By: Shigeo Kimura
The first Kohaku Uta Gassen was held in January 1974 and was sponsored by the Denver Buddhist Temple. At that time, we didn't have a good sound system so we used mostly cassette tapes for karaoke (does everyone remember cassette tapes?).
The printed program was simple, but the cover was beautifully designed. The cover design was donated by the Japan Airlines Denver Office. There were a large number of issei (first-generation) Japanese attendees, and it was always a full house!
Some years later, women from Colorado Springs decided to charter a bus to support the event. We always would reserve the seats in the first two rows for those women to respect their dedication and commitment to this event.
There used to be a custom of presenting bouquets, and popular singers would often be flooded with flowers. This custom was later discontinued due to the time-consuming nature of it.
The sponsor, Denver Buddhist Temple, would present a Certificate of Appreciation to all the performers. It was a memorable occasion for all the performers, and some of them, to this day, still proudly show that gratitude.
In 1997, the Japanese American Association of Colorado, now known as Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado, began to sponsor the event by donating seed money and to this day still is a grantor.
From 2000 on, Kohaku Uta Gassen has been co-sponsored by the Denver Buddhist Temple, Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado, and the Kohaku Uta Gassen Executive Committee.
In the mid-1990s, more Japanese-owned businesses began to pop up around the Denver metro area. Businesses such as restaurants, travel agencies, insurance agents, etc., and thus the event began promoting those businesses through advertisement slots in the program.
From the very first Kohaku until today, we have had the support of many volunteers and have grown and evolved. Our committee appreciates the support of all the hard-working volunteers and those who continue to believe in the event's success.
In recent times, students of the local Japanese schools (Japanese School of Denver, Colorado Japanese School, and the Japanese Academy of the Rockies) have added their own set to the program's entertainment. Other groups, such as the Okinawan dancers, KenHamo group, cheer & dance, and etc. have also been added to the program.
As times have changed, so has the music. Karaoke music without an orchestral background music is no longer played through a cassette player but instead through a modern PA system. The song chosen by singers and the singers themselves have also changed over time.
The next singing contest will be held on January 25th, 2025 at the Denver Buddhist Temple. Two years were skipped in 2021 and 2022 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
In the United States, Denver, Colorado, hosts the last standing Kohaku Uta Gassen. As a final word, we would like to again thank all the volunteers, both past and present, for their efforts in continuing this tradition for over 50 years.
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