Enka. Another word that doesn't sound like a genre of music!! However, it is- it's a Japanese style mainly popular with older generations. The generally agreed beginning to enka music was in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Japanese political parties were allowed but forbidden from making public speeches. Enka was their way of getting around this- they wrote veiled messages into the songs.
Modern enka rose to fame post World War II, something which is possibly linked to the lyrics often pertaining to sadness, lost love and death. However, before you think it's all doom and gloom, it also has elements of self-encouragement.
A key characteristic of the genre is the use of vibrato- when a note is sung at a fluctuating pitch, causing an echo-like effect. It's also used by opera singers; though enka uses 'kobushi', meaning that the fluctuation is only to one degree.
Kitajima Saburu is a very famous enka singer. Though most popular in the 1960s and 1970s, he continues to release music!
This genre is less popular with the younger generations in Japan, although some pop musicians are experimenting with it, causing a rise in fame. One such musician is Jero, the first African-American enka singer. Unlike other enka performers, however, he doesn't wear traditional Japanese clothing (such as a kimono) but wears baggy clothing and jewellery like American hip-hop singers.
Hakodate no Hito- Kitajima Saburo
Bla, Bla, Bla- Jero