Even though there are still so many rules and conventions in this world, you can see signs all around that traditional barriers are coming down. Here’s a song that I think exemplifies that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWyuPJd1MDM. The song was written by Ataru Nakamura for Jero, both of them contemporary singers in Japan.
It’s a nice and simple song, although the context is also important: Ataru Nakamura is a MtF transsexual who honed her songwriting and singing skills while socially isolated during middle and high school; Jero (Jerome White, Jr.) is a computer engineer/English teacher, 3/4 African American and 1/4 Japanese, who decided to fulfill a promise to his deceased Japanese grandmother that he would perform enka – the traditional popular music of Japan – on the big stage. For songs that I think exemplify their respective styles, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8NBwrcs_R8 (Umi Yuki / The Ocean Snow) by Jero and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK32d3juhJs (Tomodachi no Uta / Song of my Friends) by Ataru Nakamura.
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