This post is reposted from my old blog.
2016/04/20

Tender and scared. It was my first impression. I was 6 years old.

First contact

First, her song "Shippo no kimochi (Feeling of tail)" made me delightful. Especially my mother loved this song. Everyday she sang it while cooking.

Second, her song "Makkura-mori no uta(Song of darkness forest)" made me scared. Children's short music program broadcast it on TV. I didn't want to watch it, but I couldn't turn off. Because I was very very scared. I couldn't move closer to TV, and unfortunately, remote control was not.

"Hiroko TANIYAMA made their songs. She sings them, too." My father told me. He gave me cassette tape of her. Shippo no kimochi, Ohayoh kureyon(Good morning crayon), Koi-suru niwatori(Hen in love)...so cute and tender songs! Soon I loved them. In fact, I couldn't listen to "Makkura-mori no uta". Use fast forward, skip it.

After 5 years, I loved all of them. I loved scary songs, too. One of the fans of Hiroko TANIYAMA was born there.

Fairy tale hag

Hiroko TANIYAMA(谷山浩子) was born in 1956, Tokyo. From 7 years old till now, she has created a wide variety of songs. She was very shy, so she didn't want to be a singer when she was young. She want to be a songwriter. But in those days, to be a singwriter, sing on their own is the best way. So she sang her songs. Now, she is singer, songwriter, novelist, and radio personality.

In 1970s, many people had a variety of unnecessary beliefs to women singers. For example, a man told TANIYAMA. "Drinking, smoking, and loving men. For create good songs."
Her debut album is "Neko no mori niwa kaerenai(I cannot go back to cat's forest)". Its song title contains "cat". In those days, women singers don't sing like that "childish" songs. When TANIYAMA has released "Mado(A window)", a music critic said an irony about it. "Dose she want to be fairy tale hag?" After about 40 years, she declared loudly. "Thanks to you, I am fairy tale hag!"

She destroyed their rules. TANIYAMA went her way. Her songs are very unique. At first, many people couldn't understand them. But now, many singers love her songs and request new songs or lyrics to her. In Japan, every year a lot of singers are born and fade away. Most of them have little their unique style. In contrast, my dear "fairy tale hag" is surviving.

Finally

If you interest her, please search "谷山浩子" on YouTube. Her songs sell at iTunes.
"谷山浩子" on YouTube

My English writing is not good, I know. But I want to recommend my favorite artist in English.
Thanks!