[Song Review #208] "Seiya" (Holy night) By Sayuri Ishikawa
Hi. Today's song is "Seiya" (Holy night) by "Sayuri Ishikawa".
(a day late though!)
This is a relaxing vocal ballad performed by a great "Enka" (A genre of Japanese Popular song) singer "Sayuri Ishikawa".
The song is singing a sentiment of a matured woman who is having a tiny, but joyful party with her long time partner on Christmas Eve.
"Ishikawa" sings the feeling of the woman in warm and heartful way, just like "Ishikawa" herself is a heroine of the song, and making this a happy & lovely piece.
If you like, please listen to.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
Some contents have been put away in tabs with "▶" mark in each section, so please click it to see.
This would be the last post for 2021. Thank you for your continuous support this year.
We would like to start posting for new year hopefully from the 8th of January 2022 (Sat). If you like, please come again.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Seiya |
|---|---|
| Artist | Sayuri Ishikawa |
| Album Title | Hitori-zake |
| Catalog Number | TECA-21040 |
| Track No. | 2 |
| Duration | 4:56 |
| Released | 2021 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Michio Yamagami Lyricist
"Michio Yamagami" is a lyricist, and business person active since around 1960s.
He has written many hit songs since the '60s, and been a leading lyricist in a popular song category.
"Yamagami" is also known as a co-founder of "Alfa music" (or Alfa record), which played a key role in a development of Japanese popular music and Pop culture particularly in the '70s & '80s.
Short Bio.
"Yamagami" doesn't talk much about himself. So, the information about him is actually scarce.
But according to Wikipedia, "Yamagami" made up his mind to be a lyricist in the mid '50s, when he was 21.
He gradually started his career as a lyricist through writing popular songs or CM songs until the mid 60s.
In 1967, "Yamagami" wrote a Pop song titled, "Sekai-ha futari-no tame-ni" (The world is for two of us) for a newly debuting Pop-singer "Naomi Sagara" as her debut song.
This became a big hit song, and the singe "Naomi Sagara" received a "Japan Record Award for Best New Artist" in 1967.
And by this smash hit, "Michio Yamagami" also established his name as a competent lyricist.
Songs that everyone knows
Since then, "Yamagami"'s performance is simply amazing.
Here is just a few of his famous hit songs.
- Yoake-no scat
- (Scat at dawn, 1969)
- Saori Yuki
- Ah Jinsei-ni namida ari
- (Everyone shed tears in their life. Opening theme for a TV Drama series "Mito Kōmon", 1969)
- Various singers
- Tsubasa-wo kudasai
- (lit. "Please Give Me Wings", 1971)
- Akai tori (Red bird)
- Seto-no hanayome
- ["Seto" bride. A bride from a small island in Seto inland sea, 1972]
- Rumiko Koyanagi
- Gakuseigai-no kissaten
- (Coffee shop in campus street, 1972)
- Garo
- Hinageshi-no hana
- (Corn Poppy flower, 1972)
- Agnes Chan
- Shitetsu ensen
- (Along a private railway line, 1975)
- Gorō Noguchi
- GANDHARA
- (GANDHARA, 1978)
- GODIEGO
The above listed are all regarded as songs "everyone knows", for most of the generations in Japan.
So, it is quite surprising that the lyricis of those most well known hit songs were written by "Yamagami" alone.
References
For more detailed information about "Michio Yamagami", please check references listed below.
Takefumi Haketa Composer & Arranger
"Takefumi Haketa" is a composer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and music producer active since 1981.
"Haketa" is known as a film score composer, and has written many melodies for various movies, TV documentaries, Drama series, and anime series.
He is also active as a composer for many singers in popular music scene.
Short Bio.
According to Wikipedia, "Takefumi Haketa" had already been performing music at local Jazz clubs, or live music bars while he was a college student.
In 1981, "Haketa" started his professional career by debuting in Osaka as a member of a unique funk band "AFRIKA"
Since around 1990, "Haketa" began to write soundtrack, or film music for various movies, anime, TV series, or game music, and quickly established his name as a film score composer.
In parallel, he is also producing, or writing songs for Pop singers like "Hiromi Ohta", "Tomoyo Harada", or "Chitose Hajime", and helping them to open up new field.
Live image
Since 2001, "Haketa" is serving as a music director and pianist, at a concert tour series, "Live image" of which many of leading musicians mainly in healing music, or world music category, such as "Tarō Hakase", "Chisako Takashima", "Gontiti" or "Ryōta Komatsu" are participating in regularly.
This concert series "Live image" is actually a parallel event to an omnibus album series, "Image" started releasing from 2000.
Just for your information, "Image" is a compilation album series, featuring various film, or drama musics, selected mainly from Jazz, Fusion, Latin, piano instrumental, healing, or world music categories.
