Therefore, "karaoke" literally translates to "empty orchestra" reflecting the experience of singing along to instrumental tracks without live accompaniment.
Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. In recent times, lyrics are typically displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol, changing color, or music video images, to guide the singer.
Despite the Japanese provenance of the term karaoke (first attested in 1977), the invention of karaoke-styled machines is controversial. It is usually credited to two people, depending on the sources: Daisuke Inoue of Japan or Roberto del Rosario of the Philippines. Neither of whom significantly benefited from the worldwide surge of popularity of the karaoke starting from the 1980s. The profits in the karaoke industry went to later machines developed by larger Japanese corporations. Other people have also claimed to have invented karaoke-styled machines at various dates, but only del Rosario has a patent on his machine. The fact that the karaoke machine is simply an aggregate of existing technologies and is built on the older concept of sing-alongs makes it likely that it was developed independently multiple times.
Inoue, a bandleader, drummer, and Electone keyboardist, specialized in leading sing-alongs at nightclubs in
Sannomiya, the entertainment district of the city of Kobe. In 1970, he
and six bandmates played instruments in fancy drinking establishments to
accompany middle-aged businessmen who would sing traditional Japanese
songs. He claimed to have first thought of the idea of a karaoke-style
machine when he was asked by a prominent client to play for him on an
overnight trip to an onsen.
Not being able to do so, he instead provided a tape of his
accompaniment to the client. Realizing its potential, he thought of
merging these pre-taped accompaniments with a jukebox.
Lacking the skills to make the machine himself, one of his
bandmates introduced him to a friend who owned an electronics shop. He
described his idea to him and commissioned 11 home-made machines which
he called "8 Juke." Each machine cost around $425 per unit and consisted
of a box containing an amplifier, a microphone, a coin box, and a car stereo which used specially-made 8-track tapes. The machines metered out several minutes of singing time and used ¥100 coins.
He initially recorded his own versions of popular songs with his bandmates for the tapes. Starting from 1971, Inoue loaned the machines to establishments for free in exchange for a portion of the monthly earnings from the machines. He placed the first 8 Jukes in Sannomiya's "snack bars", but they initially failed to take off. Inoue then hired hostesses to ostentatiously sing on them, which successfully sparked interest. This also caused a great deal of friction with Inoue's fellow musicians, who saw it as drawing customers away from them.
When profits improved at around four years of operation, he hired professional musicians and rented a recording studio to create the 8-tracks for the machines. He made the songs in keys that made them easier for casual singers. As such he also included a rudimentary reverb function to help mask singers' deficiencies. By this time, the number of units he rented had increased from the initial eleven to around 25,000. Club owners from Kobe had started bringing his machines to new clubs in Osaka
which became the birthplace of the karaoke boom in Japan. He also managed to convince large record labels to include their songs in the tracks for the 8 Jukes. For these reasons, Inoue is often considered to be the inventor of the modern business model for karaoke.
Inoue never patented his machine. While initially successful and earning approximately half a million dollars a year, Inoue lost interest in the business. He eventually handed over the company to his brother. By the 1980s, the idea of coin-operated sing-along machines was picked up by larger Japanese corporations who started manufacturing commercial versions of their own with better technologies like LaserDiscs.
The story behind Japanese karaoke:
What is Japanese karaoke?
What does karaoke mean in Japanese?
Where is the origin of karaoke?
How do you do karaoke in Japan?
How is karaoke different in Japan than the rest of the world?
What are popular Japanese karaoke songs?
If you want to experience this unique form of entertainment for yourself, check out our website to find karaoke venues near you. https://singa.com/en/karaoke-near-me
Karaoke offers a fun way to connect with friends and family while enjoying some of your favorite songs. So what are you waiting for? Grab your mic and sing karaoke anywhere!
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