The cover of Jero’s debut single, “Umiyuki” (Ocean Snow).

PITTSBURGH (Kyodo) — Popular African American enka singer Jero wowed an audience of about 500 who packed an auditorium at the University of Pittsburgh, his alma mater on Aug. 27, impressing them with his soulful tunes sung in perfect Japanese.

Jero belted out his hugely successful debut single, “Umiyuki” (Ocean Snow), along with classic enka megahits such as “Hisame” (Icy Rain) and “Yurakucho de Aimasho” (Let’s Meet at Yurakucho).

Jero, 26, clad in trademark rapper garb with a baseball cap and a striped white shirt, titillated the crowd with groovy hip-hop moves timed to the popular Japanese enka tunes.

“I feel honored to be back here, performing in front of my former teachers, family and all other people,” Jero said on the stage.

As a genre in Japanese folk balladry known for its melodramatic themes, enka is usually performed by aged singers, but Jero has taken Japan by storm with his rendition of the traditional form.

The Pittsburgh audience went wild as his old friends took to the stage as back-up dancers while he captivated the crowd with his own performance.

Joel Metcalfe, a 20-year-old student of the university majoring in Japanese language, said it is “astonishing” to see an American become such a success in enka.

Anna Quinn, 17, a freshman at the university, said, “I like Jero’s songs. They are very inspirational and beautiful.”

Sang for Grandmother

Jero, whose real name is Jerome White Jr., was born on Sept. 4, 1981 in Pittsburgh.
He started listening to enka ballads early on and was largely influenced by his late grandmother, Takiko, a native of Yokohama. He started singing enka tunes to please her, while he taught himself to read and write Japanese characters so he could eventually read the lyrics to songs.

Jero majored in information science during his studies at the university and went to Japan in 2003 after graduation.

Soon afterwards he won a series of amateur singing contests before being spotted by an agent for Victor Entertainment Inc., which would later become his record label.

“Umiyuki” was released in February and ranked fourth on the singles chart based on figures compiled by Oricon Co. This marked the highest-ever debut for a single released by an enka singer in Japan.

In June, Jero released his first album, “Covers,” featuring songs performed by famous enka artists, including Hiroshi Itsuki. The album also reflects the musical influences he was exposed to while growing up, such as music by Marvin Gaye and LL Cool J.
Jero performed the concert at the request of the University of Pittsburgh.