Karaoke is believed to have orginated in a small bar in Japan.
The in-house band recorded their music onto tape, and if they were not
there the singer would just sing to the tape. The word Karaoke was written
on the tape, Kara meaning missing and Oke meaning band or orchestra.

Karaoke evenings are popular events, usually held in pubs, clubs and bars.
There's a lot of software for hosting karaoke shows, and playing on your
personal computer. Gone are the days where KJs would host shows with disc
based players. Now computers allow you to have all your songs at your fingertips.