I came to know about 坂井泉水 for her songs "運命のルーレット廻して" for Detective Conan, and "DAN DAN 心魅かれてく" for Dragon Ball. (I am a fan of Japanese manga too ^-^). Her voice is just amazing, and the lyrics are soul healing. I find it especially encouraging to listen to her songs over and over again when feeling low. Unlike many other singers, 坂井泉水 composed most of her songs by herself and her other songs, like "負けないで", "my friend" (for manga Slam Dunk), and "きっと忘れない" are also well known in Japan, and thought of as encouraging songs.
Teresa Teng is considered to be one of the best singers ever by many. Raised in Taiwan and fluent in Mandarin, English and Japanese, Teresa made a fame in her late teens by singing various traditional Chinese songs, and later on, Japanese ones. Her 1974 song "空港" (kuu kou) became an immediate hit in Japan. The later half of 1980s was definitely the prime time for her career in Japan, when she won the Japan Grand Prix (kanji: 全日本有线放松大赏, year 1984-86) three times in a row by three different songs, something no one has ever accomplished or even dreamed about then. Her success as a singer deserves more praise due to her identity as a non-Japanese. Nowadays, her songs are still being playing everyday in bars, restaurants, and many other places across the world.
Here are some of the youtube videos that I would like to share about the two singers. Enjoy!
Teresa Teng:
時の流れに身をまかせ: (Grand Prix Champion, 1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVoXLoS9p7k&feature=related
愛人 (Grand Prix Champion, 1985):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tPAddMqNLM
つぐない (Grand Prix Champion, 1984):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeVdlNZ4yMQ&feature=related
別れの予感:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxFPNKLaO10&feature=related
空港:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKKL0Wj4-oc&feature=related
坂井泉水:
負けないで:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvMYT-UMTiU&feature=related
きっと忘れない:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1trDzLp_Ixg&feature=related
My Friend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-9bjST27g&feature=related
DAN DAN 心魅かれてく:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4YUluTzY4Q
素直に言えなくて:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRliZUlwsko&NR=1
Wonderful singers! thanks for sharing. The shabu shabu place I was talking about is actually called Shabu shabu. It might be shabu shabu 70 b/c it's on 70th street, but I can't remember. I've been to a couple of restaurants down by St. Marks place, but I think this one despite its inconvenient location is better!
ReplyDeleteはじめまして！Erin Yanです。ちゅごくからきましだ。I also love 邓丽君's songs. But I haven't know that she also sang in Japanese. Thanks to you, I can have the precious chance to enjoy her songs in Japanese! ありがとうございます！どおぞよろしく！
ReplyDeleteI will definitely check out both of those singers. I don't know much about Japanese music, so I really appreciate the nudge in the right direction. ^^
ReplyDeleteわたしは うたを きーてします。It's refreshing to know that there are others that really enjoy Japanese music. Japanese songs have a unique sound to them making them appealing and easily recognizable; just like fans of reggae and reggaeton can identify a song in those genres just by the beat.
ReplyDeleteこにちわ！ わたしは まりくです。NotreDame だいがくのがくせいです。 わたしもすき ひさいしさん。 I see that you're quite the J music aficionado! My very limited exposure to japanese music comes from the few Japanese songs I hear from anime and such. For instance, しきのうた by MNMI and Nujabes from the Samurai Champloo soundtrack is one of my favorites. I'm actually really into the Japanese DJ scene, so people like Nujabes and Tsutchie are in constant play on my itunes. What do you recommend for a novice like me?
ReplyDelete