Volume 1 of excellent new series of 10 2 CD collections charting the history of Japanese pop music with songs from each year beginning with 1927 and ending in 1959. Kayokyoku is the general term coined in the 1930s for 'popular songs'. These songs are the middle ground between 'pops' with strong western characteristics and 'enka' with Japanese characteristics. Volume 1 focuses on 1928-1933. Japan's first three major foreign affiliated record companies were established in 1927, among them Victor and Columbia gave high priority to ryukoka (another terms for popular songs). Some of the hits during this time were associated with movies such as Samurai Nippon sung by Ren Tokuyama. The greatest composer was Masao Koga among his greatest hits 'Sake wa Namida ka Tameiki ka' which helped to popularize the slow, sentimental melody with a single -line guitar accompaniment. These types of songs were the origins of enka.
Disc 1 :
1. Chiyako Sato / Tokyo Koshin-kyoku 2. Chiyako Sato / Habu no Minato 3.Yoshie Fujiwara / Debune no Minato 4. Yoshie Fujiwara / Hoko o Osamete 5. Teiichi Futamura / Aozora 6. Teiichi Futamura / Arabia no Uta 7. Teiichi Futamura / Kimi Koishi 8.Teiichi Futamura / Naniwa Kouta (Dotonbori Yakei) 9. Kikuyo Amano / Kuroi Hitomi yo Ima Izuko 10. Yutaka Kawasaki, Naoko Soga / Kutsukake Kouta 11. Yutaka Kawasaki, Naoko Soga / Kamata Koshin-kyoku 12. Chiyako Sato / Aishite Chodai 13. Takarazuka Shojo Kageki Hanagumi Stars / Mont Paris 14. Takarazuka Shojo Kageki Tsuki-gumi / Sumire no saku Koro 15. Kikue Kawahara / Reijin no Uta 16. Fumikichi Fujimoto / Gion Kouta 17. Fumikichi Fujimoto / Tojin Okichi Kouta 18. Chiyako Sato / Kono Taiyo 19. Utako Hagoromo / Jokyu no Uta 20. Ren Tokuyama / Samurai Nippon
Disc 2:
1. Ren Tokuyama / Rumpen Bushi 2. Ichiro Fujiyama / Sake wa Namida ka Tameiki ka 3. Ichiro Fujiyama / Oka o Koete 4. Ichiro Fujiyama / Kage o Shitaite 5. Fumiko Yotsuya / Ginza no Yanagi 6. Ren Tokuyama, Fumiko Yotsuya / Tengoku ni Musubu Koi 7. Katsutaro Kouta / Yanagi no Ame 8. Chiyoko Kobayashi / Namida no Wataridori 9. Toshio Ikegami / Wasurerarenu Hana 10. Harue Watase / Shigure Hitotoki 11. Haruko Wada / Horobasho no Uta 12. Tokio Matsuyama / Katasenami 13. Katsutaro Kouta / Shima no Musume 14. Yoshi Fujiwara / Spy 15. Akira Matsuyama / Circus no Uta 16. Miss Columbia / Juku no Haru 17. Ichiro Fujiyama / Moeru Gojinka 18. Ichimaru / Tenryu Kudareba 19. Tadaharu Nakano & Columbia Rhythm Boys / Yama no Ninkimono 20. Katsutaro Kouta, Issei Mishima / Tokyo Ondo
