was a popular Japanese baritone singer of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

ryūkōka is a Japanese musical genre. The term originally denoted any kind of "popular music" in Japanese, and is the sinic reading of ''hayariuta'', used for commercial music of Edo Period. Therefore, ''imayō'', which was promoted by Emperor Go-Shirak ...

Shōwa era The was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the Taishō era. The pre-1945 and post-war Shōwa periods are almos ...

Japan.

Life and career

Nakano was born in

Ōzu, Ehime is a Japanese city located in Nanyo, the region occupying the southern half of Ehime Prefecture. As of January 31, 2020, the city had an estimated population of 42,655. History Ōzu emerged as a medieval castle-town along the Hiji River. ...

on May 27, 1909. His interest in music was sparked in early childhood by the sound of the organ at a local Christian church where his father served as a pastor. When he became older, he joined his congregation's choir where his interest in Western music grew. He later credited the experience as the greatest influence on his career as a jazz singer. In 1929 he enrolled at the

Musashino Academia Musicae , located in Tokyo, Japan, is a music conservatory founded in 1929. After World War II, the music school expanded, becoming the Musashino College of Music. It now has educational sites in Nerima, Iruma, Saitama, and Tama, Tokyo. Concert halls ...

and graduated from the school's vocal department in 1932. At his debut recital in the spring of that year, Nakano presented a program of selections from Kurt Weill's ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with mu ...

'', which had been premiered in Japan earlier that year. Among the songs Nakano included in his program was

Mack the Knife "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" (german: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", italic=no, link=no) is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama ''The Threepenny Opera'' (german: Die Dreig ...

. He was discovered by the composer Kōsaku Yamada, who attended the concert on a scouting trip for Nippon Columbia. Soon afterwards he signed a contract with the label, who was marketed as a rival to fellow baritone and Musashino Academia Musicae alumni Tamaki Tokuyama on Nippon Victor Records. Influenced by work of

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

and The Comedian Harmonists, Nakano founded his own vocal group in 1934: the . A string of hits followed, beginning with their cover of

Leslie Sarony A Wills cigarette card from the 'Radio Celebrities' series, 1934; Sarony on right Leslie Sarony (born Leslie Legge Frye; 22 January 1897 – 12 February 1985) was a British entertainer, singer, actor and songwriter. Biography Sarony was b ...

's .

Ryōichi Hattori was a Japanese pop and jazz composer. Katsuhisa Hattori is his son. He had a great influence on Japanese pop and was awarded the People's Honor Award. Japanese jazz was downtrodden during World War II World War II or the Second Wo ...

later collaborated with Nakano and his group, producing some of the group's most memorable songs. One of their most controversial numbers was 1940's , which satirized the widespread shortages of food and materials in wartime Japan. The song's subsequent ban, as well as a general government crackdown on jazz music, resulted in the Rhythm Boys' breakup in 1941. Nakano went on to continue a solo career. After the war, Nakano joined King Records, but quickly retired from singing citing a throat injury. Composition became the focus of the final part of his career, penning hit songs for

Chiemi Eri , was a Japanese popular singer and actress. Eri was born as on January 11, 1937 in Tokyo, Japan. She started her singing career at the age of 14 with her version of "Tennessee Waltz." Her repertoire consisted largely of traditional Japanese son ...

, Utako Matsushima, Hachirō Kasuga,

Michiya Mihashi Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga an ...

and Ichirō Wakahara.

Death

Nakano died February 19, 1970 from lung cancer, aged 60. He was buried at the

Zōshigaya Cemetery is a public cemetery in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. The cemetery is nonsectarian, and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha area. It is maintained by the Tokyo Metropolita ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakano, Tadaharu 1909 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Japanese male singers 20th-century Japanese singers Japanese baritones Japanese jazz bandleaders Japanese jazz composers Male jazz composers Musicians from Ehime Prefecture Nippon Columbia artists People from Ōzu, Ehime 20th-century jazz composers