Enka (演歌) is a type of Japanese music that is similar in style to traditional Japanese music. Modern enka, which developed more recently, uses a more traditional singing style compared to ryūkōka music, which was popular before World War II.

After World War II, modern enka became a type of emotional ballad music. Some of the first modern enka singers were Hachiro Kasuga, Michiya Mihashi, and Hideo Murata. The modern version of enka became popular again in 1969 when Keiko Fuji began her singing career. Today, the most well-known male enka singers are Shinichi Mori and Kiyoshi Hikawa.

Etymology

The word "enka" was first used to describe political songs that were sung and shared by people who disagreed with the government during the Meiji period (1868–1912). These songs helped activists avoid rules that limited people from speaking about politics. The term comes from "en zetsu no uta," which means "speech song."

Another idea suggests that "enka" may come from "en jiru uta," meaning "performance song."

The music style called enka is sometimes used by record companies and J-pop groups to group certain types of music. For example, Harumi Miyako, who is often called an enka singer, once said, "I do not think I sing 'enka.'" She also mentioned, "There was no such word as 'enka' when I started my career."

Musical style

Modern enka uses a scale called Yonanuki Tan-Onkai, or "Minor Scale without Four and Seven (fa and te)," which is a changed version of Yonanuki Chō-Onkai, or "Major Scale without Four and Seven (Fa and Si)." This scale came from an older Japanese scale called the "Ryo Scale." One of the earliest Japanese songs known to use this scale was "Kōjō no Tsuki" by Rentarō Taki. This song was called a "school song" during the Meiji period. The song "Kōjō no Tsuki" is in the key of B minor and does not use the seventh note of the scale.

Enka music is based on the pentatonic scale, which sounds somewhat similar to blues music. Enka songs often focus on themes like love and loss, loneliness, facing challenges, and enduring hardships, even in difficult situations. While enka is a type of kayōkyoku, it is seen as more emotional and expressive, though there is no agreement on this point.

Enka singers often use a technique called melisma, where one syllable of a word is sung across several notes in a row. This style is called kobushi. In kobushi, a singer’s voice moves irregularly within a single note of the scale. This is different from vibrato, which follows a regular pattern. Kobushi is not only used in enka; it can also be heard in songs like the Italian "Santa Lucia." In the late 1930s and early 1940s, composer Masao Koga’s music began to resemble Buddhist shomyo chanting, possibly because his record label asked him to create such music. Although Koga’s work is seen as important to enka’s development, modern enka differs from his style because postwar singers used different singing techniques. In 2006, modern enka singer Takeshi Kitayama admitted, "I was even confused because [Koga’s] musical style was different from that of older singers."

Enka reflects traditional, idealized, or romanticized ideas about Japanese culture and values. Enka performers, mostly women, often wear kimonos or evening dresses. Male enka performers usually wear formal clothing or traditional Japanese attire during performances. Enka music includes influences from traditional Japanese music. While enka uses Western harmonies and electronic instruments like synthesizers and electric guitars with heavy distortion, it also includes traditional Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi and the shamisen.

History

During the Meiji period (1868–1912), political songs known as enka were also called Sōshi Enka to differentiate them from modern enka. Street performers who sang these songs were called enka-shi. The first enka song is believed to be "The Dynamite Stanzas." Other songs from this time include "Oppekepe" by Otojiro Kawakami.

In the Taishō period (1912–1926), enka-shi began to use violins in their music, leading to the style known as violin enka. One well-known enka-shi from this time was Toshio Sakurai, who later taught Haruo Oka.

Today, Japan’s Road Traffic Law regulates how street performers appear in public. However, some performers, like Utaji Fukuoka, still sing enka songs from the Taishō period. For example, during the 1995 earthquake, a musical group called Soul Flower Mononoke Summit, part of the rock band Soul Flower Union, performed sōshi enka to comfort people affected by the disaster.

In the late 1920s, during the early Shōwa period, record companies began producing ryūkōka instead of relying on enka-shi. Enka-shi started using guitars and were called nagashi. Haruo Oka released his debut song, "Kokkyō no Haru," on King Records in 1939. However, the term enka became less common after World War II.

