6 Week : International reaction

 This time I'll write about music and popular J-POP artists abroad and international reaction.

There is a SNS(social networking service) for music that called Last.fm.
This is a excellent SNS for music that they played music and make library, introduced me to artists of recommendations from the taste.
It is a British-born SNS. So Western Europe people has more users than in Japan. Membership number of users has not been published in recent years, 240 countries around the world, more than 20 million people are using at the time in 2008. I know, not the sales, which artists music that you have listened to a lot of people actually. I can take close to the popularity of the actual statistics rather than the operation of the media.
The point is, it we can know that the popular artists in music geeks around the world now.
This time I will write this based on these results.

 Japanese *visual music is popular abroad.
This is the category that is most listened artist in Japan. The reason is influence of Japanese anime culture.
For example the case of L'Arc~en~Ciel, "READY STEADY GO" is the theme song of "Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no renkinjutsushi)" by far the most popular. Below second place followed by "Driver's High" (GTO), "Blurry Eyes" (DNA), "DAYBREAK'S BELL" (Gundam 00), and "LOST HEAVEN" (Fullmetal Alchemist Theatre). All Top 5 is a theme song of popular anime. In Japan, the impression singing the theme song anime L'Arc~en~Ciel is thin. However overseas influence has come out clearly. In Japan, it is difficult to believe that this will come to the top five songs so much.
Also most foreigners answered the influence of anime and drama is what they knew J-POP. Indeed, anime *otaku are so many at foreigners.

*visual music=Source is slogan called "PSYCHEDELIC VIOLENCE CRIME OF VISUAL SHOCK" that was invented X JAPAN HIDE.

*otaku=Refers to a person who is immersed, absorbed in the field of something. Prefixes are used as the field.


Surprisingly little listener on the whole, such as a Arashi or AKB48 (idol group) popular in Japan.These often do not have regular overseas compared to other J-POP, and it might be not distribution do much in place. By the way, Asian countries have a high profile in order to perform the way, often live.

Also tie that anime songs, such as composer Yoko Kanno (Macross, Cowboy Bebop), Joe Hisaishi (Ghibli)  - The Artists such as voice actor Maaya Sakamoto and Nana Mizuki is so popular. The popularity of the artist and voice actor Maaya Sakamoto is outstanding. This is the influence of the popular anime "Macross series" in overseas markets. The popularity of anime in overseas suggests.

L'Arc~en~Ciel

Macross F Theatre

5 Week : Karaoke

Today, I will write about Karaoke.

"Kara" means "empty","Oke" stands for "Orchestra" refers to the fact that instead of the live music by the orchestra, substitute tape or record, have been used in the broadcast industry. That the words that came out of the chat from NHK(Nippon Housou Kyoukai, Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Symphony Members of the theory.

This has a great convinient that not have to pay a lot of attention and money to live accompaniment at the broadcast industry.  It is broadcasting industry term, meaning karaoke. This is still used today.

At present,"Karaoke"means a device for singing. And not only singing using that device, and even refers to store that provides a place to sing(Karaoke Box). This is also proof that karaoke is so much generalization in Japan. Karaoke has been classified as entertainment, it became the one to take the item in the White Paper on Leisure statistics.

This form born in Japan, "卡拉OK(kǎlā OK)"in Chinese, "Караоке" in Russian and "Karaoke" in English (and hear "Kyarioki"), pronunciation of the Japanese as well as in foreign countries are using.

Before the advent of the age of the 1950-60 karaoke current form, in some cafe, there was a live by dedicated band or shopkeeper to playing an instrument and guest was singing. It is called "utagoe-kissa (singing voice cafe)".

However, the influence of sucg as the social movements and climate of the time. It was not singing the popular song like the current karaoke. Karaoke device began to be installed in eateries, such as social movements in the 1970s by the downdraft, most of the "utagoe-kissa" has disappeared.

Karaoke, were often placed in such as snacks and the banquet hall of the hotel, because it was positioned as a sideshow Shuseki (drinking party) exclusively. Although the user is over the age of 20 to drink alcohol, it was a higher layer age group specifically. The reason is that many of the tracks have been recorded as karaoke was Enka.

The mid-1980s, business form that provides karaoke professional, "karaoke box" was born, rather than enjoy karaoke incidentally alcohol, it is the place to go to sing karaoke purely. It is a revolutionary business category knock the bottom out of the earlier concept.

There was a rejection for "to sing in public in a state that does not drink" in Japanese over a certain age. As the reason for the success karaoke box, because there was conscious that later generations will enjoy singing in a lighthearted manner.

If you do karaoke at a restaurant will be singing in some place other customers besides the acquaintance. But you can enjoy the pure in the private room karaoke box has only friends and acquaintances. There is no fear of being ridiculed by strangers even though in practice songs and bad songs. Karaoke boxes are often used as a venue for the after-party of social gathering, such as a party of students and salaried workers. I was one of the representatives of Japanese entertainment.Background as one of the million-selling single CD occurred frequently in Japan in the 1990s, there are opinions that include the spread such as communication karaoke and karaoke box.

