If you have ever been to sing karaoke then you know how much fun it can be. However if you’re not truly a singer or a fan of music, then you may also know how unbearable it can be. There’s a bit curious about karaoke because hypothetically, it shouldn’t really work. Who will have thought when you put together? 

It’s weird although true, and what was once idea to be a passing fad has shown itself to be here to stay. Ironically part of the fun of karaoke is when other people sound bad. It’s never dishonest or bad natured, however most people take some enjoyment when they hear a person who is completely off tune, and it’s the total best when the singer doesn’t even realize it! And of course there are always the surprise singers; people who don’t look like they’ll be any good but end up being a big hit of the night. It can all be a lot of fun and the power of music actually shines.

A lot of people really get addicted to karaoke. Either they sound good or not, they go full force into the movement. They will either gather their friends or go to the karaoke bar every time they can, or they will take the next step and get a personal karaoke system for their own house If you are a person who has been bitten by the karaoke bug then there are a range of choices that will allow you to bring the activity to your living room.

Emotions are what makes us the unique creatures that we are.  We cry when we feel sad and we laugh when we are happy, and one of the things that shows just how emotional we are is through this thing called singing.  Call me a hopeless romantic, but even Boy Bato who is known for his cold-heart and seemingly lifeless stare will hum you a tune or Annie Batumbakal has her own tune to dance to.   Yes, in fact, think about it, when you broke up with your very first honey, was there not a song that constantly played in your head that either made you run to the bathroom or run out the door with the excuse that you just “need to go”?  Or how about that song that made you feel that tingle run up your spine when you met “the one”?

Yes, singing has been our way of celebrating our moments in life, or under the circumstances, has made us mourn over what we consider that “oh my God, why me?” moment.  Singing in fact has been one of the better ways for us to express our repressed emotions.  Singing is a therapy for the brokenhearted, and singing too is his own special way of making the words “I love you” even more meaningful.  There is nothing in this world that cannot be better expressed with a melody and tune, and we are the only creatures in the earth who can croon with a beautiful melody and words that truly touches the heart.

With the advent of the Age of Karaoke and Magic Mic, almost everyone has found their muses and realized that they are singers.  Emotional creatures that we are, we have found ourselves releasing every single strand of frustration and every ounce of happiness through the songs we sing.   In my terms, except in rare occurrences, singing has been our non-violent reaction to what life throws our way, stones and bread and all!

As I have found out, our life is a song.  Like the tunes we belt out, it has its high notes and low notes, but the ending is that smooth finish, happy or sad.  This is how life truly is depending on the choices that we make and thank God for songs, there is a choice of what songs we would like to sing all our lives!

Remember Disney’s first installment of High School Musical in 2006? One of the beginning scenes was a party, with two teens shoved on stage to do a duet. It was the first time they met and that singing act began the whole High School Musical saga. The teens happened to be the now ultra-famous characters Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montes. And you have to take notice of that thing that introduced the two—karaoke of course!

Recently, I saw an interview with some of the cast for High School Musical 3, and I heard Zac Ephron say that his dad has friends in the Philippines, and it’s so popular for karaoke. His dad comes back and forth for vacations, and those vacations always include karaoke fun. Yes, karaoke is one supreme form of entertainment. It is so popular that you can see the whole karaoke vogue here and there in different movies and on tv.

I saw a list in Wikipedia of karaoke depicted in a variety of movies and television shows. You might probably know some in the list.

·    Films:
o    1989 film Black Rain
o    1996 comedy The Cable Guy
o    1997 romantic comedy My Best Friend’s Wedding
o    1997 Korean gangster comedy No. 3
o    Karaoke is central to the 2000 movie Duets, which features a father and daughter competing in karaoke  contests
o    In the 2001 film Jackpot, an aspiring singer tours karaoke bars hoping to catch his big break as a country star
o    2001 film Rush Hour 2 includes a karaoke performance by Chris Tucker, where he upstages a tone-deaf local in Hong Kong by singing Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
o    2003 film Lost in Translation
o    Karaoke is the central theme of The Karaoke King, a 2006 independent film

·    Television shows:
o    American television show Desperate Housewives
o    Several episodes of American television series Angel feature the demonic karaoke bar Caritas, whose proprietor Lorne (Andy Hallett) can tell fortunes based on the songs he hears. Some of the episodes include “That Old Gang of Mine” (episode 3 of season 3) and “Offspring” (episode 7 of season 3).
o    Bones, a forensics and police procedural in which each episode focuses on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth to the forensic anthropology team of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan. Karaoke was part of the cast in one of its episode, “Wannabe in the Weeds.”
o    Two Pints of Lager & A packet of Crisps featured Donna singing “Chick Chick Chicken”, which was made for the BBC by Zoom Entertainments, a karaoke producer based in Hull, UK.

You yourself might be thinking now of more episodes in tv series or scenes in movies with karaoke in it. Karaoke is just so widespread!