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"Every chance I get, I would like to perform. I feel that in order to keep this genre of music alive, the younger generation of Japan needs to be exposed to it more often. I am happy that I am able to keep my current younger fans and gain new ones." (Guan Barl)<\/p><\/div>\n
By<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>JQ\u00a0magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0editor\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Justin Tedaldi<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(CIR\u00a0Kobe-shi<\/a>, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his\u00a0Japanese culture page\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for related stories.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Since becoming a star in Japan in 2008 for his interpretations of enka, or Japanese ballads, singer\u00a0Jero<\/a>\u00a0is now poised to make his New York debut at\u00a0Japan Society<\/a>\u00a0on June 9 withLet\u2019s Enka! with Jero<\/a>, where he will perform a selection of karaoke-accompanied\u00a0enka\u00a0classics and talk about his childhood, his trailblazing success, the challenges he’s faced and his love for the uniquely Japanese genre of music.<\/p>\n Born Jerome Charles White, Jr., the 30-year-old Pittsburgh native was born of mixed Japanese and African American heritage. He was exposed to\u00a0enka\u00a0and the Japanese language as a child by his grandmother, a native of Yokohama. Jero\u2019s first single released in Japan,\u00a0\u201cUmiyuki<\/a>\u201d\u00a0(\u201cOcean Snow\u201d), entered the top five of the national pop charts, which helped the fledgling vocalist win Best New Artist of 2008 at The 50th Annual Japan Record Awards.<\/p>\n Following his Japan Society debut concert, Jero will participate \u00a0in a rare meet-and-greet with fans, selling and signing his CDs as well as special Jero tote bags, the proceeds of which will be donated to\u00a0JERF<\/a>, the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, set up by Japan Society in the wake of 3\/11. In this exclusive interview, I caught up with Jero on his difficult pre-stardom days in Japan, the turning point that encouraged him to perform in America, and his role as a global envoy of enka.<\/p>\n Your New York debut will be held at Japan Society. How did this come together?<\/strong><\/p>\n I received an e-mail for the event asking me to perform. I forwarded the e-mail to my manager and there you have it!<\/p>\n Tell us a little about your previous live performances in North America. What were your expectations and how were the shows received?<\/strong><\/p>\n My very first performance in the U.S. [in 2008] was at my alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. Two years later, I was given the opportunity to perform in L.A. and San Francisco. I actually was against performing in the U.S. because I wasn’t sure how it would be perceived by the U.S. audience, as all the songs are in Japanese. I received a lot of positive feedback after those performances, which gave me a confidence I never had before.<\/p>\n You<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>ve said before that you would like to keep performing on the Japanese New Year<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Eve music program\u00a0Kohaku Uta Gassen<\/a><\/em>\u00a0every year and continue to get younger audiences listening to enka. How do you feel this has been going so far, and how do you feel about introducing enka to a younger generation of fans?<\/strong><\/p>\n Every chance I get, I would like to perform. Because the enka audience has decreased every year, outlets to perform have also decreased. I feel that in order to keep this genre of music alive, the younger generation of Japan needs to be exposed to it more often. I am happy that I am able to keep my current younger fans and gain new ones.<\/p>\n For the complete story, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n