Jpop: Asakura Saya ft Gomess - River Boat Song (民謡日本一)

The lovely and slightly nerdy Asakura Saya which caught my attention when singing so charmingly in the Yamagata dialect now returns with new interpretation of a classic folk song about the river Mogami. This time though, she cooperates with the autistic rapper Gomess to produce something more modern, where she tries to fuse modern sounds with the traditional melody and with Gomess soft and humble rap suiting her airily song perfect. To be honest, it sounds very much like an updated enka song with a rap section, but that is very fine with me.

• Asakura Saya ft Gomess - River Boat Song (民謡日本一)

Jpop: Asakura Saya (朝倉さや)

Asakura Saya is an incredibly charming 22 year old japanese girl doing her personal takes on Japanese and international songs by singing in her local Yamagata dialect. For me personally, this makes them all sound a little "Enka" ie traditional, and its great. Listen for example on her versions of of Norah Jones "Don't Know Why" with her own Japanese lyrics or versions on old anime themes.

• Asakura Saya - Miso boiled mackarel (さばの味噌煮)
• Asakura Saya ft Gomess - River Boat Song (民謡日本一)
• Asakura Saya - Don't Know Why 
• Asakura Saya - Shinjo Melody (新庄節)
• Asakura Saya - Touch (I'm not quite sure here but I think it's a cover of the anime theme for "Touch" that Iwasaki Yoshimi sung back in 1985)
• Asakura Saya - Azusa No 2 (parody cover)
• Asakura Saya - Tokyo (東京)
• Asakura Saya - Robinson (ロビンソン)
• Asakura Saya - Aqua Timez