is enough for accompaniment.
Women shall be quiet, dim lamp is enough for light.
I am drinking full of pain, and a painful memory is going by.
A tear drops , and I start singing “boatman’s song”……..”

I’m a big fan of Enka.

“Enka is usually singing sad aspects of life, irrecoverable destiny, desertion by the lover. It is an expression of love, but love will never be successful and sorrow and tear follow happy memories. It can also be a song of a woman who is resentful to her destiny as her lover is gone to another woman. Anyhow Enka is song of resignation. Resignation must be sweet so that it is endurable.

According to the orthodox explanation, Enka began shaping itself by story-tellers on the street at the end of 19th century. They sang interesting stories with some melody. They “act” one-man theatre. The word “En” originally comes from “act”.”

-http://www.okada.de/archive-japanasitis/enka/enka.html

 

Traces of Enka can be found peppered in various anime series, used to establish scenes in Ginza (where they play enka music in bars), historical Japan and when associated with the Yakuza.

 

In Gintama, Gin-san’s landlord Ms. Otose runs a bar that has Enka music playing in the background which is based off reality. Mushishi dedicates episode 25 to a biwa musician that sings sad songs on her plight. And of course, Seto no Hanayome sets the comedic standards for using “Namida Ichirin” everytime Seto-san goes into her Sakura Fubiki mode (Cherry Blossom Storm mode). Enka is heard in the background of most anime scenes that feature a lonely roadside stall etc. And this is not limited to just anime. It applies to j-doramas as well.

 

Thus, it can be seen that this genre has become a cliche commonly used in the entertainment industry. So I was trilled to find Akina Nakamori’s 25th anniversary album.

Her voice is one of Japan’s national treasures. These songs make everything in today’s J-pop industry seem like fluffy pink candy floss. The emotions sung into words are simply intoxicating. And it’s not just about the voice. The instrumentals are equally beautiful, filled with haunting solos from traditional Japanese musicial instruments and blissfully free of synthesised technology. And I love the album cover art. Sadly, I haven’t managed to come across a high quality scan of it yet.

Akina Nakamori’s Enka cover album release! Includes ten Enka songs selected with her fans’ vote.

Artist: Akina Nakamori/中森明菜
Title: Enka/ 艶華-Enka-

Tracklists:

1. 艶華I(Instrumental)
2. 天城越え
3. 無言坂
4. 氷雨
5. みちづれ
6. 空港
7. 越冬つばめ
8. 艶華II(Instrumental)
9. 悲しい酒
10. 舟唄
11. 石狩挽歌
12. 矢切の渡し
13. 夜桜お七
14. 艶華III(Instrumental)

(320kbps / 111mb)
Buy | Download (MU) | Download (Sendspace)|

Instrumentals available here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LULMHK01

Ten

10 Comments

Filed under Anime, Music, Ten-Kun