Enka: Am I quite alone?
 

Am I really the only one who loves Enka? Or worse, the only one who's heard of it? @_@ Say it isn't so, enka is one of the best genres of Japanese music out there. Anyone who hasn't tried it yet, I suggest you get some music by Hikawa Kiyoshi (cos he's young and hot :p) or something from the older singers like Misora Hibari, Yashiro Aki, Mikawa Kenichi. Go, go, go, enka is good!! ^_____^

I've heard of enka, but haven't actually listened to it before. :)

I like enka but only listen when the mood is right. I like Kiyoshi too. I can see his internal organs when he sings. :D

I only tolerate enka cos my mum likes it. But yeah, Kiyoshi's alright; and Hosokawa Takashi's pretty cool as well.

I ... like enka too....

.... don't tell my friends.... they would kill me.... its bad enough the only english music I can tolerate now is either bands they've never heard of cuz its not on MTV, or old old old songs (we're talking 50-80s)....

Yaaaaay, I'm not alone!! :D I listen to a lot of other stuff and like HaroRulez, enka's more like mood music to me...except I'm always it the mood :heh:. The first time I heard it (I think it was Misora Hibari) I was like "hey, this is kinda cool." I should've stopped right there because now I'm addicted!! Just...keep me away from that cdjapan site....STAY BACK! AAAAAAH!! :help: :help:

Do you like Enka Music?
 

Great Enka Songs:

Yoko Nagayama:
(She is great enka singer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-mc...eature=related (I really like this one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rs0ITZRUmc

Meiko Kaji:
(From the movie "Kill Bill" vol1 and vol2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBmaDd7qlcU (vol 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma3kd...eature=related (vol 1)

Jero:
(The first black enka singer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEmeVeQe56U

Enka? Well, I have few Misora Hibari CDs.. thanks to Mizuki Nana? :heh:

I really like Zenkyoku Shu by Meiko Kaji, almost the only Enka I have and the whole album is quite good, not only the 2 songs used in Kill Bill and The Flower of Carnage.

Bye, signorRossi.

Yenka?

Well the best were sung in the 60's and 70's here are some examples.

Anko Tsubaki performed by Miyako Harumi
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=bgfngz...eature=related

Tsugaru-kaikyo Fuyugeshiki performed by Ishikawa Sayuri
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=XQScyOdYa14

Erimo Misaki performed by Mori Shinichi
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=LTQ-WFHeS14

Amagi Goe again performed by Ishikawa Sayuri
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=OKrskF...eature=related

Yagiri no Watashi performed by Chiaki Naomi
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=VMg_F1eq1so

and last but not least
Funa Uta performed by Yashiro Aki
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=9gui-Sg1_xQ

Although probably off-topic, here are some song by"the Diva" of Japan.

Iihi Tabidachi performed by "the Diva" Yamaguchi Momoe
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=STb9hr...eature=related

Cosmos another song performed by "the Diva" Yamaguchi Momoe
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=loGAMB...eature=related

Sayonara no Mukogawa(From the other side of Good-Bye) Last song by the Diva
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=fn6eNq...eature=related

The last song was written solely for the purpose to decorate here retirement from the stage and although it was not shown in the vid she places the mic on the stage floor at the very end making a silent statement that she will never return to the limelights again.
It is probably the most heart gripping stage I had ever seen.

re
 

She has a really great album [Meiko Kaji - Zenkyoku Shuu] desune?

Enka is good stuff... but its better if I'm slightly tipsy on sake...

Traditional and folk music is usually what I listen to more often.

If the thread got necro'ed then I might as well add some other recommended artistes:
Fuji Ayako (man, she's pretty!), Mizumori Kaori (lovely voice) and Kouzai Kaori. Also Ishikawa Sayuri who was mentioned above. I see her as the current queen of enka, really.

Ummm, wow....I've come a long way in terms of sensible posting in the past 4 years.

I found an old cassette tape belonging to my late father but I have difficulty identifying some of the songs.

These should be Enka songs from the 1980s. Any kind souls care to help?

Here's one of the songs after conversion to MP3 format:

http://amk.sg/storage/temp/Track1.mp3

I think it depends of the mood you are on, so it's not a part of some kind of music that you can listen everyday...

I like Enka, but I can't listen to more than a couple songs in one sitting.

I generally like Enka that is more..."smooth" and melodious over ones that has lots of short phrases sung at different tones.

p.s. Yamaguchi Momoe retired way too early. But she did it at the top of her career so everyone remembered her for as she was. A bit like Teresa Teng who died.

Thank you for the links. I like this but honestly I haven't listened to a lot of it, did feel the selections of Meiko Kaji for kill bill were some of the best parts of the soundtrack.

You are not alone. I love Enka.

To add in I love Kabuki. Yoyoi~