Kiyoshi Sakurai and Continental Tango
Nagasaki Monogatari
A supplement to Chapter 4. During the war, Takeo Kawakita saw the stage performances of Kiyoshi Sakurai and his orchestra (Sakurai y Su Orquesta) several times. When you think of Kiyoshi Sakurai, you think of "tango." His signature pieces included "La Cumparsita," "Lamento gitano & Sierra madre," and "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame," but his representative song and biggest hit would be "Nagasaki Monogatari."
So, here is that "Nagasaki Monogatari" on an SP record and phonograph. The roots go back to a 1940 (Showa 15) disc, and this is a 1947 reissue.
The previous year (1939), the vocal version by Akemi Yuri was released first (the original), but it did not become a hit. The following year, this bold arrangement by Kiyoshi Sakurai proved successful and it became a breakout hit (you can compare the differences by listening to them).
Because of that, the Akemi Yuri version also received renewed attention, and that song, or rather, its lyrics, are famous. "Ah, red, red, spider lily..." I have a strange memory of Shoichi Ozawa singing it in the style of Unshinbo Ukitey, but regardless, I think this phrase is familiar to many.
Returning to Kiyoshi Sakurai, while he is known for tango and such, I would like to explain a little about him because I think he was a unique presence in the world of popular music. Broadly speaking, tango in Japan was "continental" (tango sophisticated in Europe), and its pioneer (promoter) was Tsuneyoshi Megata. In 1926 (Taisho 15), after spending about six years in France (Paris), Tsuneyoshi Megata returned to Japan, bringing back several tango records. This is where the history of Japanese tango begins. He established a salon, worked to spread it as social dance, and also put effort into popularizing records (= music appreciation), which led to the release of tango records by Victor Japan in 1928 (Showa 3). However, since his family was a noble house (he was the grandson of Kaishu Katsu), it initially spread as if it were for the exclusive use of high society.
(The details of this are explained in "Tango and the Japanese" (Shueisha Shinsho) by Toshio Myomei.)
Entertainment Violin
Now, six years later, in 1934 (Showa 9), a violinist debuted in the Japanese tango world: yes, Kiyoshi Sakurai. Initially, he made a name for himself as a violinist with the Teito Montparnasse Tango, and the following year he formed his own orchestra (Sakurai y Su Orquesta). What Kiyoshi Sakurai did there was to take what had been, in short, the culture of the wealthy, and make it accessible to the common people through familiar songs, arrangements, and staging. In short, he made tango easy to understand, and his achievement lies in expanding its reach.
There were several factors. First, he seemed to know how to present (sell) himself; he was gifted in arrangement, and the times were rapidly shifting toward a wartime regime. Dance halls were closed and enemy music was banned, but tango, which was also the music of allies like Germany, was permitted. However, since the halls were closed, he performed in venues like light theater—this is where his connection with Takeo Kawakita comes in. Light theater venues required tango that was specialized for listening and watching (the common people wanted entertainment on stage rather than artistic sophistication). To use a common analogy, music as entertainment was in demand.
(Unlike traditional dance bands, he didn't just stay in the pit; he would jump onto the stage with his violin to perform, and he even served as the MC. This ability to talk was also rare, and performers who can also handle MC duties are still highly valued today = they are surprisingly few.)
His talent must have truly blossomed there, but where and when did he learn and acquire such skills? There are mysterious points in his history (especially before the Teito Montparnasse Tango); was it a natural gift? Regarding arrangements, it seems significant that he gained the cooperation of two people, Koichi Sugii and Masaichi Sakamoto (both were in Sakurai's band; later, Koichi Sugii became an arranger, and Masaichi Sakamoto led the Masaichi Sakamoto Orchestra). So, putting the performance aspect aside (it's not something anyone can do, and he was the first to do it as a violinist), I want to focus even more on the arrangement as seen in "Nagasaki Monogatari."
He kept trying to Westernize Japanese music, for example, by playing Japanese folk songs or popular songs in a tango style or as jazz. There was originality in that, and that is what is amazing. Along with Ichiro Ida, who I introduced before for "Kimi Koishi" (1928, Ichiro Ida arrangement, the first domestic jazz), I think he is a pioneer in this genre of Westernization. And while it is a type of lounge music—what we call mood kayo—it is no exaggeration to say that he (and this song) was the originator of the instrumental version.
(Regarding the SP record video introduced, it is believed that the neighboring rights have expired, and the songs are either out of copyright or under the management of JASRAC or NexTone.)
Part 10 [Discover Japan and Japanese Songs (Takeo Kawakita's Jazz)]
Part 12 [Kaoru Tachibana and Tokiko Miura (Etchin Tatchin) Takeo Kawakita's Jazz]