Things You Should Know Before the New Morning Drama “Boogie Woogie” Starts!

4_What was so great about Shizuko Kasagi?

It is said that one of the reasons for the popularity of Shizuko Kasagi was the sheer brightness of her songs and stage performances. Her rhythmic boogie melodies by Ryoichi Hattori, her flamboyant and intense dancing, powerful singing voice, and bright makeup and looks, all of which were developed by the Osaka Shochiku Gakugeki Club, are said to have brightened and encouraged Japan in the postwar period.

 

She met Ryoichi Hattori before the war when they were both in the Osaka Shochiku Gakugeki Club, and although she was marketed as a jazz singer, her jazz music and her flamboyant makeup and performance were considered problematic, and there was a time when the extent to which she could move on stage was restricted.

5_What is Ryoichi Hattori?

Ryoichi Hattori was a leading composer of songs in Japan during the Showa period.

In addition to a series of songs by Shizuko Kasagi, he has produced many songs that are still familiar today, including “Farewell Blues” (Noriko Awatani), “Blue Mountains” (Ichiro Fujiyama), and “Ginza Kankan Musume” (Hideko Takamine). His eldest son is Katsuhisa Hattori.

In “Boogie Woogie,” a character named “Zenichi Hatori” appears, modeled after Ryoichi and played by Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. It will be interesting to see how they meet and how the establishment of the Japanese boogie woogie will be portrayed.

In addition, Rinko Kikuchi plays Ritsuko Ibarada, who is modeled on Noriko Awatani and will be Suzuko’s lifelong rival.

 

A series of songs composed by Shizuko Kasagi, Noriko Awatani, and Ryoichi Hattori are currently available on many subscriptions, so use this basic knowledge to familiarize yourself with the songs and dive rhythmically into the world of “Boogie Woogie” drama, which is as bright and colorful as the rhythm and melody of the boogie.