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Karaoke is a popular pastime where people sing along to recorded music. It originated in Japan in the 1970s and quickly spread to Asia and America, leading to the creation of karaoke bars and lounges. Modern machines have enhanced features such as screens to display lyrics and pitch modifiers. Karaoke has also made its way to video game consoles, allowing people to sing and play instruments. Despite initial doubts, karaoke has become a long-lasting fad that allows people to live out their rock star fantasies.
Karaoke is a very popular pastime which consists of singing the lyrics of a song accompanied by recorded background music. It allows people to sing and interpret their favorite songs without interruption from the original singer. Karaoke has gained global popularity, with particular success in the United States and Asia.
Although the original sing-along technology originated in California, the first sing-along machines were created and popularized in Japan in the 1970s. The original machines charged a small fee to play a recorded version of a song that could be sung into a plugged-in microphone by a performer. They quickly became a popular form of entertainment at parties and restaurants throughout Japan, where music and singing had long been a traditional accompaniment to parties.
The popularity of this form of entertainment quickly spread across Asia and America, leading to the creation of karaoke bars and lounges. These venues allowed an up-and-coming singer to perform for a crowd, using high-quality sound systems to transform the performers into true musical entertainment for the institution. Those who have visited a karaoke bar or lounge will note that it’s a mixed bag; while some amateur performers may shock you with unsuspected talent, more often than not the combination of booze and audacity will result in horribly off-key performances. If you choose to visit such a bar, go with a sense of humor and possibly earplugs for extreme situations.
Modern machines use a variety of technologies to enhance the experience for performers and audiences. Many will include a screen to project lyrics for the singer and crowd to follow. Some include video displays to make the experience more like a music video. In hopes of helping less talented performers, some modern professional machines include a pitch modifier, which allows the singer to put the music into an appropriate range.
The next generation of karaoke performance has made its way to video game consoles. In 1985, the first sing-along video game was released for the Nintendo Famicon system. Sony’s Playstation 2 debuted Karaoke Revolution in 2003, judging and awarding points to performers based on their matched tone, tempo and degree of difficulty. With games like Rock Star and Guitar Hero, hopeful artists can not only sing, but also play the instruments used in the songs.
For many in the 1980s and 1990s, karaoke seemed like a fad that would quietly fade away. Yet the original idea capitalized on a common fantasy: to be a rock star! Participating in karaoke allows anyone to live out their muffled dreams of rocking out like Axl Rose, captivating a room with a sultry stare like Fiona Apple, or sending their ex a clear message with a full rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” With the advent of advanced technology for the public performance arena and the hugely successful video game taking over the concept, it seems clear that the fad will continue to treat or horrify music-loving customers for a long time to come.
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