WoongSan (born Kim Eun Young) is a South Korean musician.[2] She has been a leading figure in the jazz music scene in Korea and Japan for over a decade, having performed live over 500 times since her 1998 Japanese debut. She is the first Korean-born musician to perform at New York City's historic Blue Note Jazz Club and has collaborated with many other well-known jazz musicians including Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico, Rodney Green, Conrad Herwig and Suzuki Hisatsugu. She is also well known for training Ali (South Korean singer), a popular K-pop singer.
Biography
When she was 18, WoongSan spent a year and a half at a Buddhist temple in the Korean countryside. During her training she had a powerful realization: her calling in life was music.[3] Initially she played in a college rock band, but after a friend played her a Billie Holiday record, she began to dedicate herself to jazz. She spent several years performing as a solo artist then released her first album accompanied by a jazz ensemble in 1996. By the end of 1998 she was a recognizable figure in both Korea and Japan, and since then, she has released six albums, garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim, and continues to tour prolifically. She has also written many songs for films.
Last year, she proved her career was an ongoing path as a music performer on the stage collaborated with Lee Ritenour.[4]
Style
WoongSan's style is a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, Latin and funk style. Her mid-low voice does not span as much tonal ground as other famous singers, but what she lacks in range she more than makes up for in creativity and malleability.[5] As an independent lyricist, Woong San has penned powerful ballads, cozy love numbers and everything in between. Buddhism has played a prominent role in her life, and it shines through in her songwriting: she often explores the themes of freedom, mindfulness and the beauty of change in her songs. Her work has been described as "soulful, fearless, sultry."
"2007. 총결산 POP음반 판매량" [2007 Total Pop Album Sales]. Music Industry Association of Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
"2008. 상반기결산 POP음반 판매량" [2008 Mid-Year Pop Album Sales]. Music Industry Association of Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
^ ab"2008년 9월 가요순위건" [September 2008 K-Pop Ranking]. Music Industry Association of Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
^"웅산, 일본 '재즈 오디오 디스크 대상' 은상" [WoongSan wins silver prize at Japan’s Jazz Audio Disc Awards]. KBS World News (in Korean). 2014-03-06. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
^"웅산, 한국대중음악상 '최우수 재즈&크로스오버 음반상' 수상" [WoongSan wins Best Jazz & Crossover Album at Korean Music Awards]. Star News (in Korean). 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
^"웅산, 한국대중음악상 '최우수 재즈&크로스오버 노래상' 수상" [WoongSan wins Best Jazz & Crossover Song at Korean Music Awards]. Star News (in Korean). 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
^"[AM7]이적·에픽하이 ＇多관왕 후보＇" [[AM7] Lee Juck, Epik High nominated for multiple crowns]. Munhwa Ilbo (in Korean). 2008-02-13. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
^"웅산, 日 재즈전문지 '스윙저널' 골드디스크 선정 "한국인 최초"" [WoongSan the first Korean to be selected for a Gold Disk by Japanese jazz magazine 'Swing Journal']. Newsen (in Korean). 2010-01-08. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
^Jo Eun-mi (October 28, 2021). "'2021년 대한민국 대중문화예술상' 오늘(28일) 개최..윤여정, 금관문화훈장 수훈" [‘2021 Republic of Korea Popular Culture and Arts Award’ held today (28th)..Yeojeong Yoon, awarded with the Order of Cultural Merit] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021 – via Naver.
