Chanson singer Kumiko has decided to release a new album, “My Favorite Chansons Vol. 2 – Chanson-like Songs,” featuring new recordings of Koshiji Fubuki’s famous songs “Hymne a l’amour” and “Après Toi,” on Wednesday, July 10th. 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Koshiji Fubuki’s birth and the 70th anniversary of the first recording of “Hymne a l’amour.” Furthermore, with the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled for July, attention is focused on the music genre “chanson,” which has its roots in France.
Koshiji Fubuki was a top star of the Takarazuka Revue Company, and after leaving the company she became hugely popular as a singer and musical actress, but sadly passed away in 1980 at the peak of her career at the age of 56, and this year, 2024, marks the 100th anniversary of her birth. Koshiji’s cover of “Hymne d’amour” was a hit song by French singer Edith Piaf, but lyricist Tokiko Iwatani translated the original lyrics, which were about an overly intense confession of love, into a universal love song, which was well received in Japan and became Koshiji Fubuki’s biggest hit.
For Kumiko, who made her debut in 1982 at the chanson cafe “Ginpari,” which has produced many famous singers such as Akihiro Miwa, Yukari Kaneko, and Masako Togawa, her first encounter with chanson was with the music of Fubuki Koshiji. For Kumiko, who only had the opportunity to see Fubuki Koshiji in recitals twice, Fubuki Koshiji is still an eternal legend in the world of chanson and has had a strong influence on her as a singer. This is a noteworthy project to record a new version of “Hymne à l’amour,” which was first recorded in the year that Kumiko, who turns 70 this year, was born, the same age as her.
For Kumiko’s new recording of Koshiji Fubuki’s songs, she invited music critic Yasushi Abe, who had worked with Koshiji when she was alive and played a major role in realizing the long recital at Nissay Theatre, as the supervisor. Kumiko, who wanted to know more about Koshiji Fubuki, requested Abe, and Abe, who wanted Kumiko, who has become one of the leading singers in the modern Japanese chanson world, to inherit the spirit of the late Koshiji Fubuki, readily accepted the role of mediator and commented, “In this day and age, only Kumiko can sing ‘Hymne a l’amour’ with Iwatani Tokiko’s lyrics.” After completing the recording with Abe’s advice, Kumiko said, “I think that Abe, who was a staff member of Koshiji when she was alive and is a living dictionary who is also knowledgeable about the state of chanson in postwar Japan, will show us the significance of singing chanson in this day and age.”
The new album will also feature a cover of the famous song “Returning Youth” by Charles Aznavour, a world-famous French chanson singer who is celebrating his 100th birthday like Koshiji, but with Japanese lyrics. The song, translated into English as “Yesterday when I was young,” is Aznavour’s signature song and became a worldwide hit. Kumiko first traveled to France in 2007 when Aznavour was scheduled to perform in Japan for the first time in over 10 years, and interviewed him in Paris. Regarding the new recording, Kumiko said, “The lyrics for ‘Returning Youth’ were written by poet Sachiko Yoshihara, but as with chanson, where words play a major role, the other songs are also the work of people who have continued to look into poetry and life, such as Tokiko Iwatani.”
The new album also includes new recordings of the classic chanson songs “There’s No Happy Love” and “I Am Yours” in a very chanson-like simple arrangement with only piano and vocals, as well as a live recording of Kumiko’s memorable “Saint-i-mamie,” which she sang at the Ginpari audition and can be said to be the origin of chanson. In addition to these classic chanson songs, the album also includes Kumiko’s original chanson songs, such as “Goodbye Today,” a duet with Yoichi Sugawara, “Yoitomake no Uta,” a representative Showa era song written and composed by Akihiro Miwa, and “The Last Seven Days My Wife Wished For,” which was born from a collection of essays, making for a total of 15 songs, including newly recorded karaoke.
Chanson, a French song, became widely known as a “Japanese song” after talented lyricists such as Rei Nakanishi, Akihiro Miwa, Tokiko Iwatani, Michikazu Yatabe, Chikara Koga, and Keigo Takano, who were attracted to its beautiful melodies, wrote Japanese lyrics for it. In Japan, an extremely unusual phenomenon is occurring in the world, where chanson is sung more than in France even in the Reiwa era. 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fubuki Koshiji and Charles Aznavour, as well as the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, and there is a growing momentum for chanson to be reevaluated in the first year, with record companies planning tribute albums related to chanson. As one of the most representative singers in the chanson world in that year, Kumiko’s second chanson best album, which has a hint of the times, is sure to be a highlight.
I want you to listen and sing along to these exquisite chansons
The second best chanson album!
“My Favorite Chansons Vol.2 ~Chanson-esque Songs~”
The year 2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fubuki Koshiji, a monumental Japanese chanson singer.
In addition, it has been 70 years since the first recording of “Hymne a l’amour” and 100 years since the birth of French singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour.
This will be a year with many topics that will draw attention to France/chanson.
This album includes the representative chanson songs “Hymne a l’amour,” “Apres Toi,” “Never Returning Youth,” and “There is No Happy Love.”
In addition to the newly recorded “I am yours,” the album also features recent singles and chanson/chanson-like songs.
A selection of songs was recorded. Released with a volume of 15 songs including newly recorded karaoke!
Released on Wednesday, July 10th
COCP-42276 ￥3,500 (tax included)
[Track list](Track order TBA)
Hymn of Love ※ 2. Apres Toi ※ 3. There is no such thing as happy love ※ 4. Youth that never returns ※
5. I’m Yours ※ 6. The Merry-go-round of Life 7. When there’s only love 8. Farewell Today
9. Time Passes 10. Yoitomake no Uta 11. The Wife’s Last “Seven Days”
12. Santowa Mamie (Live Recording)
13. Hymn of Love (Karaoke) 14. Apres Toi (Karaoke) 15. Youth that never returns (Karaoke)
*New recordings
M12 → LIVE RECORDINGS at EX THEATER Roppongi (2018.6.30)
Kumiko Concert 2024 My Beautiful Song Story Vol.7
“My Favorite Chansons Vol.2 ~Chanson-esque Songs~” Release Commemoration Concert
(Osaka performance)
Performance date: Saturday, October 12, 2024
●Venue: Kobe Asahi Hall
(Sapporo performance)
Performance date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
●Venue: Doushin Hall
(Nagoya performance)
●Performance Date: Date not yet decided
●Venue: Aichi Prefectural Industrial and Labor Center, Winc Aichi Large Hall
(Tokyo performance)
●Performance Date: Date not yet decided
●Venue: I’M A SHOW (Yurakucho Marion Annex 7th floor)
