At the age of nineteen she moved to Tokyo and joined the Ichimatsuya Okiya, and took on her new name, Asakusa Ichimaru.
In an effort to improve her singing skills when she moved to Tokyo, Ichimaru undertook shamisen and singing lessons from Enchiga Kiyomoto, who was a famous female shamisen artist. She made great progress but still felt she could get better. Ichimaru then undertook training with the Grand Head Master Enjudaiyu Kiyomoto V's son, Eijudaiyu.
The training paid off and soon she was in great demand in not only her own geisha district but others around hers such as Yanagibashi, Akasaka and Shinbashi. Due to her great singing talent, Ichimaru was asked by The Victor Recording Company to sign a contract in 1931. She recorded her first song for a movie called Nure Tsubame (Wet Swallow) which became a hit. She followed her debut up with another hit, "Tenryū Kudareba" (Down the Tenryū River), which saw her become a superstar. Due to the success of her budding music career she decided to retire from being a geisha to concentrate solely on her singing career.
Throughout the 1930s Ichimaru continued to record new songs and performed for Japanese troops at home and abroad. By the end of the decade her recording career had slowed down to a complete halt due to World War II. After the war in 1948 she began to record music again boost the morale of post-war Japan. At the end of the 1940s he started her own radio program called "Mitsukoshi Calendar of Songs" which would continue to be a success for the next ten years.
After the war Ichimaru became interested in US culture, becoming greatly interested in jazz music. The result of this interest was the hit song "Shamisen Boogie Woogie", composed with an American jazz songwriter.
In 1950, she became the first Japanese singer after World War Two to be invited to Hawaii to perform. This performance was followed other international concerts.
During this time Ichimaru was singing for kabuki, and composing her own ko-uta, a style that would later become to be known as "Ichimaru Air".
伊那節
市丸 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
持たせやりたや 持たせやりたや 桧笠
ハァー 遥か向こうの 赤石岳に
雪が見えます 雪が見えます ほのぼのと
ハァー 桑の中から 小唄がもれる
小唄聞きたや 小唄聞きたや 顔見たや
ハァー 天竜下れば しぶきに濡れる
持たせやりたや 持たせやりたや 桧笠
ハァー 遥か向こうの 赤石岳に
雪が見えます 雪が見えます ほのぼのと
ハァー 桑の中から 小唄がもれる
小唄聞きたや 小唄聞きたや 顔見たや
The lyrics to 市丸's song 伊那節 depict scenes from the Japanese countryside, specifically the region of Iida in Nagano prefecture. The first two lines describe the experience of descending the Tenryu River, with the water splashing and soaking the singer. They also mention the higasa, or traditional Japanese conical hat made of cypress wood, that the singer holds onto. The following lines describe the sight of the distant Akaishi Mountains covered in snow, creating a warm feeling of nostalgia.
The next verse describes the singer hearing a folk song called "Komori-uta" (Lullaby) leaking out from the mulberry trees. They express a desire to hear the song and see the singer's face. The refrain repeats the first two lines, describing the wetness and the higasa while also repeating the line about the snow on the mountains. The final verse is a repeat of the second verse, with the added emphasis on the singer's desire to hear the lullaby.
The song portrays a sense of longing and nostalgia for the simplicity and beauty of rural life. The river, mountains, and trees are all symbols of nature that provide comfort and joy to the singer. The traditional higasa and lullaby also contribute to this sense of nostalgia and longing for the past.
Line by Line Meaning
ハァー 天竜下れば しぶきに濡れる
Ah, descending the Tenryu River and getting wet with its spray
持たせやりたや 持たせやりたや 桧笠
Carrying our yari and wearing our higasa
ハァー 遥か向こうの 赤石岳に
Ah, in the distance we see Mt. Akagashi
雪が見えます 雪が見えます ほのぼのと
Where we can see the snow so calmly
ハァー 桑の中から 小唄がもれる
Ah, from within the mulberry trees, a folk song leaks out
小唄聞きたや 小唄聞きたや 顔見たや
We want to hear the song, we want to hear the song, and see your face too
Contributed by Eliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
遠藤洋
舞ってるのは赤坂小梅さん？かな