Over the years,my tastes in music differ through various phases of my life.There was the "bubblegum phase" when I was a lil kid,listening to boy bands and cringe-worthy pop anthems.Then,I grew up and entered the "Seoul Man" stage,where I tried to be black and started memorising the lyrics to gangster rap songs and the like.Hardly a few months pass by before I entered the "Rock God" phase,where 80s rock and 5 minute guitar solos took up much space on my phone's memory card.Nowadays though,I've wisened up and cautiously pick my favourite music,careful not to choose songs that I will regret liking later in life.But there's one man whom I will never be ashamed of revealing myself as a fan.Before I begin,please watch the video below.
http://
Surprised?I bet the initial hip hop sequence caught you off guard eh?
For a brief history of the man known as Jero in Japan,watch the vid below.
For a brief history of the man known as Jero in Japan,watch the vid below.
http://
Jerome White,otherwise known as Jero in Japan,is the first black singer in Japan.And the genre that he has chosen is a unique one.He sings "enka",which literally means "performing song",a sort of old lounge music.The main demographic for this particular genre is the elderly.Therefore,not many youths ventured into it when becoming singers,bringing the genre close to death in Japan.Therefore,many record labels were reluctant to sign Jero as they are still running businesses after all and profit is king.Thankfully,one company decided to take a gamble on him,with the hopes of reviving the local "enka" scene.They did not make a mistake.Jero's debut single "Umi Yuki" which means Ocean Snow reached #4 on the Oricon music charts and sales shot through the roof.His fanbase was not just limited to the old as the young were attracted to his style of mixing old music with hip hop elements.
Jero attributes his love for singing "enka" to his late grandma,who sadly passed away 3 years before he became famous.when he was little,he would visit her house and listened to the "enka" records she brought along from Japan.Later,he even joined in her karaoke sessions,perfecting his Japanese.He clearly loves his grandma,and spends a lot of time with her.Her wish was to see him becoming a famous "enka" singer,unfortunately unfulfilled.However,it is obvious that if she were still alive,she would be proud of her beloved grandson.
On a side note,I am now scouring every music and DVD store I visit for his album.And no,I am not buying pirated copies or illegally downloading his songs,all in support of my current favourite singer of all time.Gambateh,Jero!
Jero attributes his love for singing "enka" to his late grandma,who sadly passed away 3 years before he became famous.when he was little,he would visit her house and listened to the "enka" records she brought along from Japan.Later,he even joined in her karaoke sessions,perfecting his Japanese.He clearly loves his grandma,and spends a lot of time with her.Her wish was to see him becoming a famous "enka" singer,unfortunately unfulfilled.However,it is obvious that if she were still alive,she would be proud of her beloved grandson.
On a side note,I am now scouring every music and DVD store I visit for his album.And no,I am not buying pirated copies or illegally downloading his songs,all in support of my current favourite singer of all time.Gambateh,Jero!
No comments:
Post a Comment