Yoshio Tabata

Yoshio Tabata
Background information
Birth name	Yoshio Tabata
Also known as	Bata-Yan
Born	(1919-01-01)January 1, 1919 Mie prefecture, Japan
Died	April 25, 2013(2013-04-25) (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.