Although it took about 60 to 70 years for Koreans to get to know the music, it is still considered “non-traditional”, unlike other genres such as K-pop, hip-hop, classical and the trot. Alongside the first generation, the next generations of jazz musicians strive to promote “K-jazz” inside and outside the country.

“Jazz is music that refuses to get stuck in a groove. It’s music that can embrace everything like a mother’s heart and a pleasant gift of life,” said Woongsan, a second-generation jazz singer, singer-songwriter and president of the Korea Jazz Association.

Woongsan is the name she received when she became a Buddhist nun in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, at the age of 17, she told the Korea Herald in an interview Monday with her home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. She left the Buddhist temple less than two years later with the dream of becoming a musician. The artist became a heavy metal rocker in a college band, but fell in love with jazz after listening to Billie Holiday’s “I Am a Fool to Want You,” she said.

Since releasing her debut album, “Love Letters” in 2003, Woongsan has received critical and fan acclaim. Her brilliant career led her to become the first Korean jazz musician to perform at the prestigious Billboard Live and Blue Note Japan. She further enhanced her musical acumen by collaborating with leading musicians around the world, including John Beasley and Melvin Davis.

Aiming to break down the walls of prejudice around jazz, which is often seen as “difficult”, it held the Seoul Jazz Festa 2022 for the first time on Nodeul Island, Seoul, from April 26 to Sunday. During the six-day run, it brought together some 100 first-, second-, and third-generation Korean jazz musicians. They also reunited on stage, performing Kim Yon-ja’s “Amore Fati” and Korean traditional-inspired band Leenalchi’s “Tiger is Coming.”

“I wanted to show how jazz can be harmonized with a diverse range of age groups through standard jazz music, as well as a unique collaboration of jazz melodies mixed with traditional Korean music and hip-hop beats. “, she said. “The festival aimed to celebrate UNESCO-designated International Jazz Day by highlighting jazz and its role in uniting people around the world, as well as reviving the ‘golden days of jazz’ in Korea.”

Calling jazz her “second ascetic practice”, the musician said it’s what drives her to push forward and strive to be better. Like how she feels the happiness of showcasing her musical talents to others, the singer hopes to bring musical healing and courage to jazz fans, she said.

By Jie Ye-eun ([email protected])