[Joyful & Warm]
No.167 "Socorro Taro!" by Sonia Rosa
Hi. Today's song is "Socorro Taro! " (Help me, Taro!) by "Sonia Rosa".
It's a cute, light, charming, but fairly orthodox Bossa Nova song.
The performer is an authentic Bossa Nova singer, Sonia Rosa, who has been singing in Japan for a long time since she came from Brazil in 1970.
Her little son "Taro", who is now known as 'DJ Taro', also took part in the recording, and performed a scat singing.
If you like, please listen.
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Song data
| Title | Socorro Taro! |
|---|---|
| Artist | Sonia Rosa |
| Album Title | |
| Catalog Number | MHC7-30030 |
| Track No. | 11 |
| Duration | 3:26 |
| Released | 1979 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Sonia RosaLyricist
"Sonia Rosa" is the lyricist of this song, but also a performer.
We would like to come back to her later in "About the artist" section.
Yūji Ohno Composer & Arranger
"Yūji Ohno" is a Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and music producer active since 1962.
He is famous with the hundreds of commercial jingles, films scores, drama music, and popular songs he wrote for the various groups until today.
But he is perhaps the most well known as the music creator for a national popular Anime series, "Lupin the III".
Early times
"Yūji Ohno" started learning the piano when he was an elementary-age child.
In high school, "Ohno" formed a amateur band (instrumental?) with class mates, and also began to teach himself on Jazz.
After entering a university, "Ohno" joined a famed college big band, "Keiō Light music society", and became one of the regular pianist.
While he was studying at the University, he got started a pianist career by joining a professional Jazz band, "Kōji Fujika Quintet" in 1962.
He decided to continue his pianist career even graduating from the University.
He experienced few Jazz groups after became a professional. And in 1967, "Ohno" finally formed his first Jazz band, "Yūji Ohno trio".
Become a composer
But in the early '70s, "Ohno" suspended his work as a pianist, and began to work as a composer, especially for commercial jingles, and drama music.
Since the beginning, "Ohno" was showing a rare capability on the creation of music. And around 1975, he also began to arrange the albums of the popular singers.
So, today's singer, "Yoshiko Sai" was actually one of the earliest artists, received a support from "Ohno".
In 1976, "Ohno" was offered to write film scores for a big movie, "The Inugami Family".
The movie became a big hit together with the theme music "Ohno" wrote.
By this success, "Ohno" was more generally recognized as a talented composer.
Lupin the 3rd
And in 1977, he was requested to create theme music for the 2nd season of an already popular anime series, "Lupin the III".
Different from most of the preceding TV anime series, which were optimized for their prime audience children, "Lupin the III" was originally a comics for young adults, and therefore designed to entertain them as well as children.
"Ohno" provided completely different, catchy, but high quality theme music, and BGM for this anime series.
The popularity of "Lupin the III" jumped up. Since then, it has been one of the most popular, and long lasting Anime series in Japan.
Concept change
"Lupin the III" entirely changed the concept of the Animation music, from the sounds to attract children to the authentic film music. And "Ohno"'s contribution on this change was huge.
"Ohno" established his position through a big success on this Anime series.
He has been having busy days as a popular composer and arranger, afterwards.
References
Video clip
Finally, here is a new version of Lupin the III theme music, "Theme from Lupin the III 2016", performed by Yūji Ohno & Lupintic six with Fujikochans.
"Yūji Ohno & Lupintic six" was formerly a sextet named "Lupintic five".
But after switched changed the members, it's been a 7-piece Jazz group featuring 2 keyboards.
This theme music is actually a lot more closer to original in terms of the arrangement.
But sound is a lot more sharp and modern.
If you like, please listen.
Finally, a bit funny introduction of this video is an obvious parody of Japan's old TV detective series.
Cover art today
* Blu-spec CD is playable with a standard CD player.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Joyful & rhythmic
This is a joyful, rhythmic, and moderately fast Bossa Nova song.
It is just like singing a happy moment of mother and child.
Fantastical
The bass, drums, electric guitars, acoustic guitar, chime, and soprano flute play a bright &fantastical introduction, and the main melody starts.
In the main melody, 2 electric guitars and the percussion creates joyful and tripping rhythm.
And cute & soft vocal of "Sonia Rosa" is making this song happy & peaceful.
DJ TARO
On this song, we can hear a lively scat singing of a school boy.
The boy performed this scat was Sonia's son,"Taro", who later became a popular club DJ & radio personality, "DJ Taro".
"DJ Taro" has also involved quite a few of music recordings as an arranger, or DJ Scratch player.
He has participated in his mother "Sonia"'s 2006 album, "Depois Do Nosso Tempo" (Beyound our time) as well.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Sonia RosaA Bossa Rosa
Sonia Rosa is a singer, and songwriter active since 1967.
She is originally a Brazilian singer, but in 1969, she moved from Brazil to Japan. Since then, she has been singing as a pioneering Bossa Nova singer in Japan for many years.
