Abe/others, Japanese music talk.

[gisli]

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu Abe!!:o :)

So Janis music has taken me to Japan and that escalated in that one of my sons gave me a compilation album with Janis songs and Japanese songs that he thought I would like and I like.

That has made me a frequent visitor to CdJapan.co.jp and browsed through that a lot and never managed to quite get my hands as to what to buy in japanese music. I have one cd called Yourself, Myself a compilation with "foreign" singer artists like Janis (Headlight, Taillight) but otherwise Japanese, arrangement and mucicians. And I have of course Hiroshi Fujiwara cd Remix, also with Janis singing in one of the songs and then Natural Woman with Tomoko Ohno, also with one Janis singing there. I really like that cd.

Needless to say I didn´t like the albums at all when I first listened to them, now I am hooked.......and I want more. Can anyone help me here as to what artist I should be looking fore?

I see this http://www.zard.co.jp/#cd and understand it was a famous band in Japan that ended as a one woman band and then she died by a freak accident when treated for cancer in hospital. She was making a record and I was wandering if that is now out, I can´t quite figure out the writing on this homepage:confused:

So could we start a thread about intresting Japanese artists and music?

PS: There is one thing I want to mention and that is the sound on Japanese cd and vinyl. If I see a Japanese made cd or vinyl from an artist, I will buy that over a pressing from any other country in the world............what a difference the sound is, soooo much better.

[gisli]

To you who has left

The tears in my eyes
should be of gratitude
rather then sadness
for I knew you
you where so near to me
and never that far away

we watced the same sky
and sailed the same sea
this short time in life
that we shared and was given together

You was kindness,
strong and warm
who could dig up seedlings
from frosen soil
and cover it around my heart
to be nursed
´til they flowered

On a cold island in the north
I hold tight to your flower
till the gates of heaven
opens
also for me


In the memory of Izumi Zakai, Zard our singer.

Translated from a poem by Tosiki Toma a Japanese priest living in Iceland.

[hoops]

thank you gisli, for the link, the poem, the post. truly thank you
peace
hoops

[Roady]

Gisli, Thank you for sharing this lovely poem.
About the girl who died-It appears from this website WEZARD (http://wezard.net/ ) (looks like her family's)that the album is out 1/23/2008.

You asked about other Japanese musicians. Someone, since I have been on this board, Chet??, told us about, Angela Aki. She sings Janis' Will You Dance. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJwQgFQJA4&feature=related) I keep coming back to u-tube to listen to Angela, time and time again. I keep looking for her website in English for more information but couldn't access it today. I wish she and Janis could connect in Japan and sing "Will You Dance" together. Wouldn't that be very :cool: wonderful?

A member of this forum had sent to me Janis' Souvenirs and it is by Victor Entertainment, also known as Hiroshi Fujiwara. A wonderful record with songs on it that I have never had a chance to hear before.

Do you find that sometimes a song of Janis' that you have never heard before makes you think, "I don't know if I like this song?" And then the more you play it, the more you like it, until it becomes a song you think you've always loved? Forgetting that you didn't love it at fist listen. Just like with people. ;) This is why I often play the same cd, day after day.

BTW, I just got "Billie's Bone" just before Christmas, and have only heard it once or twice. We will have to talk about it when I have had a chance to listen to it many more times.

Well I am suppose to be sleeping but could not-so I am going to go back to bed and try again. Nice chatting with you all.

[gisli]

Glad you liked it hoops. I had a seizure last night and even though I have new and stronger painkillers, the morfin kind, it didn´t work even though i took more then was adviced, so I had a long numb night and a painful one. But browsing through some poetry I stumbled to this poem and decided to translate it, just to take my mind of things. It is not as perfect as the one in the original language, but better or worse it does justice to the original one even though a word or two would have been more appropriate to choose....or even a sentance.

Roady, Angela Aki is in the shop basket, a wonderful singer and performer, thank you for reminding me of her. I actually wrote her name in my book some time ago, along with a singer from Hong Kong that Chet also recommended and told such a nice story of, her name is Paula Tsui and is from Hong Kong, thanks Chet.

On not geting the song/cd in first listen is common for me and a good sign. I got most of Janis cd´s in one buy a few years ago, put them all on and the first cd that got to me was Billie´s Bones...preferably the song Paris In Your Eyes. Today the ones I put aside and not thinking I would connect to are now two years later the ones that are my favorites......one is always discovering something new.

Ps. We talk later of Billies Bones I am going to have to keep on take some meds for a while and think it would not be a good idea for me to post as much while they do theyre thing. A rascal on the loose with no strain is not a good combination.;) :p

Peace and best, Gisli.

