梶芽衣子(Meiko Kaji)

In order to train my ears during my Japanese study, I usually try to listen to Japanese music. Usually it’s newer things but I somehow always go back to the 70s with Meiko Kaji. Call me weirdo…  What’s good about older Japanese music singers to me, is that their pronunciation is so so much better. And it is much slower too…
Another possible explanation for my « natural » attraction is that I have part of my brain printed with old stuff from my childhood with people born in the 40s and also from my years at the RCV radio listening to the Ultralounge show before mine… not sure this explanation made me less weirdo though…

I like several of her songs (that are usually not super happy songs by the way). The one below, 怨み節(urami bushi), is known on our side of the planet because of the movie Kill Bill.  I also like 残り火(nokoribi), 命日(meinichi), 海ほおずき(umi hoozuki). The music is so typical of the 70s. Listen to the sound of the guitar and bass. Almost Magma-esque sometimes ;)…

Now I finish to listen to a few tracks and back to J-Pop from this decade.

and to add some more oldies to that post, here’s a video I found with Meiko Kaji in a movie.