Big names everywhere! Shinichi’s Unexpected Friendship

I often say to Masayoshi Yamazaki (50), ‘I’m only dating you because my wife thinks you’re funny, but I don’t think you’re funny at all! I’ve been told that.

Shinichi (36), a comedian who won the “R-1 Grand Prix 2022” on March 6, is laughing as he says so. He became the 20th champion with his artistic style of singing poisonous lyrics in a beautiful voice.

Shinichi joined his current agency in 2001 and began his career as a full-fledged comedian. He won the championship with the support of his seniors at his office, including the two members of “Sandwich Man” and Nagano (47), but it was not only his fellow comedians who supported him. But it was not only his fellow comedians who supported him, but also famous musicians.

Masayoshi Yamazaki, Shintaro Tsuneda of Sukima Switch (44), Yuya of Sid (40), and Yoshitaka Yamada of Yoshida Yamada (38) have been a great help to me. It is a futsal connection, isn’t it? I myself originally participated in the Inter-High School Championships when I was a student at Hokuyo High School (Osaka), and my part-time job was also at a futsal field for a long time.

Among them, it is Masayoshi Yamazaki who says he is the most indebted to them. It was an unexpected person who brought them together.

When I had just started my career as a comedian, I had a chance to visit a recording of Masayoshi’s Internet program through a friend from his office. I had always been a fan of Masayoshi-san, so I went backstage to meet him. After that, I met him several times, and Masayoshi’s wife was the first one to say, “You’re funny! I heard that he told me about it. Masayoshi didn’t seem to be totally convinced. (Laughter).

Masayoshi-san always teases me, saying, “I’ve never thought it was funny. When I playfully respond, he says, “I only call you because my wife likes you! I am always told, “You’re not going to be able to do that. He really takes good care of me, and I can’t thank him enough.

In addition to his artistic style, Shinichi has always been surrounded by music, including friendships with big-name musicians. He attributes this to a successful experience he had in elementary school.

When I was in elementary school, my music teacher used to tell me to sing by myself as a model. Something about that stuck with me. In junior high school, my music teacher praised me, saying, ‘You are a very good singer. I think that somewhere in my mind, that I am a good singer has always supported me.

He is also very particular about the music he uses for his story songs.

I wrote down in a notebook and analyzed all the comedians who had done rhythm material in the past, including Tetsu and Tomo, Youku Hada (46), AMEMIYA (43), and most recently, Doburokku. I thoroughly dissected and examined not only their artistic styles, but also their music.

For example, the song “Why is that?” by Tetsu and Tomo starts with a guitar chord that repeats A minor and E minor. In the case of “Doburokku’s” “Maybe, but” the G minor is well interspersed into the melody to make it memorable to the ear. I searched for chords that had not been used before, and that’s how I came up with the current song, ‘Boku ga suki na mono’ (“What I like”).

A special program on Fuji Television is also scheduled for June 19 as a benefit for the winner. The content of the program has not yet been decided, but he is thinking about having a music-related program there as well.

I would like to invite some of the artists I have known and have a one-night-only music concert,” he said. I would like to have Masayoshi-san and “Sukima Switch” appear on the program, and of course, I would perform as the closing act!　I wonder if everyone would be willing to come out at a discount (laughs).

Shinichi’s challenge continues with the music he loves.