Out March 2013
Female singers who manage to stir a whole genre are seldom found. Diana Krall and Norah Jones are such outstanding talents who gave vocal jazz a whole new colour, and Korean singer Youn Sun Nah has been equally phenomenal. In the last few years she has conquered the music world with her albums “Voyage” (2009) and “Same Girl” (2010) released on ACT.
“A miracle“, “a great piece of art“, “enchanting” “a world-class singer” – just some of the overwhelmingly positive responses from the press to these albums. Within two years Nah had received her fourth “Korean Music Award”, the BMW World Jazz Award and the ECHO Jazz Award for best international female singer whilst in France, her second home, “Same Girl” was the best selling jazz album of the year in 2011, Nah received the “Prix Mimi Perrin du Jazz Vocal“ as female vocalist of the year, the leading magazine “Jazzman“ awarded her with “Choc de l'annee 2012” as artist of the year and she was granted the title of nobility “Chevalier de l‘Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the culture secretary, putting her in the prominent company of such stars as David Bowie, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Dustin Hoffman.
What is the secret of her remarkable success? Her new album “Lento” gives an explanation by combining Youn Sun Nah's unique qualities. One of them is the blending of different cultural and musical sources, in a respectful yet unconventional manner. Besides jazz and related styles, she draws on chanson, pop and folk music, and in addition to compositions by herself and her band members, there is the extremely light version of the Korean folk song “Arirang” as well as “Hurt” by the alternative rock band Nine Inch Nails, and Stan Jones' “Ghost Riders In The Sky”, a classic country song made famous by Johnny Cash.
For the first time Nah also calls upon European classical music: Alexander Skrjabin's Prelude op. 16 Nr. 4 in E minor with its tempo indication ”Lento” was a source of inspiration for the album's title, and it also sets up an intimate, atmospheric and harmonious musical world. Youn Sun Nah unfolds her expressive power especially in the peaceful and slow-paced moments – on the fragile chanson “Full Circle”, with heartbreaking grievance on “Lament” or artistic unison singing on “Momento Magico”.
On “Lento” it becomes more apparent that Nah's voice ties the songs together. It is the precision of her intonation and phrasing, great timing and crystal voice that enable her to turn minimalistic forms into powerful emotions, pure elegance and magic. All this requires extremely subtle and considerate co-musicians, therefore the successful lineup from “Same Girl” was the first choice for “Lento” as well: Nah's longstanding duet partner Ulf Wakenius on guitar, Lars Danielsson on bass and Xavier Desandre-Navarre on percussions. The fourth member of the band is new - the French accordion magician Vincent Peirani. Two pieces on “Lento” were written by him and, similarly to Youn Sun Nah, his variations and ideas seem to emerge from an inner voice, which is one of the reasons why there is perfect interaction between the two musicians.
With her universal yet individual style Youn Sun Nah gives traditional vocal jazz a new flavour, while unconventionally and effortlessly exploring new exciting spaces. She is one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal jazz that includes the whole spectrum of contemporary music.
Line Up:
Youn Sun Nah / vocals
Ulf Wakenius / guitars
Lars Danielsson / bass & cello
Vincent Peirani / accordion & accordina
Xavier Desandre-Navarre / percussion
Produced by Youn Sun Nah & Axel Matignon
Executive Producer : JJ In
Recorded at Nilento Studio, Gothenburg, Sweden, October 31 - November 2
Mixed December 4 - 7 and mastered December 19, 2012
by Lars Nilsson, assisted by Michael Dahlvid
Track listing
1 Lento - 03:04 (Alexander Scriabin / Youn Sun Nah)
2 Lament - 03:40 (Youn Sun Nah / Youn Sun Nah)
3 Hurt - 05:22 (Trent Reznor / Trent Reznor)
4 Empty Dream - 04:20 (Vincent Peirani / Youn Sun Nah))
5 Momento Magico - 05:32 (Ulf Wakenius)
6 Soundless Bye - 03:44 (Youn Sun Nah / Youn Sun Nah
7 Full Circle - 03:36 (Vincent Peirani / Youn Sun Nah)
8 Ghost Riders In The Sky - 04:58 (Stan Jones / Stan Jones
9 Waiting - 03:30 (Lars Danielsson / Caecilie Norby)
10 Arirang - 05:49 (traditional)
11 New Dawn - 03:42 (Youn Sun Nah / Youn Sun Nah)
Korean singer, born in Seoul August 28th 1969.
