enka

is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, popular during the prewar years.

Modern ''enka'', as developed in the postwar era, is a form of sentimental ballad music. Some of the first modern ''enka'' singers were Hachiro Kasuga, Michiya Mihashi, and Hideo Murata. The revival of ''enka'' in its modern form is said to date from 1969, when Keiko Fuji made her debut. The most famous male ''enka'' singers are Shinichi Mori and Kiyoshi Hikawa.

Etymology

The term ''enka'' was first used to refer to political texts set to music which were sung and distributed by opposition activists belonging to the Freedom and People's Rights Movement during the Meiji period (1868–1912) as a means of bypassing government curbs on speeches of political dissent – and in this sense the word is derived from , meaning "speech song".

Another theory holds that modern ''enka'' means , meaning "performance song".

The genre called ''enka'' is also said to be an expedient classification for record labels as well as J-pop. For example, Harumi Miyako, who has been usually considered as an ''enka'' singer, said "I don't think that I sing 'enka and "In fact, there was no such term as 'enka' when I debuted."Original text: "わたし、自分が演歌をうたってるとは思ってませんから。"
"じっさい、あたしがデビューしたころは、特に演歌なんて言い方はしなかったですよ。"

Musical style

Modern ''enka''s mainstream scale is called or "Minor Scale without Four and Seven (''fa'' and ''te'')", and is a modified version of or "Major Scale without Four and Seven (''Fa'' and ''Si'')", which came from an older Japanese scale, the . One of the earliest Japanese songs that was said to have partly used it is Rentarō Taki's " Kōjō no Tsuki", which was called in the Meiji period. The seventh- scale degree is not used in "Kōjō no Tsuki", a song of B minor.

The music, based on the pentatonic scale, has some resemblance to blues. ''Enka'' lyrics are usually written similarly around the themes of love and loss, loneliness, enduring hardships, and persevering in the face of difficulties, even suicide or death. Although ''enka'' is a genre of ''kayōkyoku'', it is considered to be more expressive and emotional, though there is no clear consensus on the matter.

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. The ''kobushi'' technique is not limited to ''enka'', as can be heard in the Italian song " Santa Lucia." In the late 1930s and early '40s, the music of composer Masao Koga began to resemble Buddhist '' shomyo''-chanting possibly because his record label asked him to produce music. Although Koga became a composer whose work is considered seminal to the creation of the genre, present-day ''enka'' is different from Koga's primary music because the singing styles of many postwar singers were different from the ''kobushi'' of Koga's musical note. Modern ''enka'' singer Takeshi Kitayama himself admitted in 2006, "I was even confused because oga'smusical note was different from that of an old singer."Original text: "昔の人が歌った音資料と楽譜が違って戸惑いもしました"

''Enka'' suggests a traditional, idealized, or romanticized aspect of Japanese culture and attitudes. ''Enka'' singers, predominantly women, usually perform in a kimono or in evening dress. Male ''enka'' performers tend to wear formal dress, or in some performances, traditional Japanese attire. Nods to traditional Japanese music are common in ''enka''. The melodies of ''enka'' are fundamentally Western harmonies, and electronic instruments are used, such as synthesizers and electric lead guitar with plenty of distortion, but its musical instruments also include traditional Japanese instruments such as the ''shakuhachi'' and the '' shamisen.''

History

19th century–1920s: ''Sōshi'' enka and violin enka

The political songs called ''enka'' in the Meiji period (1868–1912) are also called to distinguish it from modern ''enka''. Street singers were called . The first ''enka'' song is said to be . The songs during this time include Otojiro Kawakami's "Oppekepe".

In the Taishō period (1912–26), ''enka-shi'' began to incorporate the violin, thus their songs were called ''violin enka.'' An ''enka-shi'' of the period was , who in turn taught Haruo Oka.

In present-day Japan, Road Traffic Law regulates the appearance of street performers. However, Japanese performers such as have still sung ''enka'' from the Taishō period. When the 1995 earthquake struck, Soul Flower Mononoke Summit, a musical project of the rock band Soul Flower Union, played ''sōshi enka'' to help buoy the spirits of disaster victims.

