My Showa Kayou 34　Isezakicho Blues　1968

Japanese Title "Isezakicho Blues"
"Ah-haan ahn"
breaks through the air.
Unheard before now,
Showa's daring melody,
Enka bold and unrestrained.

"♪♪♪ ♪♬ ♪♪ ♪ Ah-han, Ah-han!"
This intro made me freeze in awe.

How brilliant! To come up with such an opening takes a genius, and to deliver it with such finesse takes a consummate professional like Mina Aoe.

When this song debuted, it became an instant phenomenon. Impersonations, parodies, you name it—television thrived on this track for ages.

But despite everyone’s carefree attempts to mimic the intro, there came a time when I found myself unable to do so. It was that “awkward age” when self-consciousness kicked in. Even so, I couldn’t resist singing the hit songs of the time.

Before this one, Mina Aoe had a massive hit with “Kokotsu no Blues”—a composition by Hamakura. I loved it.
🎵 “A woman’s life is all about love…” 🎵
The melody begins on a high note and gently descends. It captivated me.
🎵 “After all, it’s hazy, after all, it’s hazy…” 🎵

Those lines sent my imagination spinning. What exactly are "blue silk rain" and "blue pearl mist"? As a child, I tried to recreate those scenes in my sketchbook. Those were no ordinary words from enka lyrics; they were magic.

“Isezakicho Blues” shares the same lyricist as “Hone Made Aishite”—Yasunori Kawauchi. He insisted on incorporating the iconic “Ah-han” lines for Mina Aoe. The scat singing in the final section sealed the song's fate as a timeless hit.
🎵 “Doo doobie, shoobie doobie, shoobie doo-vaa...” 🎵

In American pop music, hitmakers often brag about the formulas behind their successes: “Here’s how you make a song sell!” But enka creators work in quiet determination, crafting art without the need for fanfare. That’s what makes them so cool.

Mina Aoe is no longer with us. I used to find her self-deprecating humor in those commercials a bit pitiable, something I avoided watching in my youth. But now, as an older adult, when I see her on YouTube, I’m deeply moved. She had guts and left her mark. How admirable.

In the jacket photo for “Kokotsu no Blues,” Mina Aoe looks like a silver-screen star. Listening to Showa-era enka now, I discover wonderful elements my childhood self couldn’t appreciate.

I cannot read or write in English.
This text has been translated by ChatGPT.
I haven't edited it, so there may be some strange parts.

【Reference Video】

【Japanese Version of the Article】