How One American Mastered the “Japanese Blues”

Jerome “Jero” White never imagined that he would one day grow up to be a star in the Japanese music scene. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was first introduced to enka music by his grandmother, a native of Yokohama, Japan. Enka is a form of ballad music, popularized during wartime. Influenced by his grandmother, Jerome began singing the “Japanese blues” at the age of five. After years of studying Japanese language and culture, he made the decision to move to Japan to pursue a career in music. Although he has now chosen to put his music career on hiatus, Jero’s contributions to enka have modernized and brought a fresh style and energy to the traditional artform.

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