Karaoke lends its style back to Japan around 1970. During this time singing and dancing was the only form of adult entertainment. A Japanese singer, Daisuke Inoue, was asked by many to record his songs and release copies so they could sing along. Inoue made a tape recorder that would play one song when money was deposited, making the first “sing-along” machine. First regarded as a boring fad, it soon became a very popular pasttime that showed up in restaurants and hotels. The first karaoke bars, as we know them, were called Karaoke Box. Inoue was awarded the gag Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing Karaoke and “thereby providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other.”
Karaoke’s popularity quickly spread to other countries including the United States, where we have taken the art of karaoke singing to another level. Of course cassettes have been long replaced with CDs and DVDs. Technological advances have provided better equipment used for karaoke and the spread of venues such as bars and clubs have also increased its popularity.
Karaoke is now moving in a whole new direction.
Join us at the “Rooftop Bar” Wednesday nights to put your vocal cords to a test! Song list updated monthly!