Since the gorgeous members of cross category musicians are performing, both album series & concert series are popular, and still continuing even in 2021.
If you like please listen to.
Reference
For more details about "Takefumi Haketa", please check the references listed below.
-
(Ref: www.sony.jp,
Takefumi Haketa interview)🇯🇵 -
(Ref: www.haketa.jp,
profile)🇯🇵 -
(Ref: ameblo.jp/haketatakefumi,
blog)🇯🇵
Video clip
Lastly, we would like introduce a refreshing piano instrumental "Fragrant Woods" from his latest album "PIANO 60's", released in 2020.
This spring sun light like shiny & lovely Pop instrumental is actually a rare piece among "Hakera"'s song line up, since he plays healing style piano instrumental more.
If you like, please listen to.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Warm & peaceful
This is a warm, peaceful, and acoustic pop ballad in wartz rhythm.
Natural & melodious
The folk guitar, acoustic piano, and Celesta start natural & quiet introduction, then the bass, drums, strings, and percussions (jingle bell, bar chime) join.
In the verse, a simple ensemble of the folk guitar & acoustic piano accompany the singer gently, and create a silent night atmosphere.
In the bridge, the bass, drums, strings, and percussions (jingle bell, bar chime, tubular bells) join again, and makes the sound fairly dramatic.
Acoustic
One notable thing is that the ensemble of this charming melody seems to be mostly composed of the acoustic instruments.
Except for the electric bass, and just a bit of the synthesizer drum, there seems to be no electronic instrument.
In the past, such sound was nothing special even in popular music scene, but it is quite a luxury in these days.
Charming voice
And the other surprise is a charming voice of "Sayuri Ishikawa".
She has been singing almost 50 years since debuted at 14 years old. And she still maintains this attractive voice.
We admire her professionalism. Hallelujah!
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Sayuri IshikawaNew Queen of Enka
"Sayuri Ishikawa" is a singer, and actor active since 1973.
She is one of the most popular & prominent "Enka" singer at the moment, and will certainly be listed as one of the most notable singers in "Enka" history.
And it isn't very often, but she also occasionally appears as a cast member on various TV series, or movies.
Sayuri Ishikawa debuted in 1973 with a single, "Kakurenbo" (hide-and-seek). Since then, 124 singles (!), and 38 original, 5 live, 70 best, and 19 cover albums, plus 12 videos have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Sayuri Ishikawa)
Early times
As reported by Wikipedia, "Sayuri Ishikawa" got a lead on entering an entertainment business by participating in a TV talent scout audition variety show in 1972, instead of her friend who couldn't attend for certain reason.
"Ishikawa" won the contest, and scouted by a rising entertainment agency "Hori production".
And just 1 month later, she already appeared in a TV drama series "Hikaru umi" (Sparkling sea) as a sister of main cast, when she was 14 years old.
Debut as a singer
In 1973, "Sayuri Ishikawa" also debuted as a singer by releasing her debut single, "Kakurenbo" (hide-and-seek).
At this point, the term "Enka" had not yet been invented, but this was exactly the song goes into "Enka" group, in current categorization.
"Ishikawa" performed this song extremely well, and showed her outstanding potential on singing, particularly for this "Enka" genre.
In a sense, this debut song had a strong impact to define the future of "Sayuri Ishikawa" as a leading "Enka" singer, we imagine.
For the explanation about "Enka", please have a look at this Wikipedia page, (en.wikipedia.org "Enka").
But simply speaking, "Enka" is the songs like "Harumi Miyako". "Hiroshi Itsuki", "Hibari Misora", or "Sayuri Ishikawa" are, or were often singing.
Perhaps we can say that "Enka" is a category which inherits the tradition of Japanese popular song and folk song.
So, in some sense, "Enka" is a sort of soul music of Japan.
Interestingly, the musical scale & chords of "Enka" bears a similarity to the indigenous music of certain Asian countries.
So, some "Enka" songs, like "Kitaguni-no haru" are also popular in many countries in Asia.
Tsugaru Kaikyō Fuyu Geshiki
In general, "Enka" singers need more years to be recognized than pop singers, since the main listeners of "Enka" are adults and elderly who usually don't respond, or accept something so quickly.
"Ishikawa" continued to release new singles steadily, and patiently after debut, while learning singing further from great professional & popular singer "Yuriko Futaba" in parallel.
In January 1977, "Ishikawa" released a powerful & dramatic "Enka" song, "Tsugaru Kaikyō Fuyu Geshiki" (Winter scenery in Tsugaru Strait) as her 15th single record.
This became a surprising big hit as an "Enka" song, and naturally, "Sayuri Ishikawa" was selected as a performer for a grand & prestigious TV variety show of popular music, called "Kō-haku Uta gassen", which is aired only once a year on New Year's Eve by NHK.
