Teasing is not a part of the culture, and keeping the harmony (a big part of Japanese culture) means uplifting the less-talented singers while being careful not to overly praise the power performers.Īs with every topic about a group of people at large, this doesn't apply to everyone. Not to mention, people in Japan are typically very encouraging and supportive. As the only people in the room are those in your party, you can feel more comfortable letting loose and not worrying about a stranger's harsh judgment. In essence, pretty much everyone in Japan does karaoke! While there are, of course, people who would rather push needles into their fingertips than sing in public, the private rooms in Japan are much more accommodating for the less-than-stellar singers or the crooners who can't quite find the right key-but wanna sing out nevertheless. This proved to be so popular that Inoue created a few of these tape recorder-like machines to lease to shops and other events, beginning the musical sensation that swept the nation. By removing the lead singer's vocals, the audience could still sing and have a great time together. So, this device gave the establishments a way to keep the party going even when the band couldn't be there.
Living in Kobe, a city in western Japan, Inoue and his band were unable to provide musical accompaniment for a sing-along café (歌声喫茶, utagoe kissa), which were wildly popular in Japan (America throughout the '60s were also into the sing-along craze). In 1971, a musician and band manager by the name of Daisuke Inoue came up with the idea. So, karaoke refers to a lack of orchestra, which gives you a hint of how they were first used. So, let's bring it back to the very start and how karaoke has evolved over the years.įirst things first, the word karaoke is a portmanteau of the Japanese word kara (空), which means "empty," and oke (オケ), a shortened form of the English word "orchestra" (オーケストラ). However, depending on where you live, the word could conjure up a different image in your mind.
Chances are, if you're reading this, you've heard the term karaoke before.
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