A Japanese Singing Competition Blooms In Colorado
At a Buddhist temple in downtown Denver, Junko Higdon is rehearsing a traditional song for one of the local Japanese community's biggest annual events.
Higdon is one of 30 amateur singers competing in two teams at this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, which means, "red and white singing battle."
"White is for the men, red is for the women and whoever gets the most points out the teams wins the trophy," she says.
Kohaku contests in the U.S., like the one held in Denver on Saturday, are spin-offs of a massive, annual singing event in Japan. Those competitions began shortly after World War II and spread to U.S. cities with large Japanese-American populations.
A Dying Tradition
Japanese communities around the U.S. decided to replicate the original Kohaku, as a way to entertain first-generation immigrants, says Seiji Tanaka, who has been involved with the event since it started 40 years ago.
"This is a very traditional Japanese event," Tanaka says. "You don't have to leave Denver to enjoy one day [of] Japanese culture."
When many first-generation immigrants began to die years ago, Tanaka says most cities stopped producing the event.
"We tried to continue to entertain ... but no audience," he says. "Just like fishing where no fish [are] there."
Although Denver has a Japanese population of fewer than 3,000, Tanaka felt an attachment to Kohaku, so he decided to change things up.
Finding a new generation of enthusiasts
"We start finding new fish in the new generation people," he says.
The event now includes Japanese rock music, and English-language songs from musicals like Les Miserables. The sing-off used to be the Denver event's biggest draw, but it now includes things like traditional Japanese dancing and Taiko drumming. And it's also becoming more diverse.
Daniel Medina is one of the performers at this year's Kohaku. He met his band mate, lead singer Jin Kazama, on Craigslist.
"All of my Japanese knowledge came from video games of Final Fantasy," Medina says. "And then I just got lucky meeting Jin and getting to be surrounded by Japanese culture."
Tanaka says efforts to expand the event's offerings are paying off, but he's also nostalgic for the old days.
"Many older people cannot understand new pop-type music," Tanaka says. "But in order to keep going, we need to have that kind of balancing things."
And in order to keep Denver's Kohaku Uta Gassen going, Tanaka, 76, is now on the hunt for a successor.
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Transcript
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Kohaku Uta Gassen - hope I said that correctly - is a singing competition that began in Japan shortly after World War II and eventually spread to the U.S., kind of like NBC's "The Voice" but with Japanese music. The competition almost completely disappeared from U.S. cities after the first generation of Japanese immigrants died, although it continues in a few places that have large Japanese populations. And today, Denver's tiny Japanese community holds its 40th singing contest. Colorado Public Radio's Chloe Veltman reports.
CHLOE VELTMAN, BYLINE: At the Buddhist temple in downtown Denver, Junko Higdon is rehearsing a traditional song for one of the Colorado Japanese community's biggest annual events.
JUNKO HIGDON: (Singing in Japanese).
VELTMAN: Higdon is one of 30 amateur singers competing in two teams at this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, which means red and white singing battle.
HIGDON: White is for the men. Red is for the women. And whoever gets the most point out of the team wins a trophy.
VELTMAN: U.S. Kohaku contests, like the one in Denver, are spinoffs of a massive, annual, televised singing event in Japan.
SEIJI TANAKA: This is a very traditional Japanese event. You don’t have to leave Denver to enjoy one day Japanese culture.
VELTMAN: That's Seiji Tanaka. He chairs the Denver Kohaku organizing committee and has been involved with the event since it started 40 years ago. He says Japanese communities across the U.S. decided to replicate the original Kohaku as a way to entertain first-generation immigrants. When those people passed away around 20 years ago, most cities stopped producing it.
TANAKA: We tried to continue to entertain, but no audience, just like fishing when no fish there.
VELTMAN: Denver has a Japanese population of fewer than 3,000 people, but Tanaka felt an attachment to Kohaku, so he decided to change things up.
TANAKA: We start finding new fish in the new generation people.
VELTMAN: The events now includes Japanese rock music, like this...
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Singing in Japanese).
VELTMAN: ...And English songs, like this one from the musical "Les Miserables."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BRING HIM HOME")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Singing) Hear my prayer.
VELTMAN: The sing-off used to be the event's biggest draw. But it now includes things like traditional Japanese dancing and Taiko drumming. And it's also becoming more diverse.
Daniel Medina is a non-Japanese musician performing in a band at this year's Kohaku. He met Japanese lead singer Jin Kazama on Craigslist.
DANIEL MEDINA: All of my Japanese knowledge came from videogames of Final Fantasy, and then I just got lucky meeting Jin and getting to be surrounded by Japanese culture.
TANAKA: If you can't beat them, you have to join them.
VELTMAN: Denver Kohaku organizer Seiji Tanaka says the efforts to diversify are paying off. But he's also nostalgic for the old days.
TANAKA: Many older people cannot understand new pop-type music. But in order to keep going, we need to have that kind of balancing things.
VELTMAN: And in order to keep Denver's Kohaku Uta Gassen going, Tanaka, who's 76, is now on the hunt for a successor. For NPR News, I'm Chloe Veltman in Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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