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Louisiana Mama

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When I chat with older folks in Japan, once I tell them that I’m from Louisiana, they start singing this song without fail:



…100% of the time.

The song is originally by American singer Gene Pitney, but in 1961, Hisahiko Iida released a Japanese language version. Iida’s version became a big hit in Japan the following year, and Louisiana Mama became his signature song. The single sold around 400,000 copies.

Because of the success of Iida’s cover, Louisiana Mama is more well known in Japan than anywhere else in the world, including its home country, the United States.

Photojournalist Toshiaki Nakayama wrote in his essay collection, “Nobody Knows Louisiana Mama: A Snapshot of America”, about his experience of asking various people in Louisiana about “Louisiana Mama” and finding that nobody knew the song.

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