By this success, "Sayuri Ishikawa" established her name as a talented "Enka" singer.
Wave of hit songs
Since then, the new single records "Ishikawa" released, became hit songs one after another.
In the 70s, songs like these, namely, "Noto Hantō (Noto Peninsula, 1977), "Danryū (warm ocean current or Kuroshio Current, 1977), "Jin-cho-ge (Winter daphne, 1978), all became a hit song.
In the '80s, the titles like, "Hatoba shigure (Harbour Rain, 1985), "Amagi-goe (Crossing Amagi pass, 1986), "Meoto zenzai (Enjoyable life of married couple, 1987),"Kaze-no-bon Koi-uta (Love song on Kaze-no-bon folk dance festival, 1989) also became popular.
Particularly, her 1986 song "Amagi-goe" became a long popular hit song, and it is regarded as one of the signature song for "Sayuri Ishikawa".
Record holder
So, thanks to those series of hit songs, "Sayuri Ishikawa" has almost always been nominated, and selected for "NHK Kō-haku Uta gassen" as a participant.
Because she has been performing on "Kō-haku" almost every year since the '80s, the number of her appearance on this program is now reached 43.
This number is ranked the 4th among all singers performed in the history of the show. And it is ranked top among female singers.
This might be a powerful proof of her popularity.
That is one of the reasons why we think she deserves to be called a "Queen of Enka" after the great singer "Hibari Misora".
Collaboration
Since debut, she has been singing "Enka" category songs mostly.
Super powerful "Enka" song creators like, "Yū Aku", "Takashi Miki", "Rei Nakanishi", "Tetsuya Gen" or "Osamu Yoshioka" had provided excellent songs for "Ishikawa" for a long time, and supported her to establish "Ishikawa" world.
But in 1991, "Ishikawa" quietly released rare vocal Jazz "Whisky-ga o-suki-desho?" (You love whisky, right?) under a mysterious singer "Sayuri" name.
The song was recorded as an advertising theme for a brand of Suntory whisky, and aired for few years.
Because "Ishikawa" was so famous as an "Enka" singer, she presumably kept her name secret, and left it as a surprise.
If we remember, this might be the first such song, she released beside "Enka".
It seems this was a good opener for her. She gradually widened the range of song creators, and collaborated with the song writers like, "Utsuru Ayame " (Jun Satō), "Kei Ogura", "Ryūdō Uzaki", "Kōsetsu Minami", "Takurō Yoshida" or "Motoki Funayama" who are not primarily "Enka" creators.
After the 2000s, "Ishikawa" also worked together with the unique music creators like, "Tamio Okuda", "Kazufumi Miyazawa" (ex. The Boom), "Ringo Shiina", "Neko Saitō", "Yūji Ohno", "Senri Ōe" or "Seiji Kameda", and expanding her music world further.
Shiju Hōshō (award)
"Sayuri Ishikawa" has received many big music awards since debut.
But in 2019, "Ishikawa" was finally given a "Shiju Hōshō" (Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon), against her excellent works and long time contribution for popular music scene.
"Shiju Hōshō" (Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon) is a government award given to the people achieved outstanding works in science, sports, art, and entertainment field.
And it is usually recognised as the highest award for the people in these profession.
Normally, only 2-4 award recipients are selected every year from music category.
But "Music category" means all the music people. Namely, all the singers, musicians, composers, lyricists, arrangers, or conductors of all the music fields. (Classic, Jazz, Rock, Pops, folk music, traditional music, nursery rhyme, and so on.)
There is no premium at all (besides a medal, and small trophy). But, it's an honour.
"Sayuri Ishikawa" commented in the interview, that she felt this was an approval for both what she had done so far, and the direction she was thinking to go.
And, she wish to continue to sing songs which could stay present to the people's mind.
"Sayuri Ishikawa" is about to celebrate 50 year anniversary of her debut in 2022.
References
For more details about "Sayuri Ishikawa", please have a look references below.
If you like, please use a translator since the most of references are in Japanese.
-
(Ref: www.ishikawasayuri.com,
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Lastly, we would like to introduce a music video of today's song "Seiya".
Thanks to "Sayuri Ishikawa" & her office, a promotion video of "Seiya" has been uploaded, and we can listen the full chorus of this lovely song.
In fact, "Sayuri Ishikawa" is positively interacting with internet environment, and it is getting more apparent after the start of the pandemic. since she is frequently uploading video streams of her performance or live session to entertain, or heal the people with her music.
Great singer.
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
2
(試聴する)
AD: Listening samples (Free)
Amazon JP(en)
Tower records online
music.apple.com (Track No.2)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | 聖夜(Seiya) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 石川さゆり(Sayuri Ishikawa) |
| Album Title | 獨り酒(Hitori-zake) |
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