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!
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- Easy-to-sing enka: A roundup of recommended enka songs for karaoke
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- Songs everyone knows across generations. A roundup of karaoke tracks anyone can sing, regardless of age.
- Cheer songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke. Classic crowd-pleasing anthems that get everyone pumped
- Recommended fun songs for karaoke: a roundup of danceable and hype/energetic tracks
- From Showa-era kayōkyoku to J-POP! A nostalgia-packed roundup of karaoke crowd-pleasers
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- Easy songs that are simple to sing at karaoke. Recommended classics and popular tracks.
- Popular songs that are easy to sing at karaoke. Recommended classics and hit songs.
- When you can’t decide what to sing at karaoke: Easy-to-sing classic hits from the Showa era
- Cheer songs that are easy to sing at karaoke. Recommended popular tracks.
Enka Hits That Ignite the Karaoke Party | Fire up the crowd with easy-to-sing classics! (1–10)
Kiyoshi's Zundoko SongKiyoshi Hikawa
Kiyoshi Hikawa, a figure who sent shockwaves through the enka world.
Though an idol-type enka singer, he possesses solid vocal prowess and has influenced many as an artist who combines skill with catchiness.
“Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi” is one of his hit numbers.
While this song spans a fairly wide range—mid1 C to hi B—the pitch shifts in the kobushi (melodic ornaments) are kept to at most two notes, making the overall difficulty as enka relatively low.
If you have a reasonably wide vocal range, you should be able to sing it without trouble.
It’s immensely popular among madams, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
North TavernTakashi Hosokawa
Takashi Hosokawa is one of Japan’s finest vocalists.
Early in his career he pursued a path as an enka singer, but after studying under Michiya Mihashi, who came from a folk song background, his already high-level singing ability grew to a monstrous level.
Among that, he has also actively taken on catchy songs, making him an extremely popular figure among enka fans.
Among Hosokawa’s songs, the one I particularly recommend for its crowd-pleasing energy and ease of singing is “Kita Sakaba.” While the overall range is set on the higher side, the range itself isn’t very wide, so you should be able to sing it if you adjust to the right key.
The song features a structure typical of enka, showcasing scale movements of two notes or more with kobushi (melismatic turns), but since the kobushi don’t continue in rapid succession, their difficulty is relatively low.
Instead of projecting your voice forward, try to produce it with the sensation of it piercing through from the crown or back of your head; doing so will bring you quite close to the original, so give it a try.
Festival MamboHibari Misora
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.
Enka Hits That Fire Up the Karaoke Crowd | Get the Party Going with Easy-to-Sing Classics! (11–20)
Life is like a Naniwa-bushi (a melodramatic ballad).Takashi Hosokawa
After training under Michiya Mihashi, Takashi Hosokawa showed an explosive improvement in his vocal ability.
Even after his vocals improved, he continued to release many tracks that emphasize catchiness.
Among them, Naniwabushi Dayo Jinsei wa is one of his most singable songs.
Aside from the kobushi at the end of the chorus, the song features only minimal melismatic turns that mostly move by a single note, and despite a BPM of 128, there are no rapid-fire sections, resulting in an overall low level of difficulty.
The range is fairly wide, so be sure to find the key that suits you before singing.
Casablanca GoodbyeIchiro Toba
Enka singer Ichiro Toba, popular for his wide-ranging musicality from male-voiced to female-voiced songs, has left many masterpieces.
Among them, Casablanca Goodbye is especially recommended as an easy song to sing.
While there are a few spots that feature kobushi (traditional enka vocal ornaments), overall the piece has a flavor closer to kayōkyoku (Japanese popular song).
It employs a very light mixed voice, but the high phrases aren’t very long, and it doesn’t demand much power overall, so the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
Its mood-rich melody is sure to get the crowd going!
Life waits for no one.Aiko Moriyama
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.
Life’s journeyHibari Misora
The songstress Hibari Misora, who left behind many masterpieces.
In addition to enka, she worked across a wide range of genres, from kayōkyoku to even jazz.
In this “Jinsei Ichiro,” while firmly retaining the essence of enka, the overall melody is crafted to be closer to a catchy kayōkyoku number.
Although it features many fine kobushi (melismatic turns), if you master the hiccup-style vocal technique, the kobushi remain within a range that can be reproduced without issue.
So if you have a certain understanding of enka, you should be able to sing it smoothly.