Kouta (music)

is a type of traditional Japanese music that originated in the red-light districts of Edo period (1603–1868) Japan, before developing further and experiencing wider popularity in the geisha districts

History#

The Japanese term has been used for a number of inconsistent musical styles throughout Japanese history, though the term is used in the modern day exclusively to refer to the style of short, informal songs first developed in the late Edo period (1603–1867) and popularised in the early Meiji period (1868–1912). During the Heian period, the term was broadly applied to court songs performed by women such as () and . This term was used in contrast to the () performed by male court musicians. In later centuries, compilations of short, lyrical songs known as were published; the first of these, entitled , was published in 1518. The first modern piece is said to have been composed in 1855 by puppet theatre singer Kiyomoto Oyō (1840–1901), and was titled (). Performing a piece in the style at a faster tempo, Oyō would go on to compose a number of early , typically through borrowing lyrics from (), () and – a style of music characterised as “classy” and “graceful”, itself having resulted from governmental reforms aimed at suppressing the excessive erotic expression of late 17th century . The conflation of genres in became a key feature of the style, with a number of early having separate versions in both and . In the early Meiji period, were often creatively composed by a number of performers, who, having inserted pieces into their performances, later extracted these sections to be performed alone, composing new pieces in this style with the use of imagery taken from the pleasure quarters. , needing few performers and taking under three minutes to perform, eventually grew into a popular musical tradition of its own right in the Meiji period, forming an independent genre.

Geisha#

During the 18th century, had grown to become emblematic of the rising merchant () classes of Japan; by the end of the Edo period, these classes had come to favour geisha as the most fashionable female companions, in contrast to the beginning of the Edo period, where courtesans had been considered fashionable. These geisha sang at parties for guests, and became the centre of the popularity of , with all the early founders of modern having been geisha from Tokyo. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, the sheer number of students and teachers resulted in a ; in Tokyo, as many as over 200 teachers were said to be practicing by 1952, each with 50–60 students, and over 2,000 new pieces were composed. This trend continued into the later 1950s, with a number of breaking away from larger schools, resulting in 180 and their corresponding schools by 1972. In 2008, the number of was estimated to be over 200. In the present day, the parties and performances of geisha are where the majority of performances are held. Some are directly linked to the , with one famous song, the Gion , directly referencing the appearance of the apprentice geisha found in the city’s of Gion.

Style#

, alongside , fall into the category ( – vocalised music pieces based on native folk poetry) of the traditional repertoire, as opposed to the styles that originated from. Most can be sung in under five minutes, with even the longest songs taking no longer than four minutes to sing. Though their lyrics are often romantic and sometimes humorous, with refined themes of aestheticism, especially those focused on the theme of , can also be found.

Schools of study#

A group of kouta teachers collectively make up a (school); schools of a city or metropolitan area form an association (). Associations organise recitals in Western-style concert halls twice a year. In the present day, are still studied by geisha, for whom form an intrinsic part of their working lives, as well as wealthy housewives and high-level businessmen, who make take lessons in for enjoyment, or to further their own skills to show off at parties. In previous decades, it was necessary for all geisha to learn and master, to some degree, and the as part of their work; in the present day, only those who decide to specialise in the musical style and playing the pursue study of for any considerable length of time, though geisha who specialise in other arts, such as traditional dance, will still study to aid in their studies of dance and performance.