The president of Enka

[imomus]

Amidst all the buzz about a black American's chance to become the next US President, let's consider an even more remarkable achievement: a black American is currently poised to revitalise Enka, the genre of trad balladry post-war Japan liked to get drunk and sentimental listening to. The man in question is 26 year-old Jerome White Junior, raised in Pittsburgh. In Japan they just call him Jero.



Jero's grandfather was a black American soldier stationed in Japan who married a Japanese woman. A few years later, back in Pittsburgh, her Enka record collection began to fascinate her six year-old grandson. He signed up for a Japanese language course at school and, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, headed to Japan, where Victor Records took a risk and signed him.

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The risk paid off: Jero is now huge, with a fanbase demographic that takes in octogenarian nostalgarians and young girls alike. His energetic synchronised dance routines and brash hip hop outfits may make a bizarre corollary for the warbling ballads he sings, but -- as they aren't saying about Obama and Hillary -- maybe it's the best of both worlds, a marriage made, if not in heaven, then at least in spring, when the blossom falls, bro, yo.

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Having messed somewhat with hybrid Enka on my last album, I must say I love the soaring sentimentality of this musical form. It's not far from the swooping croon Bowie achieved in his cover of "Wild is the Wind". Who says this gorgeous rush of regret and vibrato can only be for Japanese people? Thanks to its new black president, Enka is destined for all humanity.

Comments

[33mhz.livejournal.com]

omfg, amazing. Usher - "soul" + mono no aware. And of course a Murakami for Vuitton handbag flies out of his mouth when he speaks in those interviews.

I can't say I've heard much contemporary enka, but it's certainly miles from Misora Hibari. In its own way it's just as camp as this:


It's just less Judy Garland and more N*Sync.

[dzima.livejournal.com]

Momus, as you were a bit late in reporting the fixed gear trend, you are also a tad late with the Jero craze. It's time to get better informants otherwise the years will take its toll on your hip factor!

fan base?

[(Anonymous)]

I think you're mistaking fan base for "target market".

I have a particular sore spot with this feller because of his first Japanese TV appearance in December where he was lauded as "the man that will bring back enka."... "soon he will be all over TV and advertisements." That proclamation from the people who were intending to put him there was sort of a painful confirmation of things I try to ignore/deny.

As marxy-ist as it is, he doesn't represent any change in attitudes or culture so much as push-marketing.

Jero Hearn

[qscrisp.livejournal.com]

I like this. I personally feel that Japan needs to be able to allow foreigners to take part in Japanese culture more often, and to acknowledge such contributions to the culture. Jero is a kind of Lafcadio Hearn, renewing interest in aspects of the culture that the Japanese themselves take for granted. As he says, enka has had the image of something only for old people - karaoke songs for drunken ossan - but he proves there's no reason it should be that way. I don't find his treatment at all gimmicky or fickle. I'm sure similar contributions can be made to other areas of Japanese culture to bring them out of the museum and rehydrate them.

mdma

[(Anonymous)]

Hehey! Them jap birds are lappin' it up. I've got a fairly deep voice, i can learn Japanese, pppppsh. Thats next year sorted.

For some reason i'm liking footage of this Jero fella. Probably because of the unusual cultural pollination which is something i always warm to.

But can anyone tell me who the singer is who is heard (and presumably mentioned) at about 2:55 to 3:15 in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTd2TG3ajLY&eurl=http://imomus.livejournal.com/

(JERO meets Moriyama Aiko)

It sounds like the same singer who is heard on the 'Mysterious Podcast' released a few months back just here.

Is it? Who is she, or who are they? I must know, please help me someone!

Barack is on patches

[niddrie-edge.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of Bourgie Bourgie. Pretty much a style of the time with some acts.



Someone spoke to me last week about alcohol induced Celtic sentimentalism. The wailing and keening is apparent in the Romany culture too. Watching some of the wedding scenes in Latcho Drom I was taken back to 70s house parties. Old Uncle Willie toasting a young bride by channeling the souls of the ancestors through a Jim Reeves song.

Do people still challenge each other to a song these days or has karaoke cleaned up?

[electricwitch.livejournal.com]

I see it's time to install that word-changing script, to change "Obama" to Bowie, "Hilary Clinton" to Bolan, and "American election" to "Glam nazi death battle".

tears run ringu

[petit-paradis.livejournal.com]

is umiyaki is only hit sofar?

his crooning sounds marc almondish rather than bowie.

wonder why marc almond took this genre, it follows his latest song-structures and vocals.

[kumakouji.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough, My name's Jerome and I've had discussions with Japanese friends about possible Japanese nicknames. I remember Jero being mentioned but then disregarded as stupid because it means jello in Japan.

I can't help but feel that a lot of this guys success ultimately boils down to him being an unchallenging black typecast (The cookie-cutter hip-hop artist... because black people dont make any other kind of music, right?) with the added, marketable appeal of authentic "Japaneseness" which will pique the curiosity of the Japanese masses simply because as a nation they're obsessed with the idea of us-and-them when dealing with "foreigners".


I'm also confused by your advocacy of Obama which I consider as over-enthusiastic considering he doesn't even share your politics. He's not a far-left card-carrying Communist; he's very much a centrist, barely leaning to the left. I can't help but feel some people, you included, are having a hard time separating his race from his policies. Sure, he's a better candidate than McCain, but for someone as far-left as you he's hardly representing what you believe.

[(Anonymous)]

He aint no Timi baby

When you going to start biggin up Daniel O'donnel then?

[eclectiktronik.livejournal.com]

Having seen the clips, it's hard to find a more MOR corporate sounding act. mix 'safe ' cokie cutter hip hop aesthetic Kuma mentions with MOR balladry,and you get a safe marketable product which doesn't exactly take music in a new direction nor threaten anything. I'm sure it has its appeal, but it's hardly revolutionary!

[fishwithissues.livejournal.com]

someone please forward this to kanye.

[revengeofshades.livejournal.com]

Not to rock the boat, but it kind of strikes me as a tad Hasselhoffian, something you slow dance to when you visit your grandmother in an assisted living ward.

But can Jero top this?

[peripherus-max.livejournal.com]

These clashing Orientalisms, world blurrings, sexy, sinewy and transgressive...

Check out my little sister. Alabama backyard, 1988:
http://www.myspace.com/memedacookie

:)

[(Anonymous)]

Chadha singing in 1975:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y91ti-MoXE8

hybrid torch

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

Chavela Vargas, openly lesbian Costa Rican singer of ranchero songs, traditionally sung only by men. This woman does more with her ovaries than most men can with a full sack:

[cerulicante.livejournal.com]

Damn, a black guy took some old thing and mixed it with HIP HOP? That shit has NEVER been done before, ever!

That's completely new and fresh! WOW! I bet he will say that it is "off the chain." Isn't black peoples awesome? Let's all look at him like a monkey in the zoo because we are Japanese and we like non-Japanese that entertain us like the monkeys.