Yoshio Tabata

Yoshio Tabata
Background information
Birth name	Yoshio Tabata
Also known as	Bata-Yan
Born	January 1, 1919 Mie prefecture, Japan
Died	April 25, 2013 (aged 94) Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Ryūkōka, Enka
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter
Instruments	Electric guitar
Years active	1939–2013

Yoshio Tabata (田端義夫 Tabata Yoshio, January 1, 1919 – April 25, 2013) was a Japanese ryūkōka and enka singer, songwriter, and electric guitarist.^[1] His debut song "Shima no Funauta" (島の舟唄 literally "Island Ship Song") was released in 1939. Along with enka-shi Haruo Oka's 1939 debut, his debut had a big impact on Japanese popular music because Japanese popular ryūkōka music of that time was mainly sung by classical music singers such as Ichiro Fujiyama and Noriko Awaya.^[2] He was born in Matsusaka, Mie prefecture, Japan.

Discography

• Shima no Funauta (島の舟唄 Island Ship Song) : 1939
• Ume to Heitai (梅と兵隊 Plum and Soldier) : 1941
• Shima Sodachi (島育ち Growing in Island) : 1962
• Jūku no Haru (十九の春 Spring at the Age of 19) : 1975
• Shōwa San Dai ki (昭和三代記 Shōwa Three Generation Record) : 1994
• Hyaku-nen no Ai (百年の愛 Love For 100 Years) : 1998 (Tribute song to Taro Shoji born in 1898)
• Tabi no Owari ni Kiku Uta wa (旅の終わりに聞く歌は The song heard at the trip's end is) : 2001

References

1. "Japanese singer Tabata dies at 94". Kyodo News. April 25, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
2. Kikuchi, Kiyomaro (2006-08-31). 異色歌手の登場：岡晴夫と田端義夫 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-10.