As jazz gained popularity in postwar Japan, Hibari Misora released her first song, "Kappa boogie-woogie," on Nippon Columbia in 1949 when she was only 12 years old. She sang jazz songs throughout the 1950s and 1960s and later performed enka songs in the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1948, Hachiro Kasuga won King Records’ first talent contest. He joined the record label the following year, where Haruo Oka was his senior. Kasuga’s debut single, "Akai Lamp no Shū Ressha," was released in 1952. A kabuki-style song called "Otomi-san," originally written for Oka, was later performed by Kasuga. In 1954, "Otomi-san" became a popular hit in Japan. Kasuga performed the song on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time that year. The song’s composer, Masanobu Tokuchi, was born on Okinawa Island and grew up in Amami, where he helped introduce Ryukyu music into Japan’s mainstream.

Although "Otomi-san" was popular, Kasuga was not fully satisfied with it and recorded "Wakare no Ippon-sugi" by Toru Funamura. The song was released in 1955 and later recognized as a true enka song. Interestingly, the song was influenced by tango music because Funamura thought tango had a similar local flavor to enka. "Wakare no Ippon-sugi" was later performed by many singers, including Michiya Mihashi, Hideo Murata, Keiko Fuji, Hibari Misora, Saburō Kitajima, Takashi Hosokawa, and Hiroshi Itsuki. Kasuga was later called the first enka singer.

Michiya Mihashi, who originally sang Japanese folk music and learned to play the tsugaru-jamisen, released his debut single, "Sake no Nigasa yo," in 1954. His song "Onna Sendō Uta" became a hit in 1955. Kimio Takano, the lyricist of "Wakare no Ippon-sugi," died in 1956 at the age of 26. Hibari Misora began performing enka songs after she was no longer considered a teen idol.

After World War II, rōkyoku (or naniwa-bushi), which were popular during the war, lost popularity because their spoken parts were too long. Enka, which became popular around that time, was seen as a shorter version of rōkyoku. Many enka singers, such as Hideo Murata and Haruo Minami, were originally rōkyoku singers. Kumoemon Tochuken, a famous rōkyoku singer, influenced enka through his student, Murata. Minami debuted on Teichiku Records in 1957, and Murata debuted on Nippon Columbia in 1958. Murata performed the song "Jinsei Gekijō," composed by Masao Koga. Haruo Minami was known for wearing a kimono, which was unusual for male performers.

In the 1960s, new enka singers emerged, including Sayuri Ishikawa and Takashi Hosokawa, who were both students of Michiya Mihashi. Masao Koga, a composer, created about 5,000 songs during his career and died in 1978. Toru Funamura became self-employed in 1978, returning to live performances and honoring his friend Kimio Takano. Keiko Fuji announced her retirement in 1979 and moved to the United States.

Takashi Hosokawa’s song "Kita Sakaba" won the grand prix at the 24th Japan Record Awards in 1982. He later performed "Yagiri no Watashi," originally written by Naomi Chiaki, which also won the grand prix at the following Japan Record Awards. By 1983, Michiya Mihashi’s work had sold over 100 million records.

International popularity

Enka has had a big influence on music in Taiwan, which was once a Japanese colony. The first non-Japanese singer of enka was Sarbjit Singh Chadha from India. His enka album was released in 1975 and became a success in Japan, selling 150,000 copies. He returned to India a few years later but came back to Japan in 2008.

In 2002, Yolanda Tasico became the first Filipino enka singer. She went to Japan with her songs "Shiawase ni Narō," "Nagai Aida," and others.

In the United States, enka is still popular among some older Japanese-American people. Many non-Japanese people also enjoy enka. There are enka orchestras and performers in the country, such as the San Jose Chidori Band, which sometimes plays at O-Bon festivals during the summer.

In China, this type of music was not allowed during the Cultural Revolution because Mao Zedong believed it focused on pleasure and went against socialist goals.