After hearing of the death of the creator of the karaoke machine, I decided to give it a go. But would it be sheer pain, or beauty borne of imperfection?
When I learned that Shigeichi Negishi, creator of the karaoke machine, had died aged 100, I was unmoved by those who hailed him as a legend. Was his show-off box really worth celebrating? Maybe they were doing a bad cover version of grief.
When I sing, it sounds like someone in pain. I’ve always suspected karaoke is one of those supposedly liberating activities, proselytised by people who happen to be proficient. Like dancing, drawing or running. They want things they’re good at to be widespread, so their skill gains currency. To stay in the upper quartile, they need people below them – that’s where newbies come in. It’s impossible to be bad at karaoke! I can hear them laughing.
