Enka 演歌 is a Japanese singing genre that combines Portuguese Fado, old Kabuki and Noh style singing, and popular westernized Music, usually with either sad themes or inspirational themes (see my earlier posting (https://ainoko.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/enka-jero/).
I grew up with enka and still must listen to it as healing and expression. In my earlier posting, I commented on Jero, the African-American/Japanese biracial singer who is now a big enka singer in Japan today, who combines hip-hop sensibility and dance with traditional enka. This has revived enka in Japan to a degree. More Japanese youth, who have hardly heard enka much less listened to it, are now becoming interested.
Here a very well-known enka and pop singer Aki Yashiro 八代亜紀, combines her talents with ex-Megadeth member Marty Friedman, for metal enka. Yeah baby!
AI NO KO 