JET Article: Soulful Singer Makes It Big Singing Japanese

Featured in this week's JET (March 31, 2008):
~LT

Soulful Singer Makes It Big Singing Japanese

When Jerome White, Jr. relocated to Japan after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003, his plan was to become a singer. Five years later his dream has come true in a big way, earning him the reputation as Japan's first Black "enka" singer.

White, better known in Japan as JERO, recently landed fourth place on the Oricon weekly music charts and set a sales record for a debut "enka" folk song. The title of the hit song Umiyuki which can be heard and seen on YouTube.com means Ocean Snow.

Traditionally enka music is often slow, mournful ballads about love, death, loneliness, perseverance and , occasionally, suicide. The music, created during the World War II era, has struggled to attract younger listeners until now.

"He has reawakened Japanese to the beauty of enka music and the Japanese language," said JERO fan Yumi Kuroda.



As a child growing up in Pittsburgh, White, 26, was introduced to enka by his late Japanese grandmother, who moved to Pittsburgh with his grandfather, a former U.S. serviceman stationed near Tokyo. What makes White a novelty act is his soulful singing in perfect Japanese combined with his hip-hop style.

"Whenever I'd sing enka in front of my grandmother she would be very, very pleased and happy," said White, who began singing at age 5. "I loved her to death, so I kept on singing. I got hooked on it and thought, 'I would love to be an enka singer."

White's overseas career in music began when he won a high-profile singing contest months after his arrival to the country. While taking various jobs as an English instructor, translator and systems engineer, he entered karaoke contests and at a national competition in 2005 was discovered by the Japan Victor Corporation (JVC).

White is currently working on completing a full length CD.

--Marti Parham with AFP reports

Links
wiki article: Jero
JERO website: jvcmusic.co.jp
news article with youtube clips: japanprobe.com &
japanprobe.com