Jero

Jero is the first ever American-born Japanese enka singer. After moving to Japan in 2003 Jero signed up for the NHK's Amateur Singing Contest, a show similar to American Idol. After finishing as a runner up Jero was signed to Victor Entertainment. His debut single "Umiyuki" sold 35,000 copies, a record for an enka debut.

On March 28, 2009, Jero appeared at the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC.Washington Post: Festival Feature: A Japanese Idol From Pittsburgh (March 28, 2009)

Jerome White Jr.'s grandfather was an African American GI who met and married a Japanese woman at the end of WWII. His grandson Jero is a big hit in Japan as an enka singer, a blues/folk music which developed at the end of WWII, and which he learned from his grandmother as a child.Washington Post: Festival Feature: A Japanese Idol From Pittsburgh (March 28, 2009)

Jero doesn't wear the traditional kimono worn by enko singers, male and female, instead choosing for traditional rap clothing—it's part of his charm.Washington Post: Festival Feature: A Japanese Idol From Pittsburgh (March 28, 2009)

Enka is a low-key romantic style of music, a cross between soul, folk and Lawrence Welk. It's themes include lost or unrequited love and often includes suicide references.Washington Post: Festival Feature: A Japanese Idol From Pittsburgh (March 28, 2009)