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Kamasami Kong

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Kamasami Kong
Born
Robert W. Zix

(1949-12-21) December 21, 1949 (age 74)
Hamilton, Ohio, United States
Other namesBob Zix[1]
Occupation(s)Disc jockey, radio personality
Years active1965 – present
Known forNarrator of various city pop compilations

Kamasami Kong (real name Robert W. Zix, born December 21, 1949[2] in Hamilton, Ohio) is an American disc jockey living in Tokyo.[3] He is active in Japan and Taiwan as well as Hawaii with the radio program "The Kong Show" on KKUI and KIKI.[4][5][6] He is also known for narrating for various city pop albums, such as for Toshiki Kadomatsu, Tatsuro Yamashita,[7] and Omega Tribe.[8][9][10]

Biography

Kong began his radio career in 1965 with the radio station WMOH. He moved to Hawaii in the late 70's, becoming a household name in the throughout 70’s and 80’s as Hawaii’s premiere DJ. Kong became the most listened to broadcaster on KIKI-FM while working alongside Michael W. Perry on KKUA.[11] In 1980, he became the president of Nickong Enterprises and hosted the high school talent competition Brown Bags to Stardom in 1981[12][13][14] and was the original host of the TV show Breakin’ Hawaii in 1984.[15][16]

In the early 2000's, Kong moved from Hawaii to Osaka due to frustration with the U.S. stations, where he because a DJ for FM802 while being sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors. He wasn't allowed to be streamed except for a KTUH alumni show.[17]

From April 2005 to March 2006, Kong was the host of the show Ride On Saturday alongside Charles St. Anthony, which interviewed Swing Out Sister, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Ne-Yo, Olivia Newton-John and Bananarama.[18] In August 2007, he launched the radio show Official Hawaii Podcast for Japanese listeners with Peter Williams and Dave Erdman.[19]

After 8 and a half years, his Osaka show was cancelled after Mitsubishi Motors pulled funds for the show, and Kong created a podcasting show while starting to write for a column for the Japanese magazine Metropolis.[20] He has also opened up a food chain in Taiwan called Kona Connection.[21]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Ref.
1984 Big Wave Narrator [22]

Television

Year(s) Show Role Ref.
1978 – 2004 Hawaiian Moving Company Host [23]
1980 Brown Bags to Stardom [12]
1984 Breakin' Hawaii [15]

Discography

Television

Year Artist Title Label
1979 Kamasami Kong D.J In Hawaii CBS/Sony
1984 Toshiki Kadomatsu Summer Time Romance ~ From Kiki Air
Tatsuro Yamashita Come Along
Come Along II
1985 Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe Kamasami Kong DJ Special VAP
1986 Toshiki Kadomatsu Surf Break From Sea Breeze ~ D.J. Special Air

Radio programs and stations

On air

  • Pacific Oasis (FM Cocolo; since 2010)
  • The Kong Show (Love FM)
  • The Kamasami Kong Show (Central FM)

Past programs

  • Kamasami Kong Coconut Mail (FM Ōita)
  • Pacific Oasis (FM802, 1989 – 1998)
  • NitEscape 802 (FM802)
  • Eternity (JFN, 2006 – 2009)
  • On Saturday Kamasami Ride Kong Show (Tokyo FM, 2005 – 2006)
  • Tokyo Premium Night at Cotton Club (Tokyo FM)
  • Aloha Break (InterFM)
  • Metpod (Metropolis)
  • Radio-i Kamasami Kong Show (Radio-i, January 2010 – September 2010)
  • Good Times Boo! (InterFM)
  • Kamasami Kong Show (FM North Wave)
  • Cotton Club Music Tree (TS One, 2016)
  • Saturday Smile (FM North Wave)

Stations

Source:[24]

References

  1. ^ Sherman, Eddie (December 14, 2005). "Eddie Sherman". MidWeek.
  2. ^ "Happy Birthday KAMASAMI KONG!!!". Pacific Oasis Blog (in Japanese). December 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "Kamasami Kong". Love FM.
  4. ^ "The Kong Show". Love FM.
  5. ^ "iJ Profile". Radio-i 79.5 FM. Archived from the original on September 9, 2011.
  6. ^ McCracken, Mark. "Interview - FM802's Kamasami Kong". KansaiNow.
  7. ^ "Tatsuro Yamashita TATSURO YAMASHITA / COME ALONG 2 (LP)". Hip Tank Records.
  8. ^ Kiuchi, KC (August 11, 2010). "Kamasami Kong". KC no a Kuchi Hachi ni Hamaru!.
  9. ^ "PACIFIC OASIS Kamasami Kong DJ Show". Universal Music Japan.
  10. ^ "バブル期流行のDJカセット30年ぶり復活、カマサミ・コングのDJをフィーチャー". MusicVoice (in Japanese). February 24, 2015.
  11. ^ "The Honolulu Star-Advertiser The Buzz column [The Honolulu Star-Advertiser]". Next Generation Communications. December 12, 2011.
  12. ^ a b "Brown Bags To Stardom Winners Ho'okipa Live on Sunrise!, Part 1". Hawaii News Now. May 2, 2013.
  13. ^ Berger, John (1997). "In tune with the Homeys". Local Moco.
  14. ^ Taylor, Stephen (October 31, 2007). "Charity continues to shine on" (PDF). The Daily Yomiuri.
  15. ^ a b "Motion Bits – Contemporary Hit Radio" (PDF). CBS Records. July 6, 1984. p. 32. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  16. ^ "It's a Hawaii Thing – Kamasami Kong- Longtime Radio Personality from Hawaii". Hawaii.com. October 12, 2020.
  17. ^ Lum, Burt (September 16, 2003). "Former Hawai'i DJ can't get streamed". The Honolulu Advertiser.
  18. ^ St. Anthony, Charles (February 25, 2017). Impossibly Glamorous: How a Misfit from Kansas Became an Asian Sensation. Impossibly Glamorous Studios. ISBN 9781538019856.
  19. ^ "Official Hawaii podcast for Japanese listeners launched" (PDF). Waikīkī Wiki Wiki Wire. August 2007. p. 6.
  20. ^ Engle, Erika. "Former isle broadcaster ventures into podcasting". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  21. ^ "Kamasami Kong×ハワイ". JAL Vacation Ownership System (in Japanese). April 23, 2014.
  22. ^ "Big Wave (1984)". IMDb.
  23. ^ Harada, Wayne (January 23, 2004). "'Moving Company' to end weekly run". The Honolulu Advertiser.
  24. ^ "Radio People by Name (K2)". 440 Satisfacion.
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