Kiyoshi Hikawa

Kiyoshi Hikawa (氷川 きよし, Hikawa Kiyoshi) is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977 in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.^[1] His real name is Kiyoshi Yamada (山田 清志, Yamada Kiyoshi)^[1] and he is known as "The Prince of Enka" (演歌界の貴公子, Enkakai no Kikōshi) due to his young age and popularity.^[2] When he is marketing non-enka music, he goes by the name KIYOSHI, using capitalized letters of the roman alphabet, instead of kanji or hiragana.

His record company is Columbia Music Entertainment, and his agency is Nagara Productions. He was given his stage name by Takeshi Kitano,^[1] who initially supported his career. Today, Hikawa makes frequent appearances on NHK Kayō Concert (NHK歌謡コンサート), as well as NHK's annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

History

As a high school student, Hikawa was a member of the school's performing arts club (芸能部, geinō-bu) and trained to be a singer. It is unusual for a young person in his 20s to take up the style of enka professionally. Hikawa decided to become an enka singer when he found that his singing of traditional songs had an effect on the residents of the nursing homes he visited. After graduation from high school in 1995, Hikawa travelled to Tokyo, where he became an apprentice under the supervision of Hideo Mizumori. He served under Mizumori for three years.

In 2000, Hikawa made his professional debut with his single "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirō."^[3]

Hikawa released the single "Hatsukoi Ressha" on February 9, 2005. It became his first number-one single on the Japanese Oricon weekly single charts. In 2006, he won the grand prix award by his song "Ikken" at the 48th Japan Record Awards. On February 4, 2009, he released single "Rōkyōku Ichidai", which became his second number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts. On May 20, 2009, he released album Enka Meikyoku Collection 10: Rōkyōku Ichidai, which debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon weekly album charts only behind Eminem's album Relapse. He released his second single of the year, "Tokimeki no Rumba", on August 19, 2009. The single debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon weekly charts with the first week sales of about 68,000 copies, making him the first solo enka singer to make three number-one singles in Oricon history.^[4] He released album Enka Meikyoku Collection 11: Tokimeki no Rumba on November 11, 2009.

Characteristics

Hikawa is popular with young and old people alike. Although enka is in a downward trend in Japan, Hikawa is responsible for popularizing enka amongst the 20s demographic, who traditionally do not listen to it. Hikawa usually dresses in trendy casual clothes, sometimes appearing in the more traditional kimono normally worn by enka singers.

World-wide exposure

Hikawa has traveled around the world, including to the United States. In 2003, he was the guest of honor at Hawaii's week-long Aloha Festival, where he participated in a parade with various Japan-based hula halau, and ended the week with a concert.

Discography

Singles

1. "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirō" (箱根八里の半次郎, February 2, 2000) Number 11
2. "Ōi Okkake Otojirō (Seishun-hen)" (大井追っかけ音次郎～青春編～, February 21, 2001) Number 8
3. "Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi" (きよしのズンドコ節, February 6, 2002) Number 5
4. "Hoshizora no Akiko" (星空の秋子, August 21, 2002) Number 3
5. "Hakkun no Shiro" (白雲の城, February 19, 2003) Number 3
6. "Kiyoshi no Dodonpa" (きよしのドドンパ, January 21, 2004) Number 4
7. "Banba no Chūtarō" (番場の忠太郎, July 7, 2004) Number 2
8. "Hatsukoi Ressha" (初恋列車, February 9, 2005) Number 1
9. "Omokoge no Miyako" (面影の都, July 6, 2005) Number 2
10. "Ikken" (一剣, March 3, 2006) Number 2
11. "Aba yo" (あばよ) and "Kiyoshi no Sōran Bushi" (きよしのソーラン節, May 9, 2007) Numbers 3 and 2
12. "Genkai Funauta" (玄海船歌, February 13, 2008) Number 2
13. "Aishū no Mizuumi" (哀愁の湖, October 1, 2008) Number 4
14. "Rōkyōku Ichidai" (浪曲一代, February 4, 2009) Number 1
15. "Tokimeki no Rumba" (ときめきのルンバ, August 19, 2009) Number 1
16. "Shamisen Tabigarasu" (三味線旅がらす, March 24, 2010) Number 2
17. "Niji-iro no Bayon" (虹色のバイヨン, August 25, 2010) Number 3
18. "Ano Ko to Nogiku to Watashi Bune" (あの娘と野菊と渡し舟, February 2, 2011) Number 3
19. "Jōnetsu no Mariacchi" (情熱のマリアッチ, September 21, 2011) Number 2
20. "Sakura" (櫻, February 8, 2012) Number 2
21. "Saigo to kimeta hito dakara (最後と決めた女だから, September 19, 2012)
22. "Shigure no Minato" (しぐれの港, February 13, 2013)
23. "Manten no Hoshi" (満天の瞳, August 28, 2013)
24. "Ohtone Nagarezuki" (大利根ながれ月, January 29, 2014)
25. "Choito Kimagure Wataridori" (ちょいときまぐれ渡り鳥, September 17, 2014)
26. "Sasurai Bojō" (さすらい慕情, March 4, 2015)
27. "Miren Gokoro" (みれん心, February 2, 2016)

