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Singer Jang Sa-ik | By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
For singer Jang Sa-ik, who turns 61 this year, it was a big challenge to perform in the United States on his first overseas tour three years ago.
There were no backdrops, flames or dancers gracing the stage. Jang simply stood behind a microphone, wearing a hanbok, the traditional Korean costume, on the stage of the New York City Center.
Accompanied only by a choir, an acoustic guitar and drums, he riveted the audience.
"It was not easy for us to perform in the U.S. At first. the theater staff looked at us as just a traveling performing troupe from a small country in Asia," Jang said in an interview with The Korea Times.
His staff had difficulty in preparing the concerts as the venue didn't allow them to conduct a sound check or onstage rehearsal time, he said.
"So I thought I would show who I am to all of them. Actually, I sang powerfully and enthusiastically and with my full energy. When the concert was over, the attitude had changed - the audience was enthralled by my performance and showed great respect to us."
Thanks to his successful debut in New York, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles in 2007 and another U.S. tour in 2009, his reputation as the "next new world music star" has continued to grow.
Jang's songs portray hardship and life's paradoxical lessons and transient nature with emotional complexity.
His music is based on traditional Korean songs but ventures elsewhere, mixing traditional folk with jazz, blues and pop, and beautiful lyrics mostly based on poems.
Although he sang only in Korean, he communicated with the American audience, showing that music is an international language.
"My music cannot be defined by one genre. When I sing, I sometimes narrate, scream, and act. I improvise. It's very natural and spontaneous but touching and inspirational to the audience. Probably because of the boundless nature of my music, it can appeal to an international audience," he said.
He sees the possibility of more overseas opportunities as his music contains Korean musical elements and at the same time universality.
The musician is planning to perform in Japan in June and will hold a world tour next year.
But despite his firm cachet, his life story is an unlikely one. He began his singing career at the age of 46 after jumping from one job to the next, working as an electronics salesman, car shop manager, insurance clerk and furniture store manager.
After his wandering, he decided to do what he really wanted and chose to play the "taepyeongso," the Korean traditional oboe, as his new career.
"I didn't imagine I'd become a singer although I was interested in music from an early age. It was a kind of destiny. I started to sing because I received strong recommendations from fellow musicians around me," said Jang.
However, his experiences and ordeals during his youth were an asset to him as a musician, helping him share a sense of sorrow with his listeners.
"It is not an accident. My life before my singing career was like the construction process of a house. My experience at numerous jobs was the foundation for a sturdy house," he said.
Many of Jang's songs explore death and the pains of life, and empathize with listeners who share similar hardships.
"But I don't feel sad when I sing songs about death because it provides an opportunity for catharsis for the audience, who can let their pent-up sorrows out. After hearing my music, they may feel emotionally refreshed."
Jang will perform in the 2010 Spring Music Festival hosted by The Korea Times on March 19 at 8 p.m. at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The event is to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the nation's first English-language daily. The anniversary falls on Nov.1.
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