Northwest Asian Weekly: ‘American Idol’s’ predecessor

nwasianweekly.com May 10, 2008

‘American Idol’s’ predecessor By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly Sing in a taxi. Sing on a streetcorner. Sing, sing, sing, all day long or at least as long as you don’t have to be at work, anywhere, anytime. Karaoke holds out such breathtaking promises, at least in its global, most general sense. Look closer, though, says “Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon,” by Zhou Xun and Francesca Tarocco, and you’ll feel sharp subdivisions between cultures, cities and even neighborhoods. My own karaoke experiences centered around the Plaza Mexico, a since-disappeared restaurant and bar at University Way’s south end. My Filipino/Polynesian friend, who had sung in lounges back in his native Hawaii, slew the audience with Bette Midler’s “From a Distance,” Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and Merilee Rush’s “Angel of the Morning.” After enough alcohol, I got up next to him for all eight-and-a-half minutes of Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” I was Meat Loaf. My friend was Meat Loaf’s girlfriend. He held his end up so well most people didn’t notice how I invariably shattered my own. My friend was gay, and the Plaza Mexico, while not a Gay Bar with capital letters, welcomed drag queens, usually gorgeously garish Latinas. One tried playing karaoke hostess on Sunday, but always told the same horrible jokes. The inclusive, tolerant policy got around in the form of a feeling, not anything specifically said or sung. One night, when I couldn’t go, the new host cracked a few “fag” jokes. Despite an impressive collection of karaoke songs, from Sid Vicious’ “My Way” to Tammy Wynette’s “Justified and Ancient,” he was not asked to return. And more than a few wondered how he’d got the job in the first place. Xun and Tarocco, both academics, emphasize national and cultural differences over individual stories, pointing out for example that this Japanese electronic pastime now serves as the “national sport” of South Korea and the “national pride” of the Philippines. In the words of American/Filipino performer Rich Kiamco, “The Japanese might have invented karaoke, but the Filipinos RULE it!” On a deeper note, certain cultures, notably Yankees and Filipinos, insist that public gatherings around the machine must rule; others, notably the Japanese, prefer smaller, more private affairs, conducted in private rooms stacked together in huge karaoke skyscrapers. Some establishments feature a communal bar up front, rooms in back — all the better to mix karaoke and liquor with sex. But the story of karaoke necessitates the story of the single performer, and so individual tales find their way here and there. Recalls former MBA student Ryan Rowe, dragged out by friends one night in Toronto, Ontario: “A karaoke bar is probably the last place I’d choose to spend my Friday night … (but) … we ordered a few drinks and it wasn’t long before we were all wailing like alley cats on a fencepost. … I couldn’t keep a tune if it was worth my life. How did (my new friends) put up with me? … The night was a blast and I’m glad I gave it a shot.” And so departs another satisfied, enlightened customer. Whether machine-assisted singing can collapse cultural barriers, as opposed to bridging them, remains to be seen. This book, though, with its comprehensive global survey and vibrant color photos, invites us all, with our wild throat fluctuations, to step up bravely, and lively, to its chorus. “We hope someday,” in the words of an old song I hope someone’s singing somewhere, “the whole world will live this way.” n “Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon,” by Zhou Xun and Francesca Tarocco. Published by Reaktion Books Ltd., 2007. $19.95. Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Send correspondence to: Northwest Asian Weekly • P.O. Box 3468 • Seattle • WA 98114 Tel: 206.223.5559 • Fax: 206.223.0626 • Email: info@nwasianweekly.com Please bookmark this site: www.nwasianweekly.com.