was a Japanese rōkyoku

Rokyoku

Rōkyoku is a genre of traditional Japanese narrative singing. Generally accompanied by a shamisen, rōkyoku became very popular in Japan during the first half of the 20th century.-Notable performers:...

 and enka

Enka

is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...

 singer. He had taken part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen

Kohaku Uta Gassen

, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...

 27 times.

Murata was born as a son of rōkyoku singer and . However, he was immediately adopted by and became his stepfather. His real name was . He studied rōkyoku under one of Kumoemon Tochuken's disciples, Kumo Sakai.

Murata was scouted by Masao Koga

Masao Koga

was a Japanese composer and guitarist known for creating melodies, and a pioneer of Japanese popular music. He was regarded as a notable figure for establishing the genre enka, though Koga considered that he was a ryūkōka composer...

, debuting with in 1958. His 1961 single "Ōshō" sold over one million copies. Along with Hachiro Kasuga

Hachiro Kasuga

, born as Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer".Having seen the stage of Ichiro Fujiyama, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he joined the Japanese army in 1944, but returned from Taiwan to Japan in...

 and Michiya Mihashi

Michiya Mihashi

Michiya Mihashi , born Michiya Kitazawa in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was a famous enka singer in postwar Japan...

, he became a famous enka singer and Haruo Minami

Haruo Minami

Haruo Minami was an enka singer in postwar Japan.He was born Bunji Kitazume in Nagaoka, Niigata...

was regarded as his rival. He died on June 13, 2002.

External links

• Memorial Hall of Hideo Murata