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Columbia Records (Taiwan)

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臺灣コロムビア販賣會社[1]
Columbia Records[2]
PredecessorNipponophone Co., Ltd.
FoundedFebruary 1933
Hon-machi, Taipei City, Nichiji-Taiwan
FounderShojiro Bruno (栢野正次郎)
Defunctcirca 1945
HeadquartersHon-machi, Taipei City, Taiwan
Productsrecord
ServicesSales agent for phonographs
OwnerNipponophone Co., Ltd.

Columbia Records (Japanese: 臺灣コロムビア販賣株式會社, 1933 - 1945[3]) was a record company that was once active in the manufacture and distribution of wormwood records in Taiwan under Japanese rule, and was a pioneer of Taiwan's modern pop music industry.[4]

Overview of the evolution

[edit]
替代=
In November 1910 (or September 1911),[5] Nippon Gumiho Shokai (株式会社日本蓄音器商会) set up its Taiwan branch office in Vinh-cho, Taipei; its initial business was the distribution of gramophones and records.

In 1914, Kotaro Okamoto led 15 Hakka musicians, including Lin Shi Sheng (Mandarin: 林石生), Fan Lian Sheng (Mandarin: 范連生), He Awen (Mandarin: 何阿文), He Mingtian (Mandarin: 何明添), Huang Fangrong (Mandarin: 黃芳榮), Wu Shian (Mandarin: 巫石安), and Peng Azeng (Mandarin: 彭阿增), to Japan to make recordings, and released albums such as "A String of New Years" (Mandarin: 一串年, featuring Hakka eight-tone performances), "Lighting Lanterns" (Mandarin: 點燈紅, featuring the Taiwanese Min-nan language pronunciation of the "Car Drum Tune" (Mandarin: 車鼓調), and "Sanbo Yingtai" (Mandarin: 三伯英台, which is a prototype of the development of the Gezai Opera in the floor sweeping stage).[6]

In 1929, Nissei acquired the right to use the Columbia Records trademark and began to release records under the trademark. Shojiro Arbuthnot took charge of all his record business other than Modified Eagle Label.

On August 17, 1930, the name "Gulenmeyer" was first published in the Nippon News.

Between 1930 and 31, "Singing Chai Opera: The Story of the Martyrs" (Mandarin: 歌仔戲：烈女記) was published, featuring Wen Hongtu (Mandarin: 溫紅塗), Yue Zhong'e (Mandarin: 月中娥), and Jing Li Hua (Mandarin: 鏡梨花), with folk tales adapted into sing-song opera repertoire, with the recording number F532, and the production number "80023". The performer, Wen Hongtu, was one of the first generation of singers and had been recording singers since 1926. In the 1930s, Columbia produced a complete set of singers' songs called "New Singers' Songs", and Wen Hongtu was also responsible for the script, backstage and singing for Gulenmaier.[7]

In 1932, Columbia Records released the promotional song "A Sad Love Story"(Mandarin: 桃花泣血記), which was originally marketed for the movie "A Sad Love Story". Later, the Literary Department of Columbia Records was officially established, hiring lyricists and composers to write songs, and enlisting singers and musicians to record songs with a "Taiwanese flavor".[8]

In 1933, Tan Kun-giok (Mandarin: 陳君玉) was appointed as the Minister of Literature and Arts of Columbia; in February, Payno Shojiro registered the establishment of Taiwan Colombea Trading Company with a capital of 150,000 yen, which was a branch of Nissei in Taiwan; and released the song "Dancing Age" (Mandarin: 跳舞時代), with lyrics describing the trend of social dancing, free love, and listening to pop songs.[8] In addition, he also released the songs "Bāng Tshun-hong" (Mandarin: 望春風) and "Moonlight Blue" (Mandarin: 月夜愁).

