Ken’ichi Mikawa

Mikawa Ken'ichi (Japanese美 川 宪 一, Mikawa Ken'ichi, born May 15, 1946 in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture in Japan Yoshikazu Momose百 瀬 由 一) is an enka singer, which was invited 26 times to Kohaku Uta Gassen. He debuted in 1965 and abolished in 1980 after two scandals a comeback as Transvestitkünstler. This image he continues to this day.

Career

Career before the scandals

The artist name Mikawa is a tribute to the three rivers Kiso, Ibi and Nagara in Gifu Prefecture, which are beautiful rivers loud sense of Kenichi Mikawa. Mikawa never actually lived in Gifu, he moved to Tokyo two years, but on his debut in 1965 was the producer of Gifu. So he decided to adopt a name that is related to the prefecture. The kanji美and川mean alone beautiful, pretty, perfectly and flow, so the name is purely translated Beautiful river, but behind it is a deeper meaning hides: A breathing as long as a river, and always a good-looking singer ( 「川 の よう に 息 が 長く,美しい 歌手 で ある よう に」 ).

In 1965 he makes his debut with the song Dakedo dakedo dakedo, his 1966 single released Yanagise Blues is a success and sold over one million copies. From his 1967 published song Niigata Blues are not many CDs were sold, yet it has long been number one in demand in karaoke bars. In 1968 he succeeded with Kushiro no Yoru again a hit and it was the first time invited to Kohaku Uta Gassen, he was invited to 1974 annually. In 1970, he brings out three new singles: Mirenmachi, Osaka no Yoru and Onna no Asa, which are all to hits and successful as Yanagise Blues, Blues Niigata and Kushiro no Yoru. Even though Onna no Asa was then in a negative light, as it was played in the pleasure quarters of Japan and so the NHK refused on the grounds The song text is too radical to broadcast the song. From this negative touch the song has recovered today and it has sold over 300,000 copies.

Mikawa wins in the same year with Yanagise Blues the special prize of the "3rd Japanese Broadcasting Award". A year later, in 1971, he receives with Onna no Asa the " fourth Japanese Broadcasting Award" in the categories of special price and star price. Also, NHK refused his new song Okane where chōdai broadcast, although it was praised in public for its originality, and for a long time was a topic of conversation. In 1972 he wrote his most famous and most popular song Sasori- za no Onna, which was released at the same time to a horoscope boom in Japan, topping the sales figures of Yanagise blues. In the years 1975 to 1990, he received an invitation to the Kohaku Uta Gassen. In 1977, he released the single Eki, which was used as the end credits song for a drama and had good potential to be a hit, which was reflected in demand in karaoke bars, but that did not happen, as Mikawa in October of the year for cannabis - possession was convicted. In 1985, he was caught the second time with cannabis and sentenced to a prison sentence of one and a half years in prison on probation. After the scandal, he has attracted Mikawa, he was invited no longer in television shows, he went to no more public and his public image was destroyed, a renaming of美 川 宪 一in美川 けん 一( both are pronounced as Mikawa Ken'ichi ) did nothing.

The Comeback

At the end of the 1980s towards the interest of the population grew monomaniac more and thanks to the Monomanetalentes Korokke, which parodied Mikawa frequently, got this back in the public interest of the population. 1989 was their first joint public appearance in a Monomanefernsehsendung where Korokke the song Sasori- za no Onna parodied. This joint appearance of the two produced a boom to the person Mikawas and 1990, he starred opposite Naomi Chiaki on in a commercial. In 1991, he was, after 17 years the first time invited to Kohaku Uta Gassen, where he sang the song Sasori- za no Onna Korokke with a duet. He was given the great public interest in him in many TV shows permanent guest, performed in restaurants and entertainment were many concerts. Most of his admirers were middle-aged women have been, partly because of his music, but also because of the fact that he now appeared as Transvestitkünstler.

With Korokke, who is a good friend of his to this day, he organized regularly since then mini concerts throughout Japan. Mikawa he feels indebted to because it would have taken him from " this deep hole," according to his own statement.

「どん底 から 自分 を 復活 さ せ て くれ た コロッケ に は 感謝 ​​し て いる」

" Donzoko jibun kara o Fukkatsu sasete kureta Korokke ni wa kansha shiteiru "

"I 'm Korokke of myself as I was at the lowest point of my life has since brought out, thankful "

From 1998 to 1999 he hosted along with Norio Minorikawa a Variety show called Aisuru futari futari wakareru in which he clashed with the television celebrity Dewi Sukarno in a fight and it came to a termination of the program. Although between the two from this event was an open hostility, they came in 2002 and 2005 in television programs. Other joint public appearances such as visiting a fur Design Show and other appearances led to a reconciliation between the two and their mutual relations normalized.

Since 1999, he gives every year a chanson concert and released albums with chanson music. His supporting him since his debut in 1965, who celebrated Chanson soprano Noriko awayâ, said:

「美川 の 声 は こぶし が なく 一本調子 だ から シャンソン に 合っ て いる」

" Mikawa no koe ga naku wa kobushi ippon Joshi dakara shanson ni atte iru "

" As the voice of Mikawa is so monotonous, it is perfect for the song singing "

Partly because of this statement and the fact that the Mikawa Chanson likes music, he developed from the mid 20 slowly more and more of a balladeer.

Discography

→ see Mikawa Ken'ichi / Discography

Trivial

• Be uttered by him odamari expression (お だまり, " shut up, shut up " ) in a TV show became a buzzword.
• Since its rebranding in 1991, he delivered every year at the Kohaku Uta Gassen a contest with Sachiko Kobayashi to the most magnificent costume, even though he led the list as a man.
• Concerning the moderation of the Kohaku Uta Gassen Norio Minorikawa 2005, he should have just told the Lord speaks to me too much
• Sachiko Kobayashi and Kenichi Mikawa also connects in the art of singing a rivalry, whose origins lie in the 1950s.
• To his many friends, among other things, the actress and fashion designer Uno Kanda, the actress Mariko Kaga, the singer Naoko Ken and the entertainer Korokke.

Swell

• Official website in Japanese
• Discography in Japanese