河名伸江* – のぶえの海

Do we know for sure if this story is actually for real, and not a hoax? Is there any proof besides the picture of the album cover (i have yet to see pictures of the actual vinyl), a blog post from her friend (that blog seems totally gone from the internet minus way back machine) and a few pictures of Nobue Kawana. album is good either way, but....wonder if Branco Label can provide more info?

These are the recordings of a young Japanese teen by the name of Nobue Kawana.

Living in coastal Japan she romanticized her own life- by writing songs about her love for the sea, and love itself.

Her childhood best friend, Keiko Saitou, recounts:

“I met her first when I was 16. I would go over to her house all the time to sing and record music onto cassette tapes. She had perfect pitch and could play any instrument she touched- violin, guitar, and composition as well. I would harmonize with her, and play piano, as well as help with lyrics.

My parents greatly disapproved of our friendship, they would scold me for not applying my every second to my studies. But I still spent much of my time practicing my abilities in songwriting and going over to her house to play.

She was fashionable and influential to her friends in a positive sense. Despite a sickness that had wrecked her health since early teenhood.

On her 19th birthday, in 1974, she passed away.

I independently attempted to have a physical LP of her music released, and in 1975, it was done. With the help of a male mutual friend who told her life story in segments sandwiched between the tracks. These copies were given to our friend group as almost a parting gift for us all.

I still think about how every day, after school, I would visit her in her room as she was always sick in bed because of the untreatable cancer. We sang of love, sickness, and a longing for the sea.”

In 2013 the rare album was re-issued by Branco Label on cd, with two extra tracks (there is most likely a lot more unreleased tapes).

Hopefully, if enough feedback is given to the label a vinyl re-issue could be made. But only with your help.

You can buy the cd at BRANCO LABEL　

You can email the label at [email protected]

I discovered her around six months ago and her music has continuously stuck with me. I wish there where more recordings, but i suppose she died to soon.