Melodies of a Lifetime: The 99-Year-Olds Keeping Enka Alive

Every Friday, a group of elderly will gather just to sing the soulful strains of Japanese Enka.
Their age is between 80 to 90, the oldest is remarkable 99 years old. Spanning over three
decades, the singing circle has remained tradition, rarely missing a beat except for winter
breaks and the Chinese New Year."

For these seniors, Enka is more than just a melody; it also represented their youth and historical
memories. Their reasons for joining are as diverse as the songs themselves, some of them were
raised by Japanese-educated parents, while others were wishing to sing a final Japanese song
for their mothers.

Although the group of numbers have dwindled from a peak of 60 to just a handful, making their
companionship more precious than ever.

Even at 91, 94, and 99 years old, they are still full of energy when they pick up the microphone.
Their voices show how they remember the past and love their lives today. For them, life is simple:
keep singing your own song happily, as long as you can.

 

 以下為中文對照

每週五，有一群高齡長輩固定相聚，只為唱一首首日本演歌。團員多是八、九十歲的長者，年紀最大已經99歲。這個歌謠班走過三十多年，除了寒假與過年，幾乎從未間斷。

​對他們而言，演歌不只是旋律，更是青春與時代的記憶。有的是陪著受日本教育的父母來唱歌，有的是想在母親生前唱一首日語歌給她聽；有人退休後投入至今25年，也有人因朋友邀約、因熱愛音樂而加入。雖然人數從高峰時的五、六十人減至個位數，但彼此的陪伴與情誼更加珍貴。

91歲、94歲、99歲的身影，依舊精神奕奕地拿起麥克風。歌聲中，有對往日時光的懷念，也有對當下生活的珍惜。對他們來說，人生最重要的事，就是在還能唱的時候，快樂地唱著屬於自己的旋律。

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