Lost loves, mourning over a good hard drink, dark nights and storms of emotion, perseverance and strength in the face of disaster – sounds a bit like a night of country music, doesn’t it? While the themes are similar, the songs that come from this genre were never sung by Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton or Johnny Cash but by famous singers like Akira Kobayashi, Hibari Misara and Saori Hara. Developed during the early Showa period (1926-1989), enka music is beloved the gramma’s and grandpa’s of Japan – and although scorned for pop by the younger generations, it’s being revived by an unexpected young artist – an American who goes by the name of “Jero.”
Hibari Misori’s “Kawa no nagare no you ni” (川の流れのように) typical enka style song voted greatest Japanese song of all time in 1997
While most Western folk and country is characterised by rich, round tones and vibrato, enka treads in the steps of traditional singing – which essentially means it’s 90% sung through the nose. Enka singers are masters of caterwauling, as my friends have commented in the past ^^;;;… while slow and melodramatic with Western themes, the Japanese pentatonic scale and nose warbling give it a definite Asian flair, as well as the female-dominated profession’s profusion of traditional dress.
Surprisingly it’s Jerome Charles White, Jr, a homeboy from Pittsburgh, that’s bringing enka out of the old people’s homes back to the, well, forefront of entertainment. His grandma was Japanese, and it was from her he got his love of enka, as well as some of his language skills (lucky guy). People in Japan have actually attached the label kurofune, essentially “black ship” in reference to Commodore Perry, to Jero (as he’s known) and other foreign musicians who are breaking into the Japanese music scene.
- Jero: Enka’s Black Ship? – from JapanProbe
- Japan’s First African-American Enka Singer – from Japan America Society of Greater Philidelphia
- Old Tricks, New Idol – from CNN Talk Asia
- Jero’s Official Site (Japanese)
(Sorry the quality’s not so great – this is Jero’s current hit – “Umiyuki”)
~MS the Younger
PS: Jero will be appearing at a local festival here in Ishikawa – and most likely I’ll be there! Hopefully I”ll bring you some first hand footage of his performance!
