カラオケ文化が浸透するサンパウロの日系社会より2名が第11回国際紅白歌合戦にオンライン参加

日本人会館も280か所ほどあり、100近くのカラオケ教室で、10万人を超えるカラオケファンがそのイベントに備えて練習をしている。日系人も、3世、4世になるとほとんど日本を理解する人は少なくなっているが、親世代の影響で演歌を歌う人も多い。オンライン参加の30代の間では、五木ひろしや美空ひばりなどが今でも人気があるそうだ。

もちろん、10代、20代には、J-POPやアニソンがやはり人気だが、日本語で歌っているのは変わりがない。

日本とサンパウロの時差は12時間あるが、日本国外で最大規模のカラオケコミュニティーがあるサンパウロ。大阪関西万博が行われる大阪とサンパウロは姉妹都市ということで、今後ますます両都市の交流が進んで行くであろう。

国際紅白歌合戦もその一端を担うイベントとしていきたい。11月19日（日曜日）に開催される第11回国際紅白歌合戦は、公式ページ（http://irws.org）でオンラインでライブ配信もされる。

サンパウロの日系人コミュニティーから登場する一人目は、大橋さん。曲は義経伝説です。武勇に優れたが、悲運の源義経は、蝦夷地(北海道)へ逃れ、さらに大陸に渡って成吉思汗(ジンギスカン)になったなどさまざまな伝説がありますがそれが歌になっています。

二人目は、藤野さん。曲は,愛子の朝、結婚式を控えた娘の両親への感謝の気持ちを歌います。

Connecting from São Paulo, where karaoke culture is thriving in the Japanese community, two participants will join the 11th International Red and White Singing Festival(IRWS) online. 

São Paulo, Brazil, plans to host the IRWS in the future, possibly serving as a selection event.

With nearly two million people of Japanese descent living in Brazil, a significant portion resides in São Paulo. Japanese culture, especially martial arts like judo, is quite popular in Brazil. For this event, we're introducing two singers from São Paulo's karaoke community, which boasts around 100,000 members. According to Mr. EBIHARA, who has served as the chief judge for many competitions in Brazil's karaoke community, there are 4 to 5 karaoke events every week in São Paulo, with 300-600 participants each.

In São Paulo, there are around 280 Japanese community centers and nearly 100 karaoke schools, where over 100,000 karaoke enthusiasts are practicing for events. Even as Japanese-Brazilians become third or fourth generation, many are influenced by their parent's generation, and singing enka is still quite common. Among online participants in their 30s, classic Enka singers like Hiroshi Itsuki and Hibari Misora remain popular.

While J-POP and anime songs are trendy among teenagers and those in their 20s, singing in Japanese remains consistent. 

Despite a 12-hour time difference with Japan, São Paulo boasts the largest karaoke community outside Japan. With Osaka hosting the Kansai World Expo and São Paulo being a key participant, the interaction between the two cities is expected to grow. IRWS aims to contribute to this exchange. The 11th edition on November 19th (Sunday) will also be live-streamed online on the official page (http://irws.org).

First up from São Paulo's Japanese-Brazilian community is Mr. Ohashi. He'll be performing the song "Yoshitsune Densetsu" (The Legend of Yoshitsune). The song narrates various legends about Minamoto no Yoshitsune, known for his martial prowess, facing tragic circumstances and becoming Genghis Khan after fleeing to Ezo (Hokkaido) and later crossing over to the continent.

Next, we have Ms. Fujino. She'll be singing "Aiko no Asa" (Aiko's Morning), expressing gratitude to the parents of a daughter about to get married.