CONTENTS
Hideki Saijo as a key player of modernizing Japanese music.
His debut is said to have changed the music scene in Japan. In this issue, we will look back at how he was a pioneer in the Japanese music scene and what he accomplished.
Dynamic vocals and screaming metal rock voice.
His vocals are often categorized as energetic screaming style include exquisite vibratos, high pitched shouts and husky screams. Such a style of singing, in which the singer puts emotion into his or her voice, was unheard of in Japan at the time.
Stage performance with action and choreography.
Before him, Japanese singers generally sang in an upright and immobile position, so Hideki Saijo’s style of singing while dancing and moving in a snappy manner was new to the audience. His choreography with a standing microphone is like an action movie star. These dramatic effects enhance the effectiveness of the dynamic singing and move the listener.
There’s no end if we give all examples though, he was the first singer who was to hold the solo concerts at stadiums and Nippon Budokan, to sing in a brightly colored costume, to create a sense of unity at concerts by introducing call and response and so on. Those achievements were unprecedented when Hideki debuted in Japan.
His contribution to Japanese music is quite significant and he generated many followers and gave many influences on even Visual Kei bands.
(writer Nakajima)
