A Brief History Of Karaoke
While many people are familiar with and have enjoyed participating in it, few have an appreciation for the rich history of karaoke.
From opportunities to stand up in front of a crowded bar to the rise of more intimate karaoke settings, this form of interactive entertainment has made an indelible impression on our culture.
In this article, we will take a look back at the origin, history and evolution of karaoke.
What is Karaoke?
Karaoke, as you may well know, is an interactive activity where an individual or a group of people sing along to an instrumental version of a popular song. Karaoke set-ups include a screen that displays the chosen song’s lyrics to help guide the singer or singers.
What does Karaoke mean?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online, the word Karaoke is formed from the amalgamation of two Japanese words: The first being “kara”, which means empty, and the second being “ōke”, which is a shortened version of the word for orchestra, “ōkesutora”.
Thus, Karaoke means “empty orchestra”, which is certainly a fitting name as the music played during Karaoke is absent of its original vocals/singers.
Exploring the History of Karaoke
1920s: Early Roots
Max Fleischer was an animator and studio owner in America and helped to pioneer the development of the animated cartoon industry. One of his many inventions (another being the pivotal invention of the rotoscope, a device which allows live-action film frames to be traced to help guide animated action, thus saving time and labour) was the ‘bouncing ball’ technique on film. This style helped audiences to sing along in theatres by guiding them across the lyrics with a bouncing ball. Developed in the first half of the 1920s, this technique became popular and can very well be seen as a precursor to the modern karaoke screens in use today.
Over the ensuing decades, sing-along films and shorts continued to rise in popularit,y and audiences were keen to participate in the musical productions they were watching.
1960s: Sing-a-Long
By the time the early 1960s came along, Mitch Miller, a prominent American musician, conductor, record producer and TV personality, was hosting a show called Sing-a-Long with Mitch. The popular show involved the display of musical lyrics on the TV to help home viewers sing along with him.
This natural and remarkable development and increased interest in audiences wanting to participate in singing along with music paved the way for what would become the popular pastime of Karaoke.
1967: The Invention of Karaoke
In the year 1967, a Japanese engineer named Shigeichi Negishi is thought to have developed the first karaoke machine. At the time, he was running a consumer electronics assembly business and used this experience to invent a device that played pre-recorded musical tracks that listeners could sing along to using the connected microphone.
This soon became the commercially-branded Sparko Box – a coin-operated precursor of the modern Karaoke machine. It did not take very long for it to become a popular feature of bars, cafes and restaurants. Its popularity led to it being mass-produced by Negishi.
1971: Daisuke Inoue
However, despite the groundwork being laid, the invention of the modern Karaoke machine is often credited to a businessman named Daisuke Inoue. Inoue used taped music together with amplifiers to enable people to sing along to music without the need of a live band.
The device featured an amplifier, microphone, eight-track stereo and a coin box for commercial operation. Inoue would rent the machine out to bars and split its profits.
However, without patenting his invention, Inoue’s creation was soon copied throughout the globe.
1976: Roberto Legaspi
In the mid-1970s, Roberto Legaspi, an entrepreneur from the Philippines, created a Karaoke-type advice system called the Sing-Along System.
He proceeded to successfully apply for patents for the invention and so, for some, is considered to be at least one of the credited inventors of Karaoke.
1970s: Global Expansion
The commercial expansion of Karaoke and Sing Along Systems followed almost immediately. Buoyed by the advanced technological developments within and beyond the musical industry, Karaoke took little time to go mainstream.
Companies like Taikan, Nikkodo, and Daiichikosho were producing their very own machines and selling them widely across Japan.
1980s: LaserDiscs Arrive
By the early 1980s, the company Pioneer invented and introduced the LaserKaraoke device. This system used the state-of-the-art (for the time) technology of LaserDiscs to display the lyrics (and sometimes videos) whilst the musical track was playing. This seemingly simple and yet innovative improvement to the karaoke experience set up the next chapter in the history of Karaoke.
In 1982, around this same time, Karaoke well and truly arrived in America: The first karaoke bar Dimples, opened up in Los Angeles, California.
Over the 80s, Karaoke machines soon turned into Karaoke boxes or booths. These private rooms allowed for private groups to sing in the comfort of only their own company and turned Karaoke from an initially public activity into a more intimate, social and family-friendly experience.
1990s: Rise of the Digital World
Technology continued to march on.
The introduction of compact discs and graphics (from the mid-1980s but more prominently in the 90s) allowed for even higher quality levels of audio and more easily visible on-screen lyrics. All of this just added to Karaoke’s accessibility and thus appeal.
The decade also ushered in the arrival of the DVD, making the ability of Karaoke bars to expand their libraries of songs on offer even greater.
From the cultural phenomenon to the technological evolution, Karaoke clubs were popping up all over the world. Technology soon allowed home-based Karaoke systems to become more affordable and accessible, bringing the experience to people’s lounge rooms.
2000s – 2020s: The World Wide Web Takes Over
Everything changed by the 2000s with the arrival of the internet.
The World Wide Web – and broadband generally – took Karaoke to the next level. It enabled the streaming of songs on demand, made it possible for music-lovers to access vast libraries of tracks using devices in their bags and pockets, and revolutionised how people could interact with music.
Online websites and smartphone apps allowed everyone to become their music producers, making it easier than ever for people to sing, record and share their musical endeavours.
Global competitions soon sprang up, such as the Karaoke World Championships, which first took place in Finland in 2003 and cemented Karaoke’s popularity on a global scale.
Great Karaoke Starts at DJ City
From humble beginnings in the form of old school animated sing-along shorts to smart-device enabled Karaoke anytime anywhere, the explosion of this musical pastime has been phenomenal over the past 100 years.
Singers, music fans and social groups alike can enjoy karaoke publicly or privately, however they want. The modern world has allowed everyone to come together and share the universal joy of singing together and enjoying music together.
If you are looking to invest in your very own Karaoke equipment, want to know more about the history of Karaoke, or just want to browse our online selection of music-making gear, make sure to check out our range at DJ City today.
