FOR a Japanese artist to visit Hong Kong, he must either be very big in Japan or his songs must have been covered by so many local singers that it is worth a visit to extend his popularity.
Junichi Inagaki fulfills both criteria.
Two of his albums, Shylights and Realistic, snatched the Best Album awards in the Japan Record Awards and his superb songwriting won him grand prize in the 1987 TBS Japan Composer Award.
His songs have been covered by Andy Lau Tak-wah (Romantic Night), Leon Lai Ming (I Hope You Don't Leave Tonite), Andy Hui Chi-on (Tell the World I Love You), and the late Danny Chan Pak-keung (Love You Deeply). All of them were hits.
'It impresses me a great deal to hear my songs sung in Cantonese. Even though I don't understand the language, I can feel the different projection of emotions in the cover versions.
'One song called Christmas Carol I sang as a soft ballad, but a Hong Kong singer, Choi Chai-man, turned it into an energetic song, which was very different.' Inagaki, however, looks more like a struggling businessman than a successful musician.