 

karaoke box

developping Karaoke system (JOYSOUND f1)

4 Week : Oricon Chart

I write about Oricon Chart aggregate a music ranking in Japan in this week.

There is a company called Oricon Corporation. Oricon is the abbreviation from of Original Confidence. Founder is Soko Koike. And President Hisashi Koike is the his eldest son.

 "Oricon chart" this company announced is the most high-profile music charts in Japan. Different aggregation period, such as month, week, day, announced the sales ranking, such as Western, Enka, Pops music. Also announce sales ranking of books and DVD, as well favorability rating of CM Monitor survey. Chart has been produced experimentally from November 2, 1967. The official start date of January 04, 1968.  Oricon chart aggregates the sales of CD · DVD and books during the period of seven days counting from every Monday. Aggregations closed on Sunday, the chart will be announced on Monday. 

And a variety of year chart also make up. This is totaled in the date the third week of December from until the date the fourth week of December of the previous year.

Aggregation method, shall receive sales data from the retailer, which is determined in advance. Previously, it had relied on such as FAX. Recently, the spread of POS system at the retailer , the daily chart are aggregated by sales data of *POS.

*POS is an abbreviation of Point Of Sale. POS system was introduced in the United States since the 1970s. This has developed proactively introduced in order to prevent the selling wrong price or fraud prevention sales at the cash register. It is introduced in the chain stores, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, kiosk, restaurant industry, gas stations, hotels, drug stores primarily.

In March 2007, the daily chart has published in general index to third place. In the last few years, are contained in the target store online, such as Amazon.co.jp, also Animate and Gamers and other major animation shops. However, there are some cases that are not ranked in the Oricon music charts in only sales of the special routes that are not part of them. Aggregate results can be seen in and the official site of the Oricon and magazine "ORI ☆SUTA" issued every Monday. Price is 480 yen including tax.

 

ORI ☆SUTA this week (2013 1/7.14)

This week ORI ☆ SUTA Huge New Year issue. Including featured of the artist Arashi, Oricon annual ranking of the year 2012 and the 63rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen and so on. ORI ☆ SUTA provides new information every week in this way. Sometimes issue the extra edition that featured a particular artist.

For example…

UI☆SUTA

w-inds. Debut 10th Anniversary Book



NANA☆SUTA

Nana Mizuki Debut 10th Anniversary Book

Application on smartphone. So convinient!!

Application ranking

Entertainment news

3 week : Genre

Today, I will write about Japanese proper music genre, "Enka"

Enka is short for the "Enzetsuka"(harangue song), product of liberty civil rights movement in the year of the Meiji.  This is means of political insistence and advertisement entrusted to song criticism of clanship political. That is to say satiring song of political (protest song). The end of the 19th century, regulation about harangue became strictly, so Enka is sung in place of the speech. In this time come into fasion led by "Oppekepe-bushi", "Yattsukero-bushi", "Genkotsu-bushi" and so on.

*Yattsukero=beat, defeat
*Genkotsu=clenched fist
*bushi=melody

Oppekepe-bushi

Reading : Kenri kouhuku kiraina hito ni jiyu-tou woba nomashitai oppekepe oppekepe…below omission

*-tou=pun "party" "medicine"

Meaning : I want to let them take a medicine to be free people who do not like happy right  .

Since this time called "Enka", is established.

Consists of the second half of the Meiji era, Enka became sentimental theme of society that was sung by Enka-shi, gradually shifted to the field of music from substitute speech.
Person appeared to compose using the technique of Western music in the Taisho era. It is the appearance of Shun'yo Tottori. He is the composer of "Kago no tori(bird cage)".  It gain publicity.

Shun'yo Tottori "Suzuran" "Kago no tori" "Suttonton" 1924. 9

This sound is not so good…this is very old record disk

Please listen this!!

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Now Enka

famous singer

Hiroshi Itsuki 五木ひろし
Aki Yashiro 八代亜紀
Saburo Kitajima 北島三郎
Kiyosi Hikawa 氷川きよし
Shinichi Mori 森進一
Yoshimi Tendo 天童よしみ
Huyumi Sakamoto 坂本冬美
Miyuki Kawanaka 川中美幸
Ichiro Toba 鳥羽一郎
Sayuri Isikawa 石川さゆり
Hibari Misora 美空ひばり
Yutaka Yamanaka 山川豊
Masao Sen 千昌夫
Takashi Hosokawa 細川たかし
Ikuzo Yoshi 吉幾三
Kaori Mizumori 水森かおり

Hibari Misora "kawa no nagare no you ni"
It is a famous song, anyone know if the Japanese.

This is a last single CD of her lifetime.

Ikuzo Yoshi "ora Tokyo sa ikuda"

This song is popular at niconico douga.

This is a song of lament singing Redneck envy Tokyo.

It is a very interesting song.



characteristic

kobushi : unique method of singing
vibrato : swinging the height of the sound
wear a kimono : in order to conserve the image of Japan

The contents of the lyrics "farewell, snow, rain, female, northern part of the country, sea, tears sake" is often discussed. There are many who sang sad and tragic love and affection between men and women.

instance of kobushi

without kobushi

 

vibrato