Enka that gets the crowd going at karaoke | Fire up the room with easy-to-sing classics!
I want to get the party going at karaoke with close friends! But I feel a bit embarrassed singing enka… have you ever felt the same? The truth is, there are lots of enka songs with familiar melodies that are easy to sing and perfect for warming up the room.
In this article, we’ll introduce classic enka tunes you can try casually at karaoke.
If you go for it, you’ll be surprised how everyone starts humming along, and handclaps naturally break out—these songs are perfect for creating that kind of wonderful moment! You’ll also find concrete advice from a vocal coach, so enjoy it to the end!
Enka Hits That Ignite the Karaoke Party | Fire up the crowd with easy-to-sing classics! (1–10)
Festival MamboMisora Hibari
Hibari Misora’s classic “Omatsuri Mambo.” While this song falls under the enka category, it shares many elements with J-pop, and among Misora’s works, it’s one of the easiest to sing.
Its vocal range is somewhat broad at mid1 C to hi C, but the pitch movement isn’t very drastic, so overall it’s arranged to be easy to sing.
However, the tempo is relatively fast at BPM 120, so you’ll need decent articulation.
Even so, there are no highly demanding enka-style embellishments like complex kobushi, so it’s fair to say the song still firmly maintains its singability.
It’s a very lively, feel-good number that really gets the crowd going, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Life waits for no one.Moriyama Aiko
Aiko Morikawa is an enka singer from Toyama Prefecture.
Despite her solid vocal abilities, she has produced many catchy songs, so even those not from the Hokuriku region may know her.
Her famous song “Matta Nashi da yo Jinsei wa” features many kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) with a shouted edge, but because most of them descend and the pitch movement in the kobushi stays within three notes, the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
The melody also has the feel of a fight song, giving it a bright tone, so you can expect it to really get the crowd going.
festivalKitajima Saburō
Saburo Kitajima is a great enka singer who has left behind many masterpieces.
His distinctive, undulating kobushi and vibrato are especially striking.
Among his songs, the one I particularly recommend is Matsuri.
While the piece is memorable for its low register, it surprisingly spans a range from mid1 A to high C.
However, because the pitch changes within the kobushi are contained within two notes, it is classified as a work with a lower level of difficulty in terms of overall technique.
If you adjust it to your suitable key, it’s not un-singable, so be sure to identify your own vocal range carefully.
I’m going to Tokyo.Yoshi Ikuzo
Enka singer Ichi Ikuzō, known for his wide-ranging musicality from comic songs to songs in a female voice and heart-wrenching ballads.
Unusual for an enka singer, he also has the side of a singer-songwriter, and his original songs, for which he writes both lyrics and music, are full of creativity and have remained beloved across generations.
Speaking of Ikuzō Yoshii’s masterpieces, it has to be “Ora Tokyo sa Iguda,” doesn’t it? While it has elements typical of enka, it features many spoken-style parts, so the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
As a comic song, it really gets the crowd going, so be sure to add it to your repertoire.
O-Shichi and the Night Cherry BlossomsSakamoto Fuyumi
Fuyumi Sakamoto is a female enka singer who studied under the acclaimed enka vocalist Yuriko Futaba.
With a highly original musical style that incorporates a wide range of genres, she has gained popularity both within and beyond the enka scene.
Her song “Yozakura Oshichi,” released in 1994, features an unusually upbeat melody for enka at the time.
The vocal range spans from mid1F to hiD, which is typical for female vocals, but the BPM is 140, making it relatively fast, so it’s best to master the rhythm thoroughly before singing.
Your path of gloryTendō Yoshimi
Yoshimi Tendo, a songstress who represents Osaka.
Discovered by Takajin Yashiki, she rose to public prominence.
Her vocal ability and expressive power are truly top-class, yet she has an approachable personality that has long endeared her to many enka fans.
Her hit number “Anta no Hanamichi” is a prime example.
Among her works, it’s one of the brightest, so it’s sure to get the crowd going.
This song features the distinctive twisting kobushi (melismatic ornamentation) characteristic of the Kawachi Ondo style, but since most of the ornamentation involves shifts of only two or three notes, you won’t encounter the complex kobushi heard in Tsugaru folk songs.
Instead, it calls for the powerful delivery typical of Kawachi Ondo.
As long as you can keep your pitch in check, it’s by no means a high-difficulty piece, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Dotonbori SentimentTendō Yoshimi
Yoshimi Tendo is an enka singer highly acclaimed for her live performances.
With first-class qualities across the board—vocal power, expressiveness, and fine techniques such as kobushi—she also has songs that are relatively easy to sing.
Among them, the one I especially recommend is Dotonbori Ninjo.
It’s a robust enka number with the flavor of Kawachi Ondo, but most of the kobushi are the type that undulate at the start of each phrase, so it’s not particularly difficult.
Of course, if you aim to replicate every detail, the difficulty is high; however, since most of the Kawachi Ondo-style kobushi occur in the lower register, anyone who can control pitch in the low range should be able to sing it without issue.
By the way, the reading of the title is not “Dotonbori Ninjo,” but “Tonbori Ninjo.”