Japanese karaoke singing to a beer bottle
''For a business type like myself, when you sing loudly, it is a solution to stress,'' he added. He is a classically trained violist, and got hooked on karaoke after becoming intrigued with the traditional ornamentation of the many pop tunes that he said were based on old Japanese folk songs. ''They are about failure in love, never success,'' observed Joe Oshima, an accountant, who said he ignored the meaning of the words. Most karaoke songs are popular love ballads.
But singing is not the only attraction at piano bars for many, it is the hostesses - some of them Japanese, others American or other nationalities - who sit down and chat with customers.Īlmost all the customers at both kinds of bars are Japanese, many of them business executives who often bring their clients and put the cost on their expense accounts. Even more expensive are Japanese piano bars, where customers also sing, but to live accompaniment at the keyboard.Īt Club Ohogi, at 214 East 49th Street, for instance, a first-time customer pays $80 to $90, including the cost of a bottle (often Scotch) that he may use in subsequent visits. At Hagi, for example, a recent bill for two people who each had a pint of beer was $38.50, including tax and cover charges. ''I assure you, you feel pretty ecstatic,'' Mr. Listen to some of the best new recordings here. Classical Music: 2021 was a year of reawakening for the art form.Jazz Albums: Even the big-statement albums this year had a feeling of intense closeness.Pop Albums: Recordings with big feelings and room for catharsis made the most powerful connections.Best Songs: A posthumous political statement and a superstar’s 10-minute redo are among the 66 best tracks of 2021.
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