In 1934, Chen Junyu left his post in the middle of the year, and Chiu Thiam-ōng took over as the Minister of Literature and Arts; he published "The Torment of a Flower", "Brokenhearted Flower" (Mandarin: 碎心花), and "Four Seasons of Red"(Mandarin: 四季紅).[8]

In 1943, the company issued its last new record, "Music of Taiwan", a set of remastered discs featuring a selection of classic tunes from the period after the arrival of the Japanese accumulators in Taiwan, from north-south pipe music to one-track recordings of opera, Peking Opera, popular songs, and music of the aborigines, for a total of eight discs; among the popular songs, the winner was "The Torment of a Flower" sung by Sun-sun.[9]

At the end of World War II, Taipei City was bombed by the U.S. Army and the company's building was damaged. After the war, the head of the company, Shojiro Bakuno, left Taiwan.[3]

The company closed its business with a total release of approximately 1,500 records.[9]

Trade Practices

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Columbia Publicity Campaign.

Publicity

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Use publicity vans with flags to lead bands and staff to distribute literature along the streets and sing loudly the songs they want to publicize.[10] Setting up flags, signs, and sun shelters with logos on them in recreational areas such as seaside baths.[11] Alternatively, at the end of the year, a large flag with the words "斷然コロムビア" written in the center is hung from the top of the company's building façade.[12]

Consumption

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In the 1930s, Columbia's head office was located in Honmachi, Taipei, and its arts and crafts department was located in Peking Town, Taipei, where it was a Toten store across from the Guild Hall (today's Zhongshan Hall), and it also had locations in other metropolitan areas in Taiwan. By the 1940s, the company had about 50 to 60 regular employees, and many other salesmen from all over the world. National Museum of Taiwan History has a permanent exhibit of Columbia Records badges, which are internal identification badges issued by the Columbia Record Company to its employees. According to employees at the time, those who wore this badge were certified to be employees of the company, and many theaters cooperated with the record company in those years, so those who wore the badge could go to the movies without having to buy a ticket for free, which was a badge of honor and a benefit to the large and small employees of the company at the time.

Types of Records Released

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Pop Songs, Taiwanese opera, Jokes, Cantonese Music, Bei Guan Music, Nan Guan Music.[9]

Taiwan Record Label under Columbia Records

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(Note: Years in parentheses indicate the start of release)

  • NIPPONPHONE (Nipponphone, 1911)
    • ORIENT RECORD (Camel, 1926)
  • Columbia (Columbia, 1929）
    • Regal (Bonus, 1934)
    • Regal (Healy's, 1933)
  • EAGLE (Eagle, 1931)
    • HIKOKI (Airplane)
  • Ads of Nippon Gumiho Shokai
    Ads of Nippon Gumiho Shokai
  • Ads of Columbia Records
    Ads of Columbia Records
  • Ads of Columbia Records
    Ads of Columbia Records

References

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  1. ^ Nippon news.September 1930
  2. ^ "Rainy Night Flower "Lyrics Sheet.Circa 1943.Columbia Records
  3. ^ a b 林, 太崴 (2015). 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. pp. 24, 49. ISBN 9789571179711.
  4. ^ "台灣歌謠望春風：古倫美亞 領先歌壇". qianqiustreetshop.blogspot.tw. Archived from the original on 2018-05-27. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  5. ^ 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 17, 23. ISBN 9789571179711.
  6. ^ 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 17. ISBN 9789571179711.
  7. ^ 國立臺灣歷史博物館. "斯土斯民-臺灣的故事：哥倫比亞（Columbia）唱片". 斯土斯民展品列表 - 斯土斯民-臺灣的故事. 國立臺灣歷史博物館. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  8. ^ a b c "臺灣日治時期聲音記錄歷史大事紀". 日治台灣曲盤數位典藏計畫. 國立師範大學. Archived from the original on 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  9. ^ a b c 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 48. ISBN 9789571179711.
  10. ^ 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 42. ISBN 9789571179711.
  11. ^ 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 46, 47. ISBN 9789571179711.
  12. ^ 林, 太崴. 玩樂老臺灣. 臺北市: 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2015: 40. ISBN 9789571179711.
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