Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone (BKM) has become a new way of sending a message.
South Africans are using it in different ways to make sure that the message is sent to the right person it meant for. Even though some people use it for the wrong reason, such as sending embarrassing messages which can lead another person offended and to lay a charge for defamation of character.
Sabela Mathenjwa (33) wrote on his Facebook account how a person who owns a BKM embarrassed him in the community to his family and siblings.
“I had a minor fight with a girl I know in my area, where we exchanged words because she didn’t want to pay my money. She was so angry of the way I approached her since I’ve confronted her in front of her 18-year-old daughter and her uncle.
Later that evening, she stood outside her house facing my house with a BKM and started to shout, calling me by names. She even mentioned the secrete which I have once shared with her.”
Mathenjwa said, he will never forget that day where his neighbor embarrassed him telling the whole community with BKM that he was gay, he is sleeping with other men.
“I was so angry and embarrassed at the time when I heard her mentioning that, I told her this secrete because I trusted her.” Mathenjwa added.
Even though there are some embarrassing things that people do when using BKM, but there are some positive things about it.
Nomalungelo Zibula (27) shared her positive input when it comes to BKM.
“BKM helped us so much at the funeral of our Pastor who passed away last month. I was MC’ing at the funeral. The sound system that was hired did not work since the electricity decided to switch off in our area.
Luckily my 13-year-old sister had a BKM. She approached me as I was explaining to the congregants about electricity situation, she lent me her BKM.
It worked very well, people who were at the back could hear what was being said at the front.
Even the preacher who was preaching used the same mic to deliver the word of God.
It worked very well for our Pastors funeral,” said Zibula.
According You Gaungguo an inventor of Portable Karaoke Microphone said, BKM’s is a new form of entertainment that has been gaining popularity over the years. It is a microphone that has been adapted for karaoke, it allows you to sing your heart out, also it is perfect for family party, car stereo, instrument recording, interviews, and speaking.
It features a multilayer noise reduction design, internal density microphone, it usually considered as part of the vocal processing set up which usually includes heavy processing adding revert/echo/delay and filtering and overtone and undertone harmonic cutting and boosting.
BKM does not require being connected to cables and wires but it connected wirelessly to speakers if needs be.
Social media influencers as well as ordinary people have started using BKM’s even in minibus taxis to inform the driver where they want to get out of the car.
Mthandeni Cele a minibus taxi driver from Ntuzuma said, “my heart nearly stopped when I suddenly heard a big echo sound of a person wanting to be dropped after robot, she just said ‘after robot please my lovely driver!’ then I heard a big laugh from passengers.
But since I was focusing on the road and passengers were talking loudly in a taxi, a BKM which was used by a passenger helped me, definitely I would agree with a person who says BKM’s have become a new way of sending a message and to make announcements, delivering special speeches and MC-ing.”