Akiko Seki ( ja, 関鑑子) (September 8, 1899 in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
– May 2, 1973 in Tokyo) was a Japanese
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
. She is commonly recognized as the founder of the movement of
The Singing Voice of Japan ( ja, 日本のうたごえ, ''Nihon no Utagoe'' / うたごえ運動, ''Utagoe-undō''). In 1955 she was awarded the
Stalin Peace Prize.
Life
*March 1921: She graduated in artistic singing at the Music School of Tokyo ( ja, 東京音楽学校,''Tōkyō Ongaku Gakkō'').
[NDL Search]
Various Authors: ''Ōkina benibara''. (Tokyo, 1981) 鑑子追想集編集委員会 編「大きな紅ばら: 関鑑子追想集」 (音楽センター 1981年) 関鑑子略年譜/ref>
*May 1, 1946: In the occasion of the first May Day post-war in Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, she conducted L'internationale
"The Internationale" (french: "L'Internationale", italic=no, ) is an international anthem used by various communist and socialist groups; currently, it serves as the official anthem of the Communist Party of China. It has been a standard of th ...
and a Japanese version of '' The red flag''; this experience led her to the creation of a national musical movement of the working class.
*February 10, 1948: She created the ''Choir of the Communist Youth League of Japan'' ( ja, 日本青年共産同盟 中央合唱団, ''Nihon-seinen-kyōsan-dōmei Chuō-gassyōdan'') in Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, as the core of national musical movement of the working class.
Writings
*Collection of ''Songs for Youth'' ( ja, 「青年歌集」, ''Seinen-kasyū'') (Tokyo, Typography of the cultural section of the Communist Youth League of Japan, 1948).
*''Bewiched by the singing voice'' ( ja, 「歌ごえに魅せられて」, ''Utagoe ni miserarete'') (Tokyo, 1971).NDL Search
歌ごえに魅せられて」（音楽センター 1971年）/ref>
See also
*Japanese Communist Party
The is a left-wing to far-left political party in Japan. With approximately 270,000 members belonging to 18,000 branches, it is one of the largest non-governing communist parties in the world.
The party advocates the establishment of a democr ...
*Democratic Youth League of Japan
The , abbreviated DYLJ or , is a political youth organisation in Japan. It is the youth wing of the Japanese Communist Party, as well as an organisational body of Zengakuren. Minsei describes itself as a "voluntary youth organisation in respon ...
(successor of the ''Communist Youth League of Japan'')
* The Singing Voice of Japan
References
External links
*(ja
A real recorded voice of Akiko Seki
greeting the audience of the Festival of The Singing Voice of Japan (in Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
, November 1968). 関鑑子の話声録音 - 1968年日本のうたごえ祭典・大音楽会での挨拶（日本武道館にて）
*(ja
Official website of the National Council of The Singing Voice of Japan
日本のうたごえ全国協議会ホームページ
*(ja
Journal of The Singing Voice of Japan
うたごえ新聞ホームページ
*(en
Official website of Japanese Communist Party
日本共産党ホームページ（英語）
*(ja
Official website of the Democratic Youth League of Japan
日本民主青年同盟ホームページ
Japanese Communist Party
1899 births
1973 deaths
Stalin Peace Prize recipients
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