Banji Kaicho presents:
150: Doji Morita 森田童子
#3 in the spotlight, the innocent, mysterious and adored Folk SSW Doji Morita. She was a mix of many. Those rockstar-like curly hair and sunglasses secreted an angelic voice. Spent adolescence in late 60s socially unrest Tokyo, notably during Zenkyōtō, before finding herself ill and alone in Hokkaido. There, at the age of 20, she was shocked at a friend’s suicide for “our failure” of the student movement, and dedicated the song “Goodbye my friend” to them, later to be included in her debut LP which sold a considerable 100,000 copies. She remained extremely low key and despite six more albums, hundreds of concerts and numerous legends were around, one knows next to nothing about her private life. She quit music in 1983 and never appeared again, not in the slightest.
It’s worth pointing out that although none of Morita’s lyrics are directly political, her music has been deeply bonded with the political struggles and their aftermath in Japan at that time. Many who felt the same sentiment or regret, and the increasing sense of lost in the heavily materialized 80s, found consolation and peace in her songs. I hope they are still bringing that curing power in today’s world.
In loving memory of Nakanishi Minobu aka Morita Dōji (1952-2018) 🕊
Photo: Y.Ishimaru (P-Vine)
Show Archive
Play show / Add show to playlistPlaylist:
Freddie J Banji Kaicho November 13th, 2023
Posted In: Music Shows