1920s–1940s: Era of ''ryūkōka''

In the early Shōwa period in the late 1920s, record companies produced ''ryūkōka'' in place of ''enka-shi''. ''Enka-shi'' began to use guitar and were dubbed . Haruo Oka debuted with the 1939 song on the Japanese record label King Records. However, the term ''enka'' became uncommon in the postwar years.

Late 1940s–1954: The arrival of new singers

As jazz became popular in early postwar Japan, Japanese singer Hibari Misora released her debut song "Kappa boogie-woogie" on Nippon Columbia in 1949 at the age of only 12. She went on to sing jazz songs throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She later did many ''enka'' songs in the 60s and 70s.

In 1948, Hachiro Kasuga won King Records' first talent contest. He joined the record label the next year where Haruo Oka was his senior. His debut single was released in 1952. The kabuki-style song was originally made for Oka, but was sung by Kasuga, and in 1954, "Otomi-san" became a very popular hit in Japan. Kasuga took part in the NHK ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen'' for the first time with "Otomi-san" that year. The song's composer, Masanobu Tokuchi, was born on Okinawa Island and grew up in Amami and became an important figure for introducing the Ryukyu Islands' music into the Japanese mainstream.

1955–1959: Early history of modern ''enka''

Although "Otomi-san" was popular, Kasuga himself was not completely satisfied with it and recorded the song by Toru Funamura. The song was released in 1955 and was later regarded as a true ''enka'' song. The song, ironically, was also influenced by tango music's rhythm because Funamura felt that tango seemed similar to ''enka'' in its local color. "Wakare no Ippon-sugi" was later covered by singers as diverse as Michiya Mihashi, Hideo Murata, Keiko Fuji, Hibari Misora, Saburō Kitajima, Takashi Hosokawa, and Hiroshi Itsuki. Kasuga was later called the first ''enka'' singer.

Michiya Mihashi, who originally sang Japanese folk music ('' min'yō'') and learned '' tsugaru-jamisen'', released his debut single "Sake no Nigasa yo" as a recording singer in 1954. Mihashi's "Onna Sendō Uta" was a hit in 1955. Funamura's friend Kimio Takano, the lyricist of "Wakare no Ippon-sugi", died in 1956 at the age of 26. Hibari Misora's music turned to ''enka'' when she was no longer regarded as a teen idol.

Around the postwar period, '' rōkyoku'' (or ''naniwa-bushi''), famous during the war, declined in popularity mainly because their speaking lengths were considered too long. ''Enka'', on the other hand, which became popular around that time, was said to be a shortened version of ''rōkyoku'' because several ''enka'' singers such as Hideo Murata and Haruo Minami were originally ''rōkyoku'' singers and ''enka'' has many themes in common with the genre. One notable ''rōkyoku'' singer who had an influence on ''enka'' was Kumoemon Tochuken, whose student's pupil was Murata. Minami debuted on Teichiku Records in 1957 and Murata on Nippon Columbia in 1958. Murata covered the song , composed by Masao Koga. Haruo Minami was known for wearing a kimono, which was at the time considered an unusual style for a male singer.

1960s–1970s: Commercial success

In the early 1960s, rockabilly influenced by Elvis Presley began to gain popularity. Kyu Sakamoto, who came from Japanese rockabilly, joined Japanese popular music. However, many Japanese music critics complained about rockabilly, and Hideo Murata's 1961 "pure Japanese style"-like song "Ōsho", composed by Toru Funamura, became a million-selling single in Japan. When Kyu Sakamoto took part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time with the song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (aka " Sukiyaki") in 1961, Hideo Murata also made his debut with the song "Ōsho" at the same show.

Young ''enka'' singer Yukio Hashi appeared in 1960, Saburō Kitajima in 1962 and Harumi Miyako in 1964. Sachiko Kobayashi debuted with the 1964 single at the age of only 10. The most well-known and beloved performer of ''enka'' is Hibari Misora (1937–1989), known as the "Queen of ''Enka''" and "Queen of Shōwa" for the period in which she lived and was celebrated. Misora's song "Yawara", composed by Masao Koga, won the grand prix award at the 1965 Japan Record Award. Masaru Matsuyama also made his debut in 1965, but was not able to achieve commercial success and changed his stage name to Hiroshi Itsuki in 1971.

