Kayou-kyoku

I watched a music show on tv the other day. The show featured old Japanese songs, kayou-kyoku in Japanese. I really like these old Japanese songs. 

I listened these songs when I was child. These songs brought me to my childhood. These songs are like short movies for me. 

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Rebecca

I'm watching SONGS on NHK. Rebecca is featured this week. It's nice. I liked the band when I was in my twenties especially during the first to the fourth album. 

They got back on stage for the first time in twenty years and will appear on NHK Kouhaku Song Festival this year. 

Watching their reuniting concert, I can see lots of funs around the same ages as I. I'll enjoy watching Kouhaku on December 31st. 

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10th Anniversary

Japanese girls singer group AKB48 has marked its10th anniversary this year. They become really popular in Japan and also popular overseas.    

I'm not familiar with them, but I've heard many of their songs. They have even sold  36,000,000 single CD copies and that is the top record in Japan.  My favorite group B'z had the previous record. 

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Steinway and Yamaha

I listened to a BBC radio program today and the show was about Steinway piano. Steinway is the most popular piano for major concert halls and piano contests. 

The company has its 150 years history and the products have high quality and their business model is to sell their products to concert halls. That's why many halls have chosen Steinway pianos. 

Coincidentally, I watched a TV show about Yamaha, a Japanese music instruments company. They have been made high quality pianos too, but they are struggling to surpass Steinway pianos at major halls and piano contests. 

Musician have given good evaluation for Yamaha, but they hesitate to take risks for using Yamaha because they are used to use Steinways more. Yamaha had to create more highly qualified pianos than Steinway. 

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Michael Jackson

My younger son, 14, has got interested in Michael Jackson.

 I don't know where and when he found Michael's music so nice. He says Michael is the coolest singer ever. He is watching his music videos everyday. He mimics Michael's dancing in the videos like Thriller, Beat It and  Bad. He's not really good at dancing, but he imitates well, so I laugh a lot. 

He even tries to sing Michael's songs. He is a little bit out of tune, but it's ok. At least, he's got interested in English. He would study English seriously someday. I really hope so. 

Japanese Beethoven Admits His Flam

Mamoru Samuragochi, a Japanese deaf composer, has admitted that he didn't write his music and instead he hired a ghost composer for 18 years.
Many people including NHK and other media were not able to read his lying. His ghost writer said he even has hearing ability and cannot write music scores at all.
The big point of this issue is I think whether his works are good enough to play and listen to. I want to know how critcs who has approved his works before would make a comment about his pieces after reveal the fact.