Nihongo Bongo!

October 9, 2006 1:40 PM

Nihongo Bongo! - Latin music by Japanese artists from the 40s, 50s and 60s. "Mambo, rumba, cha cha cha, bossa nova, calypso, you name it... it was big in Japan. The exodus of Japanese migrants to Brazil ensured a lasting connection with South American culture as many Japanese artists toured Brazil."
posted by carter (14 comments total)

Love this, carter! And I'm really loving that "Play this entire playlist" option. :)

I had no idea about the Brazilian-Japanese connection in the 1920s and 30s, either, went looking and found this. Apparently, there's been a migration back, and the quarter of a million Brazilian-Japanese returnees are having trouble fitting in:

At least initially, in the 1980s, Japanese tended to view the migrants as sufficiently Japanese that they should be subject to more or less the same mores as native Japanese. Thus, the migrants were not entitled to the same tolerance of difference accorded to most other foreigners. Inappropriate behavior that Japanese might find amusing in foreigners -- since such behavior could be excused as the result of ignorance -- they would find not the least bit amusing in Nikkeijin migrants, since they should know better...

In reaction to the virtual impossibility of "fitting it," Japanese Brazilian migrants tend to accentuate their otherness. This they accomplish by public displays that clearly set them apart from native Japanese: wearing gaudy (by Japanese standards) clothing, talking loudly (in Portuguese), greeting each other with kisses, and so on. Such behavior marks them as "foreign," a result that is, Dr. Tsuda argued, exactly what they want....Thus, people who would never think of dancing the samba when they were in Brazil, join in the samba when in Japan.

Ha. Great stuff, thanks again.
posted by mediareport at 2:37 PM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite]

This is some of the most fascinating music I've heard in a while. Brilliant post.

Thanks also to mediareport for the related fascinating info about something I've had a vague curiousity about for some time.
posted by Aghast. at 2:46 PM on October 9, 2006

Wow. I'm going to be stuck here for a while. Thanks.
posted by Rusty Iron at 3:05 PM on October 9, 2006

This is really great. It's cool to see the background behind all the good bossa nova stuff by Towa Tei and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
posted by taschenrechner at 3:17 PM on October 9, 2006

I listen to a lot of DJ and downtempo stuff and always wondered about the fascination Japanese artists had with Brazillian sounds. Thanks!
posted by black8 at 3:25 PM on October 9, 2006

Very cool. As are the other collections at Asian Pop Oldies. I've been looking for Finger 5 tracks for some time, never dreaming I'd find the likes of "Koi no American Football" (in the Japan oldies playlist).
posted by Gull City at 3:27 PM on October 9, 2006

Are these just samples, or did my downloads get fucked up? Most of them are are coming out at less than a minute and the ones I just listened to cut off abruptly.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 4:15 PM on October 9, 2006

I got full-length tracks without a problem (prior to posting here, of course ...).
posted by carter at 4:20 PM on October 9, 2006

Lisa Ono is one of my favorite Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova guitar players not mentioned in the post. She has a great Christmas record, Boas Festas, that would compliment any Chet Atkins and/or Dean Martin x-mas album collection.

perhaps it's too early in the year to start listing christmas music, but jeez - i'm already seeing x-mas merchandise pop up around the city.
posted by eggonstilts at 5:04 PM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite]

Me and my Edoko Gurufurendo are dancing around our Budapest apartment, but unfortunately we only get to dance for twenty seconds at a shot. Still, this is great stuff.
posted by zaelic at 5:22 PM on October 9, 2006

carter, it just so happened I needed a cha-cha to drill to -- took some dance lessons I need to reinforce. Way to go.
posted by pax digita at 6:18 PM on October 9, 2006

On the flipside, there is rather concentrated number of Brazilians (about 250,000) living in Japan today.
posted by ejoey at 6:03 AM on October 10, 2006

eggonstilts: Serendipity! Lisa Ono is scheduled to perform in these parts sometime soon. Was thinking of dropping by the concert; she has a great sound, indeed!
posted by the cydonian at 7:24 PM on October 10, 2006

We seem to have killed it.
posted by Gull City at 10:05 AM on October 11, 2006