I'll start with those two tropical storms approaching Hawaii. Both will become serious hurricanes....but largely miss the islands.- Hurricane Karina, to the east and north, just attained Category 4 strength, but should slowly weaken as she heads on a path that will be just north of the Hawaiian Islands around the time of my birthday, September 6. Unfortunately, we will board the Silver Whisper on September 3 to Honolulu.
- Lowell will become a hurricane today and move westward, just south of the Big Island of Hawaii.
The Sheraton Le Centre is ideally located in the middle of the Montreal Golden Square Mile. Around 100 yards away are three Oriental restaurants. We went had a Chinese lunch on Thursday, Korean lunch of Saturday, and Japanese dinner on Sunday.
We shared a Sukiyaki meal.
End of meal with noodles.Then green tea ice cream.
Throughout the dinner, the background music was Japanese songs from before World War II to the early recovery period in the 1950s. With Baroque and Disco periods, this genre is among my favorites. So I thought I would end my posting today by nostagically segueing into this mood.
- Don't know the title, and no idea how far back this goes, but, growing up in Honolulu, I somehow remember this song.
- There is a 1939 Japanese film, Aizen Katsura, with a song of the same name.
- For no reason I can recall, Wakare No Isochidori has been my favorite Japanese song.
- Was popular in Hawaii before it became a hit in Japan in 1952.
- Why? Written by Hawaii-born Francis Zanami. He died of a heart attack at the age of 44 in 1949.
- A bittersweet mood of lonely beach plovers (English translation of isochidori) departing (wakare).
- There was a 1954 Japanese film, Twenty-Four Eyes, which features a famous graduation song, Aegeba Toutoshi. This movie, with Hideko Takamine (she later returns as the singer of Ginza Kan Kan Musum) as the teacher, actually beat Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai for the Golden Globe best Foreign film in 1955, which is my all-time favorite Japanese movie. You can watch this Kurosawa production on Apple TV for $3.99, but here it is for FREE!!!
- Ginza Kan Kan Musume was the theme of a 1949 movie by the same name, sung by Hideko Takamine. Rather than a dark lament, the lyrics and energetic delivery portrayed independent, young women getting by with spunk and style despite post-war hardships. [1, 2, 3]
The most popular singer of this period was Misora Hibari. She recorded 1200 songs and sold 68 million records.- Her first song at age 12, Kanashiki Kuchibue, from the 1949 film The Sad Whistle. Click on that and watch the entire 1 hr 23 min movie, colorized.
- Her Kawa No Nagare No You Ni was released in 1989 as her final single, for she passed away later in the year. Voted the Japanese song of all time during a national poll in 1997. Here is a version by Teresa Teng of Taiwan. She returns later with a Chinese song.
- Kokoni Sachi Ari is a song especially popular in Hawaii, especially in karaoke bars.
- Originally released by Yoshiko Ootsu in Japan in 1956.
- When I was a senior at McKinley High School in Honolulu, I had a friend who was a junior there. His name was Teddy Chinen. When I returned home after graduating from college, his name was Teddy Tanaka, and he had the most popular version in Hawaii, with an English title, Here is Happiness. He went on to become a popular local singing star.
- Rene Paulo on his piano also that year had a noteworthy release.
- Here is yet another version with early photos.
From Google AI, a noteworthy double album about these old Japanese songs:
The Club Nisei Orchestra features classic Japanese music and island-style covers recorded across albums like Club Nisei: Japanese Music of Hawaii and Encore: Japanese Music of Hawaii. [1, 2, 3]
Popular Tracks from Club Nisei
- Otomi-san (feat. Aiko Bingo)
- Ohtone Zukiyo (feat. Harold Sasahara)
- Tokyo Serenade (feat. Harold Sasahara)
- Sina No Yoru (feat. Jane Itai / Jane Yoshino)
- Momotaro-san (feat. Sparky Iwamoto)
- Ringo Oiwake (feat. Mari Minami)
- Sendo Kawai Ya (feat. Alma Shimabukuro)
- Machi No Hatoba (feat. Sadame Miyazu)
- Tokyo Boogie Woogie (feat. George Shimabukuro)
- Tanko Bushi (feat. Itsuo Tokunaga)
- Asatoya Yunta (feat. Yukie Tsutsumi)
- Hibari No Madorosu-san (feat. Ted Shimabukuro)
- Tonko Bushi
- Akogare Wa Basha Ni Notte
- Musume Sendo-San (feat. Alma Shimabukuro)
- Bungawan Solo
- Ina No Koi Uta (feat. Aiko Bingo)
- Gomen Nasai (feat. Errol Nakao)
- Hyo-tan Boogie (feat. Aiko Bingo)
- Ringo Mura Kara (feat. Harold Sasahara)
- Tokyo Ka-Chin-Ka Musume (feat. Jane Itai)
- Oranda Yashiki No Hana / Nagasaki Monogatari (feat. Sparky Iwamoto)
As I'm writing about early songs from the Orient, a Chinese song, Ye Lai Xiang deserves special mention.
- Translated as Frangrance of the Night, composed by Li Jinguang in 1944, Li Xianglan first recorded this song that year. She changed her name in Japan and became Yoshiko Yamaguchi, rising to movie star status. Made American films too, as Shirley Yamaguchi.
- In the early autumn of 1944, Li Jinguang recorded an aria for Huang Guiqiu, a famous Peking Opera actress. In those days, the studio had no air conditioning and the room was airtight. During the recording break, Li Jinguang went out of the shed to breathe fresh air. At this time, the south wind blew, with bursts of flower fragrance, and nightingales were singing in the distance. What a wonderful time! Li Jinguang’s music thoughts are surging… That night, after returning home, Li Jinguang stayed awake all night. The beautiful scenery at that time constantly flashed in his mind, aroused infinite reverie, and the melody surging in his heart seemed to gush out… In this way, the prototype of a European and American style, rumba rhythm and dance style “Ye Lai Xiang” was born.
- In 1978, Teresa Teng recorded a popular version of Ye Lai Xiang.
- Born in Taiwan in 1953.
- Had a three octave range.
Never got married.- First boyfriend in 1971, Lin Zhenfa, a paper tycoon. However died of a heart attack in 1978.
- Met and dated Jackie Chan in 1978, but their relationship was short-lived.
- In 1982 got engaged to Beau Kuok, son of a billionaire, but turned down a marriage proposal for one condition was for her to give up her career.
- Met French photographer Paul Quilery, dated for five years, got engaged, but died in Chiang Mai in 1995 at the age of 42 a month after getting engaged.
- Sue and Aija were sisters, while Mia was a cousin, who was adopted by the Kim family.
- They were born in the 40s in South Korea.
- Group started singing in the U.S. from 1953. Performed more than 20 times on The Ed Sullivan Show. Also the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Covered the Coasters' Charlie Brown. Kim Sisters version.
- Some of their songs.
As the meal that started this posting was sukiyaki, I end with Kyu Sakamoto' Sukiyaki, which in 1963 became the only Japanese song to ever hit #1 on Billboard. Read my story of his tragic ending. You need to scroll down to the final two paragraphs. The title Sukiyaki was just made up before release in the U.S., and meaning of the song had nothing to do with cuisine.
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