Koko Ni Sachi Ari (Here Is Happiness)

[islander]

sometimes, a certain melody could remind us of memories we can't put our finger on.

there was this song whose title and lyrics i never got to know.

then six years ago, over dinner at bohol tropics, i heard onie oclarit sing it.  (fr chic, where are you?)  still i never got to know the title, much less the whole song itself.  but i can hum the refrain.

[islander]

just recently, there was that japan-asean international conference on terrorism in cebu.  i understand that for the opening ceremonies, the loboc children's choir (yes, our very own had graced the opening ceremonies) had this song in its repertoire.  the choice was deliberate; it was a salute to the japanese delegate who was the biggest VIP among all the VIPs.  being a japan-asean conference, non-asean japan took precedence.  it must have sponsored the conference.

[islander]

so once again my curiosity about this song was fanned.  luckily, the best friend of my banana republic is a walking "song hits".  (if there's a walking encyclopedia, there's also a walking song hits.  not only that, the guy is also a cebu pop music festival first placer, circa late 1980s.)

i finally learned the title from him.  how was i to know that it took a cebuano to tell me the title.  earlier i've asked some japanese friends who turned out to be unfamiliar with the song.  one said though that it's a pop song of some decades ago.

[islander]

let it be said though that i heard this song only in bohol; never in cebu.  it is a haunting song.  the very helpful internet highway finally led me to it. 

surprise!  i found versions by nora aunor, eddie peregrina, and victor wood!  anyone with enough sense of 1970s pop culture will laugh at these singers.  yet they were hits.  a perspective of decades and some kind of maturity make one realize that today's laughingstock (as in "bakya") is tomorrow's legacy.  who can say?

[islander]

so i'm posting two versions of the song here.  i took exception of nora aunor's version, she with the great singing voice, because her particular recording has a rather poor sound.  oh, one can laugh over the accompaniment of our songs of long ago, when the digital age was far, far away.   

eddie peregrina, with his nasal voice and high extended notes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qWXeal49rw#

amboy victor wood, with his utnga-utnga:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNAGZGsxK-Q#

[islander]

something else about this song:

Koko Ni Sachi Ari (Here is Happiness)
Music by Saburo Iida
Japanese Lyrics by Kikitaro Takahashi
English lyrics by Fred Darian and Joe Van Winkle

the japanese lyrics:

Arashi mo fukeba
Ame mo furu
Onna no michi yo
Naze kewashi
Kimi o tayori ni
Watashi wa ikiru
Koko ni sachi ari
Aoi sora

Dare ni mo ienu tsume no ato
Kokoro ni uketa koi no tori
Naite Nogarete samayoi yukeba
Yoru no chimata no kaze kanashi

Inochi no kagiri yobikakeru
Kodama no hate ni matsu wa dare
Kimi ni yorisoi akaruku aogu
Koko ni sachi ari shiroi kumo

the english lyrics (part of the song):

Here, oh here is happiness
When I can be close to you
In the warmth of your caress
I'm happy here with you
Please say you'll never leave me
I know that it would break my heart
I want to be near you always
For here, oh here is happiness

[islander]

a japanese lady singer's version:

Traci Toguchi singing Koko Ni Sachi Ari (Here is Happiness)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThIRUpdG08#

[islander]

an instrumental (guitar) version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrYbFIf7Al0#

[islander]

it turned out that this is a japanese traditional song made popular by a japanese-hawaiian singer in 1962.  our own la aunor, peregrina and wood simply revived this a decade after. 

the original 1962 version by teddy tanaka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwqtVM8Kpg0#

[hofelina]

asa ra si Benny Tutor , atong ipa translate sa bisaya this wonderful song.

[islander]

hehe, kun wa si ben tutor, naa tay tulo nga potential-- fr chic, bugsay ug hubag.  come on guys, tira to!

[bugsay]

hmmm...wa ko'y hanaw basta'g ingon ani...

[hubag bohol]

a japanese lady singer's version:

Traci Toguchi singing Koko Ni Sachi Ari (Here is Happiness)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThIRUpdG08#

Klaro nga kini ang piborit nga version ni Bugsay--paigat to the max...

[hubag bohol]

hmmm...wa ko'y hanaw basta'g ingon ani...

...nga nasikat sa panahon nga si Bugsay
malipayon pang nagbitaybitay
sa kugihan nga lagay
sa iyang Tatay...

[islander]

hmmm...wa ko'y hanaw basta'g ingon ani...

basta kanta di man direct translation ang himoon.  ang importante nga naay sense ug sibo sa syllabication.  bahalag lahi kaayog meaning, di ba?  kalami na lang aning tunoha kantahon ug bisaya kay bisaya kaayo ang iyang plaintiveness. 

[islander]

the lyrics as sung in the original 1962 version by teddy tanaka:

Koko Ni Sachi Ari (Here Is My Happiness)

Arashi mo fukeba
Ame mo furu
Onna no michi yo
Naze kewashi
Kimi o tayori ni
Watashi wa ikiru
Koko ni sachi ari
Aoi sora

Narration:

Stormy winds of life may blow,
and even rain may fall.
Though the clouds are dark above
life will be bright for me.
I live for you and you alone,
And darling, I live because
Because we have loved.
For here lies happiness
And believe me it's just as glorious
As the blue, blue skies.

I live because of you only
I live because we have loved
Koko ni sachi ari
Beyond the blue, blue skies.

[islander]

fr chic, welcome back from your florida sun vacation!

please tagda ni nga thread kay mangayo ko nimo ug chords and notes ani nga kanta.  makahinay-hinay na man kog gunit ug guitar ug violin kay di na kaayo sakit akong likod.  i want to play this because i cannot sing this.  (the range is too much for my bad throat, wa na lay labot nga naturally yabag gyod tawon ko.)

wa ko magdali.  kindly post the chords and notes in this thread, bahalag 2014 na.    

p.s. i prefer the range of the original, teddy tanaka's.  makabuang ang kang eddie peregrina.

[islander]

na-memorize na nako ang japanese lyrics.  it took a week.

[islander]

FR CHIC, welcome back, hehe.  puwede (kun di ko maulaw) i-post nimo ang chords and notes ani?  bahalag when.  i'm tone deaf man god, so it would take me ages to come up with the chords and notes.  (they're not on the internet highway.)