Growing up in a musical family where her father was a conductor and her mother, a
musical actress, music has always been in her life.
However she is first drawn to study literature and receives her diploma from the
University of Konkuk in 1992. During the year of 1993, after working for a season in a fashion company, she makes her first move as a singer with the Korean Symphony Orchestra with a gospel repertoire. She then participates to a few musicals. She will experience her first awards and requests from various companies. It's a wake-up call as she decides to start again from scratch.
In 1995, she decides to move to Paris to study music and singing. She registers at
CIM, the only jazz school of the capital back then, and at the Institut National de
Musique of Beauvais and the Conservatoire Nadia and Lili Boulanger. Her natural
preference for Jazz reveals itself when she starts performing in Parisians clubs in
1996-1997. She gets noticed quickly by the bass player Jacques Vidal who invites
her on his record “Ramblin” (1999). She gets prizes from contests one after the other (La Défense, Saint Maur, Montmartre…), keeps on going to clubs and participate to festivals.
In 2001, she produces herself with her first album « Reflets » which will finally be
released in Korea with Sony Music (now distributed by Warner EMI Korea). This
album gathers all her Parisians memories and meets a large audience which allows her to do her first tour in her native country. Aside from that she gets some attention in France with a band formed with Parisian musicians (David Georgelet, Yoni Zelnik, David Neerman and Guillaume Naud then Benjamin Moussay) with whom she will record two CDs from which the noticeable “So I am” from 2004.
Since then her rise doesn't stop especially with the 2005-2006 season full with a
hundred concerts (France, Australia and Asia). She receives new awards among
them the Award for Best New Talent of the year 2005 in Korea and also the Grand
Prize from the Jazz à Juan Révélations contest.
Shared between Paris and Seoul for a decade, Youn Sun Nah chooses to spend
more time in her country. During almost two seasons she commits quite exclusively to an album project “Memory Lane” and tours in Asia. However, she does a few concerts in France and the USA (Lincoln Jazz Center).
During the summer 2008 she comes back to the old continent to prepare and record a new album with the Swedish Ulf Wakenius and Lars Danielsson, the Norwegian Mathias Eick and the French Xavier Desandre-Navarre. The album “Voyage” is released during spring 2009 with the German label ACT. Youn Sun Nah starts touring (Europe, Asia, and Canada) especially with the duo voice guitar she forms with Ulf Wakenius. 2009 is also the year where she receives the distinguished honor of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
At the end of the month of September 2010, Youn Sun Nah releases a new CD
called “Same girl”. This album is a total success ; it gets great reviews from the public and the media. As soon as it is released it goes number 1 of the Jazz sales in France. It goes Gold Record in France after being the best Jazz sale of the year
2011 (80 weeks in a row and in the ten best sales for Jazz albums). The album is
also awarded by the Vocal Jazz Prize from the Académie du Jazz in France as well
as a Korean Music Award. At the same time Youn Sun Nah receives in Germany an
Echo Award as the Best International Jazz singer in 2011. The biggest European
festivals welcome her.
Already very famous in her native country, her fame grows now in Europe and
beyond. In 2012, the Korean government honors her with a special prize for her
contribution to the popular culture and arts.
After two and a half years of touring, all around the globe, here comes “Same girl”. In duo with the guitar player Ulf Wakenius but also in quartet, since spring 2011, when they have joined the accordionist Vincent Peirani and the double bassist Simon Tailleu. Around 250 concerts with the Printemps de Bourges to Jazz in Marciac, and the Festival du Bout du Monde, Rome Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Verbier, Heineken, Jazzaldia, Lugano Festival, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, Red Sea Winter Jazz, Cully Jazz…
In spring 2013 the release of her third album for the label ACT is called “Lento” is
followed a new international tour : France, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Canada,
Japan, China, Korea… From the Théâtre du Châtelet to the National Theatre of
Korea and the Montreux Jazz Festival, Les Veilles Charrues, Jazz à Vienne,
Jarasum Jazz Festival, The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and the Blue
Note Jazz Festival, Youn Sun Nah performs on the most prestigious stages. “Lento”
is the best Jazz record sale in France in 2013 and receives a Golden record in
Germany in the fall.
The “Lento” tour keeps going in 2014. It starts in France in January and end in Korea in December, it will make a stop in the USA and Germany. In February Youn Sun Nah sings during the Sotchi Olympic Games closing ceremony for the occasion of presenting the next winter games that will happen in Pyeongchang in 2018.
