Voice tone - Scary

A type of performing art that accompanies theater, mainly Kabuki, in which the performer imitates the voice and lines of the actor during the performance. It began around the Genroku period (1688-1704), and from the mid-Edo period onwards, "kido geisha," theater publicity staff, would often use the actor's voice when reading the Kyogen titles and roles, so it became popular among the general public. With the publication of Oumuseki and Serifuzukushi, it was not only practiced as a hobby for Kabuki fans, but also among the Hokan, there appeared specializing in this, and from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period, there appeared koiiroya, who would walk around in pairs carrying gongs and clappers, but this declined as the Kabuki audience became more limited. However, before the Second World War, the comedian Furukawa Roppa developed a new form of vocal art called vocal imitation, which remains popular to this day, with performers imitating the voices of celebrities outside of Kabuki, such as entertainers and politicians.

[Toshiaki Matsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

演劇、主として歌舞伎(かぶき)に付随した芸能の一種で、俳優の演技中の声や、台詞(せりふ)の癖をまねること。元禄(げんろく)（1688～1704）ごろから始まり、江戸中期以後は「木戸芸者」という劇場専属の宣伝係が狂言外題(げだい)や役割を読み上げるとき、俳優の声色を使うことが多かったので、一般にも普及した。鸚鵡石(おうむせき)、せりふづくしなどの刊行とともに、歌舞伎ファンの趣味として行われたばかりでなく、幇間(ほうかん)たちの間にこれを専門とする芸人も現れ、幕末から明治にかけては、2人連れで銅鑼(どら)や拍子木を持って流して歩く声色屋が現れたが、歌舞伎の観客が限られてくるにつれて衰えた。しかし、第二次世界大戦前、喜劇俳優古川緑波(ふるかわろっぱ)は声帯模写と称する新形式の声色芸を創始。この系統の演芸は現代も流行して、歌舞伎以外の芸能人や政治家など、有名人の声のまねを演じている。

［松井俊諭］

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