Doyo: Nostalgic tune for Japanese; Latest music for Americans
Cultural News, July 2007
Singers Mimako Soga, left, and Seiko Yabe dubbed as DOYO Gumi or Doyo Duo from the Doyo Museum International in Kumamoto, Japan, will introduce Japanese songs originally published for educational purposes before World War II at the August 11 Los Angeles concert. (Courtesy of the Doyo Museum International)
After Japan was opened to the West in 1867, music teachers were invited from abroad, and some of them adapted Japanese words to simple foreign songs. In time, Japanese composers began writing children’s songs, called Shoka, in this new Western style. These songs were mainly sung in compulsory music classes in primary schools around the country.
In 1918, a new movement began in which Japan’s top songwriters assembled to consciously create higher quality children’s songs. It was called “The Red Bird Movement,” referring to a progressive magazine that published the songs. The songs were called Doyo, and they were later introduced in textbooks throughout Japan, becoming an essential element of the nation’s musical education.
All Japanese are familiar with the songs today, and most people have a great affection for them. Despite their somewhat recent origin, they are considered to be an important aspect of Japanese culture.
There were hundreds of these beautiful songs published in Japan before World War II, but they were almost completely unknown in the West until recently.
Wisconsin-born Greg Irwin in Tokyo started to translate Doyo songs from Japanese into English in 1990, and the number of English translations has accumulated to over 100. Several English versions of Doyo music CDs have been released so far. This summer, Irwin’s Doyo book will be published in the U.S. in English.
In Kumamoto, Japan, veteran vocalist Teruko Oba organized the Doyo Museum International in 2004 and started to promote the Japanese music to the world.
On Saturday, August 11, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., singers Seiko Yabe and Mimako Soga dubbed as DOYO Gumi or Doyo Duo from the museum in Kumamoto will perform their U.S. debut concert at Zipper Hall in the Colburn School in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Doyo Charity Concert is being presented by Doyo Los Angeles, organized by Doyo enthusiasts here in cooperation with the Doyo Museum International in Kumamoto.
The August Doyo concert will also feature the Red Lacquer Bridge Children Choir directed by Long Beach-based music teacher Judy Bohlen. The name of the choir came from the recently published book Red Lacquer Bridge which documents Doyo songs of Terminal Island that were lost 70 years go. Terminal Island is located between Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors.
Bohlen is currently recruiting children, ages 8 to 18 with unchanged voices for choir members. Rehearsals will take place on Saturday, July 28 and August 4 in Long Beach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Bohlen at (714) 827-3913 or email judybohlen@eathlink.net.
To promote Doyo songs in Los Angeles, 2,500 copies of a 40-page program booklet which includes a few musical scores of Doyo in English and Japanese will be published. The booklet will be given to the attendees of the August 11th concert, and afterward it will be distributed for free to local schools. The proceeds of the charity concert will be donated to music programs for mentally disabled children.
The Los Angeles Doyo Charity Concert will be held at the Colburn School, 200 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012, on Saturday, August 11 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 and seniors over 65. For tickets, call Genmai Koso at (562) 908-2456. Genmai Koso Corp. is the major sponsor of the event. For inquiries about placing advertisements in the program booklet, call Kyoko Nakamura at (310) 619-6958. For details of the program, visit www.doyola.culturalnews.net