Keisuke Kuwata released “Hitotarashi” on June 24 as the opening theme for the anime series Akane-banashi, set in the world of rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling). The 70-year-old vocalist of Southern All Stars — Japan’s pop/rock band celebrating its 48th anniversary — said this marks the first time in his long career that he has written a song specifically for an anime title.
Kuwata told Billboard Japan that the production team approached him directly after he read the manga. “The story is set in the world of rakugo, one of Japan’s traditional performing arts, so maybe they felt some kind of kinship with me,” he said. The project initially expanded to include both opening and ending themes, which Kuwata described as surprising.
The title “Hitotarashi” derives from the Japanese verb tarasu (to beguile), which Kuwata said captures the essence of performance art. “Whether you’re a rakugo performer or a musician, grabbing the audience’s heart by putting your own identity, your true feelings, your venom into your craft,” he explained, calling it the art of beguiling.
Kuwata drew parallels between rakugo and rock music, noting that both art forms have roots among people outside mainstream society. “Things like the blues and capoeira as a martial art were made by people who were oppressed,” he said, adding that this same thread runs through rakugo and rock today.
The musician, who has been active for nearly 50 years, attributed his longevity to surrounding himself with younger staff members who keep him informed of current trends. “If I’d spent these nearly 50 years with the same veteran manager the whole way through, things would probably look a bit different,” Kuwata said.
Source: Billboard
