Yoshio Tabata

Yoshio Tabata (田端義夫, Tabata Yoshio^?, January 1, 1919 in Matsusaka, Mie prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese ryūkōka and enka singer, songwriter and electric guitarist. He is one of this country's superstars.^[1] His debut song "Shima no Funauta" (島の舟唄, lit. "Island Ship Song"^?) was released in 1939. Although his music was amateurish, he became very popular. Along with enka-shi Haruo Oka's 1939 debut, his debut had a big impact on Japanese popular music because Japanese popular ryūkōka music of that time was mainly sung by classical music singers such as Ichiro Fujiyama and Noriko Awaya.^[2]

Hitoshi Komuro stated that Yoshio Tabata and Wataru Takada are the two best Japanese singers.

Discography

• Shima no Funauta (島の舟唄, Island Ship Song^?) : 1939
• Ume to Heitai (梅と兵隊, Prunus Mume and Soldier^?) : 1941
• Shima Sodachi (島育ち, Growing in Island^?) : 1962
• Jūku no Haru (十九の春, Spring at the Age of 19^?) : 1975
• Shōwa San Dai ki (昭和三代記, Shōwa Three Generation Record^?) : 1994
• Hyaku-nen no Ai (百年の愛, Love For 100 Years^?) : 1998 (Tribute song to Taro Shoji born in 1898)
• Tabi no Owari ni Kiku Uta wa (旅の終わりに聞く歌は, The song heard at the trip's end is^?) : 2001

References

1. ^ "Radio rivals are a turn off by playing it safe". The Japan Times. 2006-11-05. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20061105pb.html. Retrieved 2009-04-10. 
2. ^ (Japanese) Kikuchi, Kiyomaro (2006-08-31). "異色歌手の登場：岡晴夫と田端義夫". JANJAN. http://www.news.janjan.jp/column/0608/0608300310/1.php. Retrieved 2009-04-10.