The Man Who Didn't Wait for the Kamikaze: Tsunehiko Kamijo and the Age of "Songs of Departure" (1971-)

The Man Who Didn't Wait for the Kamikaze: Tsunehiko Kamijo and the Age of "Songs of Departure" (1971-)

In the early 1970s, Japan was in the throes of its rapid economic growth, but was also dealing with the convergence of the student movement and the lingering effects of the Security Treaty uprisings. The gap between the ideals of postwar democracy and reality was causing a crack in the social atmosphere, and people were simultaneously seeking new "healing" and "rebellion" on television. In such an era, one man's thick, straight voice ripped through the sky.

Tsunehiko Kamijo originally sang on stage at a coffee shop. He eventually began to sing on stage in cabarets. At that time, cabarets were hybrid venues where songs and jazz were mixed together, and they were a training ground for young singers like him to put their skills to the test. However, he did not stay there long and "turned professional. He did not immediately sign a contract with a record company. Armed with his own voice, he continued his search between the stage and music.

A turning point for Kamijo came in 1971 with the broadcast of "Dare no Uta" (Song of Departure) on NHK's "Minna no Uta" (Songs for Everyone). The song was originally written for "Sayonara Kodomotachi (Goodbye Children)" performed by the New Japan Philharmonic, but Kamijo's overwhelming singing ability made it such a hit that it was included in textbooks. The song became such a hit that it was included in textbooks thanks to Kamijo's overwhelming vocal ability. Her steel-like voice singing "Departure" in high spirits was a hope, a farewell, and a gateway to a new era for the young people of that time.

But he was not buoyed by this success. He began to appear on TV as a "kamikaze talent," but he continued to focus mainly on the stage, saying, "Ten shows a month is my limit. While television emphasizes time management and efficiency, Kamijo believed that the stage is a place to live "the life of the moment. This belief is depicted in the file as a difference in his view of music from that of Maki Asakawa.

The 1970s was a time when folk and rock music gained citizenship, and at the same time, television began to "manage" the performing arts. Singers became part of production companies and appeared on screen with predetermined costumes, choreography, and commentary. However, Tsunehiko Kamijo was unable to follow this trend. Or perhaps he did not dare.

It is sometimes said that he sold out because of a kamikaze, but he did not wait for the wind to blow. Starting from a coffee shop, to cabaret, to the stage, to television, and back to the stage again, his path was like that of a traveler who repeatedly makes "departures.

His voice had a "raw intensity" that could not be measured by television or records. This is the pride of a generation that, after the war, groped for its own expression. Even now, whenever we listen to "Dareki no uta" (Songs of Departure), we are reminded of the "hope" and "heaviness" of that era.