Kamasami Kong

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]

Kamasami Kong
Born
Robert W. Zix

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

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. "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. "Motion Bits – Contemporary Hit Radio" (PDF). CBS Records. July 6, 1984. p. 32. 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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