Bring Out the Star in You with Karaoke
Sometimes you've just got to sing, and when the mood strikes you to belt out a favorite tune, karaoke can set the stage to find the hidden star in you.
With karaoke, anyone can be in the spotlight. Singing is a great stress reliever and the perfect way to leave your worries at the doorstep. Besides, singing makes you feel good and it's just plain fun. A karaoke machine is a great way to have a blast with your friends and family and it's the perfect starting point to building your own in-house jam session.
The Japanese word Karaoke is derive from two words: Kara, which means "empty", and Oke, short for okesutora, or orchestra. Karaoke entertainment systems provide pre-recorded musical accompaniment of popular songs. In most cases, karaoke performers follow the lyrics on a video screen as the music plays on.
Karaoke has been popular in portions of North America for more than a decade, but it has been a full-on sweeping sensation throughout Asia for more than thirty years. The first virtual concert machine was introduced in Japan in the 1970s. Since then, karaoke parties have been favorite pastimes for all countless performers on the small stage. The phenomenon of karaoke was so huge that the media adopted the term to use for all occasions when pre-recorded music replaced live performances.
Musical elements have always been paramount in the formation of Japanese traditions. Music is reflected in all aspects of Japanese mythology, history and culture. Even Japanese Samurais implement singing, dancing and music into their vigorous education and training regimes.
The history of karaoke in Japan begins in the early 1970s with a singer named Daisuke Inoue. He was so popular at a bar called "Utagoe Kissa" that the crowd began to ask for recordings of his music so that they could sing along. Seeing the potential, Inoue created a tape recorder that would play a song for a 100 yen coin. At that time, 100 yen would buy two lunches, so this was considered to be a rather pricey pastime. Regardless, the combination of old-fashioned jukebox and would-be karaoke machine proved to be a huge hit in Japan. Inoue decided to lease the machines to nightclubs and stores, so that they would not have to purchase new songs on their own.
The invention proved such an important social success that Daisuke Inoue was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. The basis of his award was for "providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other."
"Karaoke Time" has been a popular form of entertainment in East Asia since the early 1980's. Like a global virus, the karaoke phenomenon spread to other parts of the world. Karaoke's popularity was reaching record highs, and it soon became a very productive industry. Before long, the karaoke craze reached North American shores and took the entire continent by storm.
This new entertainment import flourished in the western world. Enterprising Americans quickly saw the potential of investing in this new type of entertainment. It provided cool, relaxing fun and was able to bring people together in a patient and tolerant manner. Nightclubs and karaoke bars known as "KTV boxes" began to open across North America, bringing new venues, software and equipment to eager performers.
Since its inception in the United States and other western countries, people have begun to take karaoke more seriously. American bars are unlikely to have karaoke seven nights a week as they do in East Asia. Many however, have upgraded their equipment from the small, standalone machines that started the craze over two decades ago. Crowds can follow song lyrics on television screens displayed throughout the bars, and some even offer big screen TVs.
The karaoke sensation has also entered our homes. From inexpensive children's versions to high-end machines, home karaoke systems can be connected to a pre-existing entertainment center and families can join in the fun. Karaoke music can be downloaded from the Internet, and fans can sing along with their computers if they do not have a personal karaoke machine available.
If you've got song in your heart and just need to sing out loud, find a karaoke machine and bring out the star in you.
Columnist Horace Jurdon is happy writing for a variety of web sites, on hobby center and hobby shop online subjects.
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