Karaoke, literally “empty orchestra” in Japanese, is a form of interactive entertainment in which participants sing along with a piece of recorded music or a video by using a microphone and following the lyrics usually provided on a screen. While traditionally associated with Japanese culture, karaoke is popular throughout the world.
Karaoke in Asia
The modern form of karaoke entertainment began in Japan during the 1970s, when singer Daisuke Inoue took over the management of a band that provided background music for wealthy businessmen who wanted to sing in clubs. When his band was unable to accompany one of their clients on a business trip, Inoue created a tape of music for the client to bring along on his trip. The idea proved so successful that he began to rent machines equipped with tapes and amplifiers to nightclubs throughout Kobe. Karaoke entertainment rapidly spread throughout Asia where it still enjoys widespread success. The most popular way to enjoy karaoke throughout Asia is in a karaoke box, a small room fully stocked with karaoke equipment that can be rented by the hour. Mobile phone karaoke services that allow you to play karaoke on your cell phone are increasingly popular throughout Japan with many providers offering thousands of free songs that users can download karaoke. Restaurants in China often offer “mahjong-karaoke rooms” where elderly patrons play the ancient game of mah-jong while younger generations sing karaoke. Karaoke boasts increasing popularity throughout India with many patrons enjoying hitokara, singing karaoke alone without a recorded back-up. North Korea banned karaoke bars from operating in the country in 2007, on the grounds that they threatened the socialist system of the country. People in the Philippines often own their own karaoke equipment that families use at birthday parties, Christmas, and other festive occasions.
Karaoke in North America and Europe
After being popularized in Japan, karaoke began to spread to the USA, Canada, Australia and other Western countries in the 1990’s. Manufacturers began to sell in-home karaoke systems that met with failure in the Western marketplace. They soon remarketed these systems as “home theater” systems, which enjoyed enormous popularity. Throughout the United States, karaoke quickly grew into a popular form of entertainment in bars and at parties. Many companies bring the karaoke set-up to private parties so that patrons can enjoy karaoke at these events. While most western bars do not offer karaoke seven days a week like many in Asia, an increasing number of nightclubs host weekly karaoke nights in which participants compete to win prizes. U.S. cities with heavy Asian populations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have many establishments that offer private karaoke rooms similar to the “karaoke boxes” found in Japan. American households also buy many karaoke video games marketed to the Western market. Games such as Karaoke Revolution, SingStar (especially popular in Europe and Asia) and the Rock Band series allow participants to create characters and compete in karaoke contests.
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