Pop single

1. "Kiyoshi Kono Yoru" (きよしこの夜, November 21, 2001) Number 14

Most recent single

1. "Itoshi no Te Quiero • Otokobana (Single version)" (愛しのテキーロ • 男花, September 29, 2015)

Albums

Mini albums

1. Matatabi Enka Meikyokusen (股旅演歌名曲選, June 21, 2000)
2. Matatabi Enka Meikyokusen II / Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirō (股旅演歌名曲選ＩＩ／箱根八里の半次郎, October 21, 2000) Number 68
3. Ōi Okkake Otojirō (大井追っかけ音次郎, November 21, 2001) Number 30

Full albums

1. Enka Meikyoku Collection Ōi Okkake Otojirō: Seishunhen (演歌名曲コレクション　大井追っかけ音次郎～青春編～, June 21, 2001) Number 6
2. Jikiden Original Karaoke (直伝オリジナルカラオケ, June 21, 2001)
3. Enka Meikyoku Collection 2: Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi (演歌名曲コレクション２～きよしのズンドコ節～, May 22, 2002) Number 8
4. Ginga: Hoshizora no Akiko (銀河～星空の秋子～, November 22, 2002) Number 6
5. Enka Meikyoku Collection 3: Hakkun no Shiro (演歌名曲コレクション3～白雲の城～, May 21, 2003) Number 4
6. Otokogi (男気, November 19, 2003) Number 7
7. Enka Meikyoku Collection 4 Banba no Chūtarō (演歌名曲コレクション４　番場の忠太郎, September 1, 2004) Number 5
8. Enka Meikyoku Collection 5 Hatsukoi Ressha (演歌名曲コレクション５　初恋列車, May 18, 2005) Number 2
9. Enka Jūniban Shōbu!: Omokoge no Miyako (演歌十二番勝負！～面影の都～, November 23, 2005) Number 5
10. Enka Meikyoku Collection 6: Ikken (演歌名曲コレクション６～一剣～, June 28, 2006) Number 5
11. Enka Meikyoku Collection 7: Abayo, Kiyoshi no Sōran Bushi (演歌名曲コレクション7～あばよ・きよしのソーラン節～, September 19, 2007) Number 2
12. Enka Meikyoku Collection 8: Genkai Funauta (演歌名曲コレクション8～玄海船歌～, May 21, 2008) Number 2
13. Enka Meikyoku Collection 9: Aishū no Mizuumi (演歌名曲コレクション9～哀愁の湖～, December 10, 2008) Number 4
14. Enka Meikyoku Collection 10: Rōkyōku Ichidai (演歌名曲コレクション10～浪曲一代～, May 20, 2009) Number 2
15. Enka Meikyoku Collection 11: Tokimeki no Rumba (演歌名曲コレクション11～ときめきのルンバ～, November 11, 2009) Number 2
16. Enka Meikyoku Collection 12: Shamisen Tabigarasu (演歌名曲コレクション12～三味線旅がらす～ ～, June 23, 2010) Number 4
17. Enka Meikyoku Collection 13: Niji-iro no Bayon (演歌名曲コレクション13～虹色のバイヨン～, November 10, 2010) Number 2
18. Enka Meikyoku Collection 14: Ano ko to Nogiku to Watashi Bune (演歌名曲コレクション14～あの娘と野菊と渡し舟～, June 1, 2011) Number 5

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)