Mina Aoe appeared with the single in 1966, pioneering the "''enka''-blues" genre. Shinichi Mori debuted with the 1966 single . His 1969 song topped the Japanese Oricon single charts for five weeks and sold over one million copies. Keiko Fuji came out with the 1969 single at the age of 18. The term ''enka'' which had not been used in the postwar era, was revived by her performance.

Keiko Fuji's 1970 song " Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" won the mass popularity award of the 12th Japan Record Awards and the grand prix award of the first Japan Music Awards. That year, she also took part in the 21st ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen'' with the song. Her 1970 album established a record-breaking consecutive number-one record to top the Oricon charts for 20 "consecutive" weeks. It is a record that still stands.

The best-selling ''enka'' after the Oricon charts began in 1968 is Shiro Miya and Pinkara Trio's 1972 " Onna no Michi." The song topped the Japanese Oricon single charts for 16 consecutive weeks and sold over 3.25 million copies, to become the second best-selling single in Japan behind " Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun."

Hiroshi Itsuki's song "Yozora" won the grand prix award at the 15th Japan Record Awards in 1973. Shinichi Mori released the single "Erimo Misaki" in 1974. Although the song was composed by non-''enka'' musician Takuro Yoshida, "Erimo Misaki" won the grand prix at the 16th Japan Record Awards that year. Harumi Miyako's song " Kita no Yado kara" also won the grand prix at the 18th Japan Record Awards in 1976. New ''enka'' singers, who debuted in the '70s, include Sayuri Ishikawa and Takashi Hosokawa who were both Michiya Mihashi's pupils.

Masao Koga died in 1978, after a career of composing about 5,000 songs. Toru Funamura became self-employed in 1978, beginning live performances and returning to the original position for his old friend Kimio Takano. Keiko Fuji announced her retirement in 1979 and went to the United States.

1980s–1990s: Losing definition and decline

Takashi Hosokawa's song "Kita Sakaba" won the grand prix at the 24th Japan Record Awards in 1982. He covered Naomi Chiaki's originally song "Yagiri no Watashi" next year. It was also won the grand prix at the following Japan Record Awards. The total sales of Michiya Mihashi's work surpassed 100 million records in 1983, making him the first artist to achieve that in Japan.

On June 11, 1986, Sanae Jōnouchi, a member of idol group Onyanko Club, released the ''enka'' single "Ajisai Bashi", written by Yasushi Akimoto. The single debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon weekly single charts. Ikuzo Yoshi's 1986 single "Yukiguni" became the Oricon's 300th number-one single in 1987.

Other new ''enka'' singers around that time included Fuyumi Sakamoto and Ayako Fuji. Hibari Misora, at the age of 50, released the single "Midaregami" on December 10, 1987. "Midaregami" reached the No. 9 position on the Oricon weekly charts. Yasushi Akimoto wrote the lyrics of her 1989 single " Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni". However, she died in 1989 and the ''enka'' range expanded into the genre ''kayōkyoku'' while the genre ''kayōkyoku'' was vanishing.

Hachiro Kasuga died in 1991. As ''enka'''s traditional themes were no longer appreciated among younger Japanese and Western-style J-pop music became more popular, ''enka'' sales declined. However, the genre still had many adherents. Besides TV programs, ''enka'' could be heard in many restaurants, drinking establishments, karaoke bars and cafes. On the other hand, "bright" ''enka'' singer Yoshimi Tendo, who was ignored when the "dark" ''enka'' songs like Keiko Fuji's song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" were popular, took part in the ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen'' for the first time in 1993. Other new ''enka'' singers such as Toshimi Tagawa and Fuyumi Sakamoto were also appearing on TV ''enka'' programs which kept ''enka'' alive. Taiwanese diva Teresa Teng was also singing in Japanese and covering ''enka'' songs from the 70s until she died in 1995 at the age of 42.

2000s: Musical hybridity

''Enka'''s popularity among younger Japanese, however, increased in the first decade of the 21st century. Kiyoshi Hikawa debuted on Nippon Columbia in 2000 with the single "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirō", which became a smash hit. The early solo releases of then-Morning Musume member Yuko Nakazawa were also ''enka''. In contrast, Nana Mizuki, who learned ''enka'' as a child, became a voice actress and also appeared as a singer on King Records in 2000.

