Karaoke
(properly pronounced "car-ah-oh-kay") is Japanese for "empty orchestra". It started with the Japanese in the 1970's. But Americans
have been doing Karaoke ("carry-okee" what we Americans call it) since the '50's, when they sang along with Mitch Miller and
his bouncing ball!
Today,
Karaoke is played through a Karaoke system using either CDG's,(Compact Disk Graphics), VCD (Video Compact Disk), LVD, (Laser
Video Discs) and more recently DVD, (Digital Video (or Versatile) Disk). The music is usually produced similar to the version
on the original recording, most the time with back-up vocals, and the lyrics are panned on a TV screen in time with the music.
All you do is supply the lead vocal and follow the lyrics on the screen as they change color.
Karaoke
is very popular in all parts of the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as all over Europe and most KJ's (karaoke Jockies), have songs that go all the way back from the traditional
favorites to today's most recent "Pop" hits . . . . At least a good KJ will! Some people hate it . . . . . some people ridicule
it . . . . Some embrace it . . . . Some have fun with it . . . . And some take it seriously. Some say it was invented by the
Japanese for the Americans, because they believe that all Americans can sing!
Those who hate it probably believe that everything should be perfect and that those who sing should know how to sing or should leave
it alone.
Those who ridicule it, don't know how to sing, are afraid to sing for fear that they may be ridiculed by others, or know how to sing but
are afraid they may be scorned by their peers.
Those who embrace it, get lost in the music, forget about their problems, gain some self esteem, and bask in the spotlight for awhile,
(Karaoke Therapy).
Those who have fun with it, just have fun and forget about everything except having fun.
Those who take it seriously, sometimes have fun, sometimes ridicule, sometimes embrace, but most of the time compete.
KJ's (Karaoke Jockies) sometimes favor certain singers, sometimes sing too much (especially when there's a lot of other people who want to
sing), sometimes don't help a helpless singer, sometimes don't do enough, sometimes don't have enough songs to pick from,
sometimes don't have that particular song you want, sometimes won't let you jump ahead in the rotation, sometimes plays the
music too loud (covering your vocal up), sometimes plays your vocal to loud, sometimes plays everything too loud, sometimes
never buys new discs often enough, sometimes calls you by the wrong name, but most the time, tries to make everyone happy
only to make someone mad.
Anyway .
. . . if people relax, be courteous, be patient, show appreciation to those who sing, and most of all enjoy themselves, Karaoke
will entertain them for years to come.
