Karaoke: Sing Out Loud! Sing Out Strong!
By Victor Chen

Karaoke ... the high-tech music phenomenon imported from Japan, that mystical art form prompting otherwise tie-bound corporate executives to break into song and fellow restaurant patrons to cover their ears.

Karaoke (correctly pronounced "kah-rah-oh-kay," but known as "carry okee" to its Western neophytes) first gained popularity in Japan in the late 1970s, with bars and home-entertainment centers that offered would-be singers recorded accompaniment to popular songs.

One legend has it that the idea first percolated in the head of a savvy Japanese bar manager who couldn't afford a live band. He decided to use tapes with the vocals stripped to accompany hired singers.

But national karaoke experts argue that Americans were the original trendsetters, with their bouncing-ball sing-alongs of the '50s.

"It started in the United States, but Japan improved it and sophisticated it," said Ben Joiner, owner of Karaoke Capital, a karaoke deejay service in Dallas.

Nowadays, karaoke accounts for a $2 billion industry in the United States alone, Joiner said, with 25 different manufacturers of karaoke CDs and laser discs and a veritable subculture of bars, parties and publications.

"It's the great equalizer. You're only as good as your last tune," said Jeff Yang, editor and publisher. Even if you're not willing to become a martyr for the karaoke cause, a night with the mike in hand can be a great way to unwind after a long, hard day at work.