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 デビュー曲 『夢見るタワーC』 （1958年） |
：DJ 東京タワーＣ／DJ Tokyo Tower C〜： 得意ジャンルは特にない、特技はたわしスクラッチ。 |
 建設中の東京タワーを後ろに ポーズをとってみるC子。 （１９５８年） |
 :「The東京タワーＣバンド／THE TOKYO TOWER C BAND」: 東京タワーＣ子が率いる無国籍＋お色気×ゴージャスな生演奏バンド。 彼女の脱力・脱線・脱構築ヴォーカル＆MCがキレまくり、本格派演奏陣とセクシーダンサーたちがしっかりフォローするのがバンドの基本スタイル。シャンソン歌手で作家の戸川昌子が経営する「青い部屋」を中心に恐いモノ知らずに暴走中。 |
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TOKYO TOWER C STORY DJ Tokyo Tower C was born in 1945, just as the war was ending. Her very young mother (only 15 at the time) was left widowed by her soldier father, who died courageously in battle.Times were very tough & her mother, just a child herself found it very difficult to cope with the responsibilities of bringing up her baby daughter. By the time Tokyo Tower C was 3 she gave her away to an orphanage & it was there she lived until she ran away at the age of 12. TTC doesn't speak much about her childhood, only to say that it was far from what she would have wished for. What kept her alive was music & the songs she would sing to herself everyday. The day she ran away, she had nothing but the clothes on her back & a heart racing with excitement & anticipation. It is a story that has been told & retold that the very first club she walked into she got up on stage & started to sing. She was wearing just Tawashi & a shopping bag but she was a very beautiful young girl & even in her old clothes & scruffy hairdo, the club owner could see she was special. That night he put her in the show & she wowed the audience (including a famous record label boss) who signed her up on the spot. The outfit she wore that night became the official Tokyo tower C costume as was copied by girls all over Japan. When she Dj-ed, she would use the Tawashi to scratch records. This was the time that the Tokyo Tower was being built, so she decided to call herself Tokyo Tower C (C being the initial of her real name which remains secret). As they say, the rest is history. By the time she was 13 she released her #1 single "Dreaming Tokyo Tower C". Within a year she had become a star. In the 1960s, she was the lead singer in a band called Tokyo tower C band. She would sing about romance, life, sadness & joy (by this time, she knew a lot about all that). The band was very successful at first but then times got hard for them & soon they were no longer popular. People began to say she was a "one hit wonder" & felt that she had little real talent. With her career going no where, she decided tom leave Tokyo & go travelling. Those years were amazing times for her- the many romances, adventures & travels. She was a true gypsy & loved the freedom & spontaneity of her new life. But by the year 2000 she was getting tired & missed Japan so decided to return. Soon after coming home, she felt inspired to start singing again, this time with a new band with old friends from her travels. They were from all parts of the world & together created a rich & eclectic sound. She had so much juicy material from her years on the road that the songs just kept flowing. And so began the re-birth of DJ Tokyo Tower C. She started singing at the "Aoi heya" Blue room, a traditional "Chambre de Chansons" in Tokyo. She would mix the styles of her songs (eg, Xmas songs in spring, African folk songs followed by Russian tunes). It was like taking a trip all around the world in a few hours. And so now she calls the show "World tour". There are other themes too- "Moonlight", which is all about the moon, "Sad night", only sad songs & "Love night", which is all about love. The musical accompaniments are always simple- piano & cello, sometimes percussion & acoustic guitar & accordion, but never electronic, It is a very traditional sound. She has also started DJ-ing again & plays all her favourite songs from the 1950s & 60s (she had saved her old record collection!). Some of her new young friends have given her modern music which she also likes to play, creating a spontaneous mix of old & new. She even pops in some classical music too. DJ Tokyo tower C looks the same today as she did on the cover of her #1 single all those years ago. Though she denies having had any plastic surgery, a famous doctor (who remains anonymous) claims otherwise. Regardless of how, she really looks terrific for 58! She says she doesn't feel her age either- in her heart she is still 13, back in her hey day, singing in the smoky clubs and always creating a storm! There are some music critics who are shocked at her comeback, given that her singing is not so good. "It was bad enough we had to suffer her the first time around.." But all agree, her band is excellent, the dancers are sexy & from the full houses at the "Aoi heya", no one seems to mind that she hits an off note once in a while. Afterall, she is an old fashioned, classy lady who plays music that is good for the heart. People never get sick of that… |
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