Youn Sun Nah receives many new decorations during the first semester of the year.
In January the CICI (Korea Image Communication Institute) honors her with the
Korea Image Flower Stone Award for the accomplishment of her career in Europe. In May, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism honors her with the Sejong
Munhwasang for her contribution to the arts and Korean culture. A few days later she receives the Prix Culturel France-Corée (Cultural Prize France-Korea) 2013.
- - "Best Jazz & Crossover Album of the Year" @ Korean Music Awards 2011
- - "Female Vocalist international" @ Echo Jazz Awards 2011 (Germany)
- - Nominated for "Jazz Vocal" @ Dutch Edison Awards 2011
- - "Jazz Vocal" @ French Académie du Jazz Awards 2010
Album "Same Girl"
ACT Music - September 2010 - Collector Edition September 2011
- More than 50.000 records sold in Europe and huge success in France :
- Still in the top 100 French albums charts AND Top 10 French jazz albums charts
- for more than 1 year
- Media : ffff Télérama, Choc Jazz Magazine/Jazzman, Best TSF vocal album of the year, Libération, Les Inrockuptibles, So Jazz, Citizen Jazz...
« One of the most original voice of this century. »
Philippe Vincent, Jazz Magazine/Jazzman, France 2010
« All we know for certain, is to hold one of the most beautiful voice of the moment. »
Yann Plougastel, Le Monde Magazine, France 2011
« Youn Sun Nah is without a doubt the most peculiar singer of her generation. »
Dominique Queillé, Libération, France 2010
« Youn Sun Nah succeeded to transcend frontiers and captivate a public who thought jazz was unaccessible. »
Matthieu Durand, Jazz News, France, 2011
« Youn Sun Nah sings as if she was inventing singing. »
Michel Contat, Télérama, France, 2010
« Youn Sun Nah sows confusion and invent the incredible. »
Pascal Anquetil, Jazzman, France 2009
« Youn Sun Nah is the best proof that the spirit of jazz still floats on the voice. »
Diane Gastellu, Citizen Jazz, France, 2011
« The most extraordinary voice of our time, that of Youn Sun Nah. »
Luca Sabbatini, La Tribune de Genève, Switzerland, 2012
« Youn Sun Nah Korea's jewel, and the jazz diva who is climbing her way to the top.»
Jean-Claude Vantroyen, Le Soir, Belgium, 2011
« The voice, unique by its tone, its color, its strength. »
François Descy, L'Avenir, Belgium, 2011
« Esta cantante coreana (…) con casi todo. »
« The Korean's singer (...) dares almost everything. »
Carlos Galilea, El País, Spain, 2011
« Una voce che rispecchia esattamente la persona: giovane, candida, spontanea, vitale »
« A voice that matches her perfectly: young, plain hearted, spontaneous, alive. »
Raffaele Roselli, Corriere della Sera, Italy, 2011
« Eine stille, unerhörte Meditation. Wundervoll! »
« A quiet, meditation that one hasn't heard this way before. Wonderful! »
Stern, Germany, 2010
« Nahs klassisch ausgebildete Stimme schlägt Brücken zwischen Genres und Kulturen. Ein Wunder! »
« Youn Sun Nah's (…) voice builds bridges between genres and cultures. A miracle! »
Der Spiegel, Germany, 2010
« Sensationell! Ganz große Kunst eines wahren Stimmwunders. »
« Sensational! Great art by a true vocal miracle. »
Vogue, Germany, 2010
« Eine Klasse für sich. »
« A class of her own. »
Jazz Thing, Germany
« Schillernderes, Interessanteres und Virtuoseres ist einem im Jazzgesang lange nicht untergekommen. »
« The most colorful, interesting and virtuoso vocal jazz since a long time. »
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
« Det finns en koncentrerad kraft och ett brännande fokus i Youn Sun Nahs sång som gör den svår att stå emot. »
« There is a concentrated force and a burning focus in Youn Sun Nah's singing that makes it difficult to resist. »
Ulf Johanson, Göteborgs-Posten, Sweden, 2010
« Youn Sun Nah has a wonderfully clear voice, with superb melismatic control and dynamic poise especially in soft passages. »
Stephen Graham, Jazzwise, United Kingdom, 2009
« Youn Sun Nah's slightly deferential presentation belied the extraordinary power, range and control of her singing. »
Mike Hobart, Financial Times, United Kingdom, 2010
