Karaoke is a Part of Filipino Culture
As I sit here on my front patio of my little room, I’m listening to two different Karaoke singers about half a block over.
Karaoke is huge in the Philippines. Everyone loves to sing karaoke.
Often, karaoke will go on until two in the morning. Don’t even think about complaining because it’s just the way it is here.
Want to know why most Filipinas are great singers? It’s because they’ve been practicing every night since they were eight years old. You will really be impressed with their singing skills and talent.
Karaoke in the Philippines is Not a Spectacular Performance
It’s not a huge exciting production like I’m used to in America.
Basically, the singer will sit at his/her table and sing from there. They just pass the microphone around. It’s kind of boring from my standpoint.
In the states, you have to stand up in front of the room and feel the pressure of performing. That’s part of the entertainment. The crowd wants to see if someone chokes or messes up. All eyes are on the person singing.
In the Philippines, just sit at a table with your friends and the microphone will come to you. Often, it’s hard to pick out exactly who the heck is singing.
The Downside to Karaoke in the Philippines
Here’s the part that I don’t exactly enjoy. It’s their selection of music.
Throughout the Philippines, whether you are at a karaoke bar or in a taxi cab, you will feel like you are either in an elevator or your dentist’s chair. They love the soft rock, 80’s and 90’s music that hardly anyone in America listens to unless they’re getting a root canal. I’ve explained to my girlfriend that if she tries to sing the same songs at a bar in America, the DJ will never call her to the microphone.
It’s a bit depressing. When I’m trying to enjoy a cold beer, I can’t take Celine Dion. I can’t stand Whitney Houston’s I will Always Love You. It makes me want to start sawing on my wrists with a butter knife.
What makes it worse is that the karaoke machine will play a 1990’s type video behind the lyrics. The videos all look like they were filmed in south Florida and will remind you of a corny infomercial.
I love taking my Filipina to sing karaoke because it makes her happy. However, it’s three hours of the most sleepy music you can imagine. I sit there and hope that maybe, just maybe, someone will crank out some AC/DC, Guns N Roses, or Creedence. It never happens.
The only way to deal with it is to get staggering drunk and hope for a brownout.
Make sure you read my other articles on How to Date a Filipina so you know what to expect.