Karaoke on Steriods
This article was written in 2003. I haven’t judged the Kohaku Utagassen contest since then, but I’ve attended the event most years. It’s still a tradition for Denver’s Japanese-speaking community, and a showcase for the older generation’s treasured “enka” style of pop song.
This weekend I discovered that karaoke can be incredibly elegant, and a legitimate form of entertainment—not just bar fodder.
I was a judge for the 28th annual Red vs. White Singing Competition, Denver’s professionally-staged version of Japan’s Kohaku Utagassen contest. In Japan, Kohaku Utagassen is an institution. It’s an annual contest between women (red team) and men …