Biography
Koume Akasaka (赤坂小梅) (April 20, 1906 – January 17, 1992) was a Japanese geisha and singer active during the Showa era. She was particularly known for singing folk songs.
Koume Akasaka, whose legal name was Koume Mukaiyama, was born in Kawasaki, Fukuoka. She was the youngest of nine siblings. Her mother died shortly after birth, and she was raised by her eldest sister.
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She became familiar with traditional Japanese music as a child. In 1920, at the age of 16, she became a geisha of her own volition despite strong opposition from those around her. Her geisha stage name was Umewaka.
In 1929, lyricist Ujō Noguchi and composer Kiyomizu Fujii, visiting Fukuoka, heard her sing at a Japanese-style pub and were amazed by her beautiful voice. Umewaka's talent was recognized by Fujii, who recommended she sing for Victor Records, with whom she recorded a total of 16 folk songs by 1931.
In 1931, she went to Tokyo, where her patron, Yukinosuke Shimizu, introduced her to another traditional restaurant. At this time, she adopted the stage name Koume. She also continued recording songs, not only for Victor Records but also for the record label Colombia. After the song "If That Were True", composed by newcomer Masao Koga and sung by Akasaka, was a great success, Colombia planned more popular Japanese-style songs, and under an exclusive contract with the company, Akasaka sang a number of songs written by a variety of composers.
In 1936, she married Katsumatsu Kineya, a shamisen player; he died unexpectedly in 1939, while she was abroad to entertain Japanese troops. Following the war, she appeared on the NHK program Kōhaku Uta Gassen four times as a result of her popularity, and she brought widespread attention to folk songs from across Japan. Many songs she performed are still widely recognized.
Akasaka received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1974 and the Order of the Precious Crown, Fourth Class, in 1980. On April 21, 1981, she held a "Thank You Retirement Commemorative Performance" at the National Small Theater in Miyakezaka, Tokyo, bringing an end to her sixty years in the performing arts and her life as a singer. She also published an autobiography that year. Afterward, she moved to the Bōsō Peninsula and ran a folk song school until her death on January 17, 1992.
To commemorate Koume Akasaka's artistic contributions, a biographical film about her was released in 2007.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.