Karaoke, Karaoke

Also click: ARRIANN

Hans Baer, Fall 98

In the mid-eighties about seven of us hit the entertainment scene in Kobe, Japan: We ended up in a Karaoke bar, not even knowing what this was all about. We quickly found out: several Japanese parons were singing in front of a TV screen, which projected song texts accompanied by the instrumental scores - all in English. Wayne Laut, chairman of pharmacology in Winnipeg and his litigation-lawyer wife quickly caught on, and soon enough they and others assembled also in front of the TV screen and were singing along. Later they commented that this was sure something one should take with to Canada and introduce there in bars - they smelled good business! Actually, I had another idea of what one should export to Canada: drink cans dispensed from automatic dispensers which had a small chemical reactor at the bottom, activated by a pin poke, generating heat and warming up your coffe or tea: I saw great potential to introduce this to Canadian ski slopes, not only with coffe or tea but rather with Gluehwein - hot spicy wines or rum/sugar drinks!

Anyway, the eving at the Karaoke bar was great fun, one of our group later spoiled the evening by throwing up all over the table and later getting almost lost on the streets - and it was only a few years later that the name "Karaoke" crept up in Canada, becoming a household word at least for those who frequented Canadian bars - by and large depressing places by my taste, thanks to the depressing effects of the Canadian Liquor Control Boards who can't help prescribing even the furniture in liquor serving establishments (requiring carpets so spilling beer and drinks results in a permanent unpleasant smell that carries out to the streets) - but that's another topic!

And then I suddenly discovered Karaoke in St. Vincent! And I tell you, this is big time entertainment around here. I cannot say anything about other islands (although I never saw or heard anything about Karaoke in Grenada 25 flight minutes to the South), but here in St. Vincent you can enjoy Karaoke activities at least three times weekly: Wednesdays and Fridays in downtown Kingstown at VeeJay's Rooftop,Thursdays at Danno's (formerly Level Three) and Saturday's at the Harborview, as well as Fridays at Ronah's in Stubbs (the place I need to visit soon, because the singing there is supposed to be terrible, and so i would fit right in - maybe even winning a prize or two). And let me tell you, too, that the quality of singing and the overall entertainment at VeeJay's (the only place I have been going to - whenever I can find someone to join me) is really good if not outright ammazingly artistic. There are many excellent singers around, they sing their hearts out, rarely perform poorly (which is also entertaining because the crowds then mercilessly and hilariously laugh, cheer, jeer and slap each other's shoulders). Drinks are cheap, food is good, company - well that can be good , too, if you arrange it right. there is a rsik that you will have to sing something, too - and that happened to me twice when four colleagues from among our cliniucal tutors asked me to join them in a song. i did, and they stopped in the middle and let me blurt on by myself - a setup! And then a lady student instsed she wanted me to join her and I did, and the song was oen i never heard before, entitled "Let's get physical". A wonderful theme for a professor and student to sing together (I was supposed to dance along a bit also), particulalry in our university where they have strict sexual harrassment policies bordering on the absurd... But don't be scared - these involvements only may happen later in the evening when everyone is kind of drunk or tired and nobody listens to the singing any longer -and besides - it is supposed to be for amateurs and to be fun!

The problem for me still is the fact that there are so many terrific performers - all amateurs - that one can easily develop an inferiority complex. One who gets under my skin everytime, in more ways than one, is a young lady who actually lives very close by. her name is Arriann Cyrus and she sings like a professional: She can truly make you f\eel inadequate. She never misses a beat, always is on key and can do it all - love songs, crazy songs, soft ones and hard ones. How come she is not a professional? Partly because she is thinking straight and knows that she would have to do some heavy work and srious competing to make it as a professional, and partly because out of St. Vincent things are a bit tough. She would have to leave here, jeopardize her professional career with the local radio station and take a big risk. In any case, if only she could manage to finf one or more good song writers and develop a CD of her own - the sky might be the limit. She unhesitatingly will tell you that she will do some songs better than Celine Dion. Right or wrong - it shows she has no hesitation or stage fright. Look at the accompanying by clicking here - Arriann - if you maybe know someone who writes songs....

And you, the reader, be forwarned: If you visit here and meet me, I will drag you along to one of these Karaoke evenings at VeeJay's or elsewhere, and then you can see - and hear - for yourself.

By the way: Karaoke at VeeJay's or the other establishments is really the only excitement you can go for at the respective evenings between the hours of 1 pm to midnight: Hotels are closed then , alternative entertainment does not exist, and the night clubs (Attic, Aquatic Club mainly, on Fridays or Saturdays) are dead before midnight. I myself kind of like to call it quits by midnight and not start anything that late - or early - in the day. At least i cannot do what the loclas do: They go to bed (if necessary alone) in the early evening and come to life again by, say, 11 pm - just in time to take a shower, put on a skimpy dress (i.e. the women - havn't seen any men in dresses on this island yet) and hit the night life....

Hello - is it me you're looking for...? I wish! That's the song I always sing to myself in my car on the way home from Karaoke!