[hoops]

gisli, sorry about your hard night. hope you are feeling better soon
peace
hoops

[Chet]

Angela Aiki actually has a family connection to this board - she is the daughter of Amy Aiki, one of our Japanese members who used to be active on the old board, but has not been able to join this one. BTW, I do have Amy's permission to reveal this, altho some of the older Rudies may already know. :) From what Amy tells me, Janis has been a big encouragement to Angela in her career.

Another Japanese singer I listen to is Mayumi Itsuwa. I discovered her in the early 1980s and have most of her albums, but unfortunately on cassette. On CD, I just have one (for now), the first album I bought, it's a greatest hists compilation.

Mayumi is a folk singer-songwriter. If you do a search for her on YouTube, there are various clips of her there.

[Darlene]

Glad you liked it hoops. I had a seizure last night and even though I have new and stronger painkillers, the morfin kind, it didn´t work even though i took more then was adviced, so I had a long numb night and a painful one. But browsing through some poetry I stumbled to this poem and decided to translate it, just to take my mind of things. It is not as perfect as the one in the original language, but better or worse it does justice to the original one even though a word or two would have been more appropriate to choose....or even a sentance.

Roady, Angela Aki is in the shop basket, a wonderful singer and performer, thank you for reminding me of her. I actually wrote her name in my book some time ago, along with a singer from Hong Kong that Chet also recommended and told such a nice story of, her name is Paula Tsui and is from Hong Kong, thanks Chet.

On not geting the song/cd in first listen is common for me and a good sign. I got most of Janis cd´s in one buy a few years ago, put them all on and the first cd that got to me was Billie´s Bones...preferably the song Paris In Your Eyes. Today the ones I put aside and not thinking I would connect to are now two years later the ones that are my favorites......one is always discovering something new.

Ps. We talk later of Billies Bones I am going to have to keep on take some meds for a while and think it would not be a good idea for me to post as much while they do theyre thing. A rascal on the loose with no strain is not a good combination.;) :p

Peace and best, Gisli.

Sorry gisli, I hope that as you read this post you are feeling much better. You must take care of yourself because we need you here to entrain us! Seriously take care of yourself!

Darlene

[Roady]

Hope you had a better night last night my friend-
Ps We talk later of Billies Bones I am going to have to keep on take some meds for a while and think it would not be a good idea for me to post as much while they do theyre thing. A rascal on the loose with no strain is not a good combination.;) :p
Peace and best, Gisli.
Rest and take your medication but just let us know you're okay? You don't want me to pull out all the hair on my head from worrying do you?

When I woke up this Morning- "You Were On My Mind" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_f16t1JGHo)
Roady

[gisli]

Thanks guys for caring, you are the best.

Them Japanese artists seem to pile up, Mayumi Itsuwa is on my list.

A lot of good music is in them Anime films it seems as if this artform has become a cult to so many. Looking at what my sons choose to watch I see that this is the case for them at least. And there are so many beautyfol songs in them.

Janis songs have been used in some of the anime films and that more then two.

But here are some japanese songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v4mqrftGd0

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wJhiIIWv81Q

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uaVCwnSuqyw


Thanks all for you kind thoughts towards me.

[Eva]

In the early nineties I had an album by Ryuichi Sakomoto. I liked his music very much. He was quite known in the west then and composed with several western musicians too. He made the filmmusic for a movie starring David Bowie. It was called 'Merry Christmas mr. Lawrence' and the music for 'The last Emperor'. There are quite a lot of clips of him on youtube.

Eva

A few of my personal favourits from that album:
With Youssou N'Dour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN0JjaXAo9c
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSywA_un0gc

Has nothing to do with him but I just thought this sounded good: Another version of Asadoya Yunta by a female singer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EUNItTbZ3g&feature=related

[Bat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkp2M98kM8I&feature=related

From that site I went to another Rimi song with my favorite Uke player, Jake Shimabukuro...what a lovely song, sung by a real winner and Jake at his best on Bari Uke...charming. I'm smitten with this girl! Thanks for the site, Eva.

[Roady]

Usually start my day with a few minutes on the computer......found this Angela Aki video I have not seen before, called Home (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGWtaK3Uhro)

[Bat]

nothing came up for 'Home', Roady...just a blank where the video should be... I'll try again later, thanks for the link, anyway! LOL

[Roady]

There's a Angela Aki's Fan Website with a page of downloads. You've got to see the video of "Like a Virgin"-gosh I wish I could understand Japanese. Nonetheless it is humorous and shows a lighter side of Angela Aki. Gee I wonder if the guys at work would be embarrassed if I asked them to translate? Here's your Angela Aki download page (http://aki.endless-run.org/download.php)

It's worth the trouble of uploading the file.