| Katsutaro Kouta | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Katsu Shinno |
| Born | November 6, 1904 Nigata prefecture, Japan |
| Died | June 21, 1974 (aged 69) |
| Genres | Ryūkōka, Min'yō |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1930–1974 |
Katsutaro Kouta (小唄 勝太郎 Kouta Katsutarō, November 6, 1904 – June 21, 1974) was a Japanese female geisha and ryūkōka singer. The genre like her songs was called "New-Minyo".[1] The era when she had a high popularity with another popular geisha singer Ichimaru was called the "Katsu-Ichi Era".[2]
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Katsutaro was originally geisha. She debuted as a recording artist with song "Sado Kouta" (佐渡小唄) in 1930.
She released song "Shima no Musume" (島の娘 lit. Island Girl) in 1932. The song became a big hit in 1933, selling 600,000 copies.[3] However, the song also made the Japanese home ministry angry because the song described illicit sexual relations.[4]
In 1933, Katsutaro and Issei Mishima released duet song "Tokyo Ondo", composed by Shinpei Nakayama. It sold 1.2 million copies and became the highest selling single in Japan at that time.[5]
She took part in the Kohaku Uta Gassen three times. On September 25, 2005, a monument to Kouta was established in her birthplace, Niigata.[6]