Musician Highlight: JERO
I am a lover of culture and love the different facets which make up a culture. As an admirer of the Japanese culture, I also appreciate greatly her music- notably enka music, a very traditional Japanese style of singing. The artist I am highlighting this week is one of the rages of enka music currently in Japan. His name is Jero (Jerome Charles White, Jr.) and is an African-American born (Pittsburgh) singer with Japenese ancestry. He grew up listening to enka when his Japenese born grandmother would play it and he started singing it as amusement for her. Clearly, it has taken him to new heights. To anyone’s knowledge, he is the first Black enka singer in Japan where he has made a base for himself and given a new rise in popularity to an old age wonder. What I appreciate about Jero is that he has stayed true to himself, always decked out in his sideways baseball caps, baggy jeans and polo shirt and not sporting a kimono.
When Jero is not singing he is a computer engineer working in Tokyo. Truly fascinating individual. I love enka and one of my other favorite enka singers is named Itsuki Hiroshi-Chigiri. In the following video, the two are featured singing a beautiful ballad. I get chills listening to this song every time. Enka is enough to make me want to learn Japanese. Well, enjoy for yourself!
Cheers,
Adaeze
