Korean divas set to make waves in Japan

2006, June 09

Three Korean divas renowned for their vocal talent have arrived in Japan to create a second Korean Wave.

Seo, Young-Eun, BMK, and Lisa, who have released their first album titled The 12 Memories about Love, announced the lineup of songs from their new album at a press conference in Japan.

Also released in Korea, the album contains 12 songs by some of the best Japanese female singers and groups. The songs were translated into Korean and sung by six Korean female singers, two songs per singer.

While Maya, Hwayobi, and Leeds also participated in the album, only Seo, Young-eun, BMK, and Lisa appeared at the press conference.

The songs featured in the album are huge Japanese hits, some of which sold over 2 million copies in Japan. The audience at the event enthusiastically applauded the three singers.

"While we have many Korean singers active in Japan, most of them are based on the popularity of TV dramas on which they appeared," said Abe Yasyuki, a reporter for Hot Chili Paper, a Japanese music magazine. "It is why it is significant that these talented Korean singers are advancing into the Japanese market."

In addition to the fact that these music artists are neither idol nor drama stars, their entry into Japan through this album is noteworthy in that the singers sang Japanese songs in Korean; previously, most albums were based on Korean songs translated into Japanese.

"If Korean singers perform popular Japanese songs perfectly in Korean, this will create another type of Korean Wave," said an official from Dukyun Industries, the album’s producer. "Most of all, this album was produced based on quality and talent, and we’re expecting Japanese fans will respond favorably to this."

 Source: http://www.koreacontent.org/weben/inmarket/Ns_knews_view.jsp?news_seq=28863