{"id":99564,"date":"2022-09-15T04:08:02","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T04:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=99564"},"modified":"2022-09-15T04:08:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T04:08:47","slug":"singing-sukiyaki-in-difficult-times-by-george-braine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/singing-sukiyaki-in-difficult-times-by-george-braine\/","title":{"rendered":"Singing \u201cSukiyaki\u201d in difficult times – By GEORGE BRAINE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Singing \u201cSukiyaki\u201d in difficult times – By GEORGE BRAINE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"GeorgeAll round the world, at the height of covid, people paid tribute to frontline medical workers in various ways. In Japan, where I live, thousands across generations \u2013 from schoolchildren to grandparents – \u00a0sang a 60-year old song, \u201cUe O Muite Aruko\u201d (\u201cI look up as I walk\u201d). Known to the rest of the world as \u201cSukiyaki\u201d, the song became an instant hit in 1961 and went onto become one of the world\u2019s best-selling singles of all time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This song has a special resonance for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

I first heard \u201cSukiyaki\u201d on Radio Ceylon being sung by The Blue Diamonds, two brothers of Indonesian\/Dutch origin. The lyrics went<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe charms of Sukiyaki<\/span><\/p>\n

The arms of Sukiyaki<\/span><\/p>\n

Are all I long for since I left Nagasaki<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did I roam<\/span><\/p>\n

Far away from home<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope that she will wait for me \u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Singing<\/p>\n

Sounds like a love song for a girl named Sukiyaki from the Japanese city of Nagasaki. More than the lyrics, what made the song popular was its catchy tune and the lovely whistling that came in between. The Blue Diamonds toured Ceylon in the mid-1960s and played in Kandy, when I was schooling there. A classmate attended the concert and brought a tape recording of the show to school.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I became familiar with Japanese cuisine and a popular dish named Sukiyaki (made with sliced beef, tofu, noodles and vegetables),\u00a0I was puzzled. How could a Japanese girl be named for a dish?<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyu Sakamoto and the Original Version<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sakamoto was only 20 years old when he recorded \u201cUe O Muite Aruko\u201d. Rokusuke Ei<\/a>\u00a0 wrote the lyrics while walking home from another failed demonstration against the US military presence in Japan, but the lyrics were rendered generic so that they might refer to lost love, sadness, and isolation. Hachidai Nakamura composed the unforgettable melody. The translation goes:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI look up as I walk<\/span>
\nSo that the tears won’t fall<\/span>
\nRemembering those spring days<\/span>
\nBut I am all alone tonight<\/span><\/p>\n

I look up as I walk<\/span>
\nCounting the stars with tearful eyes<\/span>
\nRemembering those summer days<\/span>
\nBut I am all alone tonight<\/span><\/p>\n

Happiness lies beyond the clouds<\/span>
\nHappiness lies up above the sky \u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the song was released in the USA in 1963, it was renamed \u201cSukiyaki\u201d because the term was \u201cshort, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to English speakers\u201d. That year, it topped the US Billboard charts, despite being sung in Japanese, a language very few Americans understand. It was #1 in Australia, Canada, and Norway, too. Sakamoto\u2019s youthful, endearing voice, the upbeat melody, and the whistling, moved the world to fall in love with the song.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sukiyaki
Kyu Sakamoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Wikipedia, the song has also been recorded in Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, German, Czech, Cantonese, Finnish, and Norwegian, among others. Rap and reggae versions are also available. The Ventures recorded a gentle instrumental, and so did Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves\u2019 guitarist.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, when the world was locked down in fear, and many were isolated, we longed for more gentle times and turned to \u201cUe O Muite Aruko\u201d. Our spirits were lifted and our hearts became lighter.<\/span><\/p>\n