On August 25, 2004, Johnny & Associates' group Kanjani Eight debuted with the Kansai-limited release of "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" under the Teichiku Records. The song was based on " Kawachi ondo" and featured rap. The song was a hit and reached No. 8 on the Oricon weekly singles chart on the strength of Kansai sales alone. Then, on September 22, 2004, "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" was released nationwide and re-debuted on the Oricon weekly singles charts at the No. 1 spot, becoming the first ''enka'' single to reach the No. 1 in seventeen years since Yujiro Ishihara's 1987 single "Kita no Tabibito" according to Oricon.

Hikawa also released the single "Hatsukoi Ressha" on February 9, 2005, which debuted at the No. 1 position on the Oricon charts, Hikawa's first number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts. Older female singer Junko Akimoto also debuted on King Records, releasing her first single "Madison-gun no Koi" on July 21, 2005. However, her musical style was '70s ''kayōkyoku'' style.

Veteran ''enka'' singer Hiroshi Itsuki, at 58, released the single "Takasebune" on April 19, 2006, becoming his first Top 10 single in 22 years since 1984's "Nagaragawa Enka." It debuted at the number-nine position on the Oricon charts.

Hikawa's song "Ikken" won the grand prix at the 48th Japan Record Awards on December 30, 2006. Kanjani Eight was transferred to the pop/rock record label Imperial Records, the sub-label of Teichiku Records in 2007. In the same year, 80s superstar Akina Nakamori paid her respect to ''enka'' music by releasing an album—full of light ''enka'' songs.

Junko Akimoto released the single "Ai no Mama de…" on January 23, 2008, reaching the top of the Oricon weekly single charts in January 2009, making her, at the age of 61, the oldest solo singer to top the charts. That same year, Hikawa released two consecutive number-one singles — "Ryōkyoku Ichidai" and "Tokimeki no Rumba" — on the Oricon weekly charts. Fuyumi Sakamoto's 2009 song "Asia no Kaizoku", composed by Ayumi Nakamura, was an ''enka'' song featuring rock music. Sakamoto said, "If Ayumi sings the song, it's a rock song. If I sing the song, however, it's an ''enka'' song."Original text: "この曲もあゆみさんが歌ったらロックなのに、私が歌ったら、演歌になる"

2010s

On January 1, 2010, 73-year-old Saburō Kitajima released the single , emerging at No. 10 on the Oricon weekly charts, making him the first solo artist to reach the Top 10 in his 70s. After Fuyumi Sakamoto appeared on Masahiro Nakai's TV program ''Nakai Masahiro no Kinyōbi no Sumatachi e'' on March 19, 2010, her double A-side single "Mata Kimi ni Koi Shiteru/Asia no Kaizoku" reached the Top 10 for the first time, ranked at No. 9 on the Oricon charts. The single became her first Top 10 single in 21 years since "Otoko no Jōwa", which had ranked in the Top 10 on the Oricon charts in 1989.

International popularity

''Enka'' has had a strong influence on music in Taiwan, which was once a Japanese colony.
The first non-Japanese singer of ''enka'' was Sarbjit Singh Chadha from India. His ''enka'' album was released in 1975 and became a success in Japan, selling 150,000 copies. He went back to India a few years later, but returned to Japan in 2008.

In 2002, Yolanda Tasico became the first Filipino ''enka'' singer, going to Japan with her singles "Shiawase ni Narō", "Nagai Aida", and many others.

In the United States, while ''enka'' remains popular among a section of the (typically older) Japanese-American population, ''enka'' has many fans among non-Japanese. There are some ''enka'' orchestras and performers active in the country, such as the San Jose Chidori Band, which occasionally performs at O-Bon festivals in the summer.

In China, this form of music was prohibited during the Cultural Revolution because Mao Zedong considered it hedonistic and in opposition to the socialist cause.Tourists of their own past: Aural palimpsests from the Mao era - Shelley Zhang, 2023
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See also

* Group Sounds
* Hokkien pop
* Music of Japan
* Music of Taiwan
* Trot (music)

Footnotes

References

Further reading

Yano, Christine R. ''Tears of Longing: Nostalgia and the Nation in Japanese Popular Song.'' Harvard University Asia Center: 2003.

External links

Barbara's Enka Site
including introductions to artist and album reviews

Enka: Suffering and Nostalgia for an Imagined Past
A nice introduction to enka, which also analyzes its lasting popularity

{{Authority control

Enka,
Contemporary music