As mentioned, Sonia first debuted in Brazil in 1967, with a single, "... E Fim" (And End).
After released 1 album in homeland, Sonia was invited from a Japanese record company to be a "messenger" of Bossa Nova. And in 1969, she moved from Brazil to Japan, and started a new career in a country half a world away.
In 1970, she released a single record, "Aoi Bed (Long Black Hair)" as the first release in Japan. since then, 4 singles, and 4 original albums have been released until now.
* ("Long Black Hair" is a subtitle, and not a translation of the song title.)
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Sonia Rosa)
Early days
According to Wikipedia, Sonia Rosa was born in a wealthy family in São Paulo, Brazil.
When she was six, she began to play the guitar. She preferred Bossa Nova much, since it was a popular and trendy music.
She listened, and copied the melodies like João Gilberto's, and learned the guitar, as well as music composition.
In 1967, she debuted with her first single, "... E Fim" (And End) in Brazil.
Sonia was occasionally appearing on a popular TV music program like, "O Fino da Bossa" after debut.
And in the same year 1967, she released her 1st album, "A Bossa Rosa De Sônia", from Continental label.
Move to Japan
While she was singing in São Paulo, she had an occasion to perform in a famous Brazilian music restaurant, "Ichiban", which was run by "Toshirō Ono", who was a father of a popular Bossa Nova singer "Lisa Ono".
Eventually, this provided an opportunity for her. She was invited from a music producer, to debut also in Japan.
And in 1969, she visited Japan, and contracted with a record company as a singer.
Fresh Debut
Sonia started her career in Japan by singing in Jazz clubs, with talented young musicians like "Sadao Watanabe", or "Yūji Ohno", who both became important her musical partners later.
And in 1970, Sonia released a single record. "Aoi Bed (Long Black Hair)" as her debut single, which she took on a challenge to sing a song in Japanese.
Then in the same year, her first album in Japan was released, having received the supports from musicians like, "Sadao Watanabe" or "Kunihiko Suzuki"
Collaboration with "Yūji Ohno"
It seems that Sonia Rosa & Yūji Ohno spoke the same language from early on.
In the mid '70s, Sonia & Ohno began to collaborate frequently, and released a few of wonderful Bossa numbers featuring Sonia's cute and charming vocal.
Among them, the most notable example was a sweet & romantic Bossa, "Fairy night". It was used as an ending theme for a national popular anime series, "Lupin III Part III".
Actually, this lovely ending theme was making "Lupin III Part III" a lot more attractive.
The team of Sonia & Ohno also released 2 excellent Bossa Nova albums during the '70s. One was "Samba Amour" (1979), which we are introducing today, and the other was "Spiced with Brazil" (1974).
Because, the latter album was originally produced as a giveaway for the customers who purchased a Sony stereo system, then it was not for sale.
The album had therefore been almost an urban legend until it was reissued in 2001.
It's a lovely album. If you like, please give it a try.
Child raising
Around the late '80s, Sonia Rosa paused her music activity to dedicate more time for her families.
Since then, she was not appearing on stage, even there was a lot of call for come back.
But in early 2000s, some of her albums were reissued, and the voices asking for Sonia's reappearance began to mount.
And finally in 2006, she released a beautiful new album, "Depois Do Nosso Tempo" (Beyond our time) for the first time in 27(!) years.
Depois Do Nosso Tempo
"Depois Do Nosso Tempo" (Beyond our time) is, in fact, a gorgeous album.
The great musicians like, "Oscar Castro Neves", "Cesar Camargo Mariano", "Ivan Lins" "Marco Bosco", "Mark Walker", "Romero Lubambo", or "Sergio Brando" have participated in this as players, or singers.
And, the stars like, "Wilson Simoninha", "Jair Oliveira" or "DJ TARO" have taken part in this album as music creators.
We think the participation of these amazing members are telling the greatness of Sonia Rosa as a Bossa Nova singer.
Her voice is lower than when she was young. But it is even more charming.
If you like, please listen.
Video clip
Finally, here is a rare, and precious music clip of Sonia Rosa, singing a Bossa Nova standard, "Chora Tua Tristeza" (1962) with its original singer "Oscar Castro-Neves".
On this track, Oscar Castro-Neves is duetting with Sonia. It might be quite rare as far as we know.
Backing musicians, in other words, guitarist, pianist, and percussionist are likely to be these Maestros appearing on this video. But there is no firm information, then we would like to update if we found it.
It's a pure & calm, beautiful number.
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
11
(試聴する)
Sony music shop's site (www.sonymusicshop.jp) is also offering a sample.
Tower records online
Amazon JP(en) (No sample)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | Socorro Taro！(Help me, Taro!) |
|---|---|
| Artist | ソニア・ローザ(Sonia Rosa) |
| Album Title | Samba Amour(2015 Remaster) |
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