Jero aka Jerome White Jr.
WATCH THIS FIRST!
ジェロ(JERO) - 海雪(Umiyuki) (2008)
Yes! Jerome White Jr also commonly known as Jero(ジェロ) is an American born Enka singer! Jero is actually quarter-Japanese, three-quarter African American and has been nicknamedKurobune by the Japanese press, after Admiral Perry’s Black Ships. He grew up listening to his Japanese grandmother’s enka records, and he came to Japan after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with the specific goal of becoming a singer in mind. His first single is Umiyuki, a song that captures the loneliness of the Sea of Japan in the winter.It really shocked me when i found out about Jero. Firstly, he is an African-American who speaks and sings in Japanese (yah okay that is not so shocking). Then he comes out with the Hip-Hop image, which for awhile i was thinking “sheesh it is going to be another R&B hip hop song in Japanese except it is sung by a non-japanese”.
UNTIL.. he sung Enka music!
Basically, Enka music refers to 2 styles of Japanese Music. First is speeches set to music which were sung and spread by political activists during the Meiji period and the Taisho period as a means to avoid crackdowns by the government on speeches of political dissent. The second is a genre of Japanese popular songs (kayōkyoku) developed in the postwar Showa period , which has been likened to American country music and Portuguese Fado in terms of themes and audience. The term now usually refers to the latter type of traditional and melodramatic popular songs.
However, modern Enka came into being in the postwar years of the Shōwa period. It was the first style to synthesize the Japanese pentatonic scale with Western harmonies. Enka lyrics are usually are about the themes of love and loss, loneliness, enduring hardships, and persevering in the face of difficulties, even suicide or death. Enka suggests a more traditional, idealized, or romanticized aspect of Japanese culture and attitudes.
In these times of cultural imperialism of the west, it is interesting to see Jero taking a step away from the whole R&B, Hip-Hop culture to embrace a traditional form of music. Jero has somewhat revived and given Enka music a whole new definition. Enka now is not only loved by the older generations but the youngsters too! He came in 4th in the Oricon’s top music charts in Feb 2008, proving that the youth are supportive of his music.
Anyway, there are also other Asian artistes that incorporates traditional music into their music. Take Jay Zhou for example, he fuses traditional chinese instruments into his R&B style to form a new genre “Zhong Guo Fong”(translated:Chinese style). Another popular artiste that uses the east meets west style is Wang Lee Hom. He has an american background but shows wide interest in his chinese heritage. In his 10th album Shangri-La (心中的日月), Lee Hom incorporated the often unheard music of Chinese aboriginal music into mainstream hip hop and coined this style “chinked-out”. He experimented with the tribal sounds of China, Tibet, and Mongolia.
I guess “Cultural Imperialism” can work both ways. It can either suck us into the whole idea that we should be in awe of the western culture or it can make us realise that preserving our own cultural heritage is important!
For more of Jero check out:
or official website at http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/jero/
