(ESP-ENG) The magic of Japanese music!
Many will wonder why I am talking about something as specific as the music in Japan, but not just any music, no, I mean great themes of the pop culture of that country, which fall into a sub genre called City Pop. The thing is that as an anime fan one always listens to the soundtrack of each one and the truth is that they are jewels so I asked myself the question of how is the music of the day to day in the country of the rising sun. I was convinced that if they were as good as those of the anime I was convinced and satisfied in my search. The truth is that it was not easy to look for something that would fit in this theme but after being immersed for a while I think I finally got something, as they say colloquially "I was looking for copper and I ended up finding gold". So today I bring you a small sample of how this beautiful country sounds in everything related to pop.
- Stay With Me - Miki Matsubara
Perhaps we are in front of the best known piece of music of this genre, I say this because it is possible that you have heard it sometime around the social networks. Miki Matsubara was a singer who unfortunately could not see the success of her music since she died back in 2004 due to cancer. It is said that she regretted her musical career because she did not enjoy life as she would have liked and when she got sick all she felt was regret for not being able to recover and simply live. Stay With Me is one of her great songs written in the eighties. What I like about it is Miki's voice which is incredible, the sound very typical of the era with a bit of funk and the wind instruments that accompany the song. The lyrics are super nostalgic as it tells us about a person who asks the other person not to leave but the other person is determined to leave. In the song Miki tells us everything that this person is feeling with the actions of this other person, the good memories that they have together, the details that make the relationship work but above all and at the same time the lack of love that they can feel when they see this other person so changed and cold. It really is a great song, it is the most commercial, I have no doubt, but that does not stop it from being a very good song with some very interesting sounds. If you haven't listened to it, I invite you to do so and get a very eighties vibe.
- Dolphin in Town - Kingo Hamada
Here we are in front of another great theme that you probably have also heard but had no idea where it came from. If something has left me this search or "investigation" is that the Japanese did an exceptional job with the music in the 80's, the quality of it is equal or even greater than the Anglo-Saxon. The issue is that as there is a cultural and language barrier many of these songs did not reach this side of the pond or did it quite late. This song in particular is one that has been covered in many versions but honestly I'll stick with the original, it has such a special and unique sound that makes it really good. Being from the 80's we continue with the funk but this time it has a lot of Latin elements. The intro is a marvel, that guitar with the cymbals of the drums sounds incredible and then they are joined by a saxophone and then almost in the middle of the song you can hear some bongos adorning everything. I would say and going back to what I said before that the way of making music of these people for Japan itself was something very new and advanced, hence the impact it had, one listens to these songs today and they are really enjoyable. The lyrics are simple, it is a boy who sees and manages to play with a dolphin and that was so special that being a sailor he still remembers that experience and anecdote and tells it to the person who tells the story. The top of this song is the melody, the sound, the musicality in general; it is one of those songs that you listen to and it is difficult to get out of your head.
- Remember Summer Days - ANRI
Finally I bring one of the songs that I liked the most, in fact it caught me with just the first phrases. Here the most relevant thing is that the brass instruments increase, that is, there are not only saxophones but there are trumpets and even trombones which makes the song much deeper and has more body. I also think that what captivates a lot is the voice of these singers, all very harmonious, soft and melodic, honestly it's nice to sit and listen to these songs because the vibe they emanate is a very peaceful and even cheerful I would say, plus in the background you can hear some choirs that accompany in a very cool way the main voice. The lyrics tell us about a girl who is remembering the summer days where she met a person but in the end it all came to nothing, it was the typical summer love that goes away never to return. There is something common in many of these songs and it is that nostalgia, used in different forms, is always present in the context or background of these songs, everything is very romantic, everything is in that wave of remembering, longing, imagining, etc. City Pop is something that very few people know, I think that this should change because as time goes by, it will be left behind. There are many jewels, dozens of them, that are worth listening to; I only brought these three but I recommend you to keep looking for these treasures.
¡Un abrazo a todos, nos escuchamos en la próxima!
Well my people that's all for today, I hope you liked it.
¡A hug to everyone, we'll hear you in the next one!