South Korean singer-songwriter Kim Sawol at the 2021 Reeperbahn Festival in Germany on September 23, 2021 and recorded for posterity by West German Radio.
Kim Sawol debuted in 2014 with the extended play Secret, a collaboration with singer Kim Hae-won. The duo won Best New Artist and Best Folk Album the following year at the 2015 Korean Music Awards.She has since released the full-length albums Suzanne (2015), Romance (2018) and Heaven (2020).
Since the perception of South Korean Pop Music has been somewhat relegated to choreography/ homage to Uptown Soul and Urban beats around the U.S. – Kim Sawol has been characterized as the face of South Korean Folk music – but more in the tradition of Singer-Songwriter. She has a strong following in her native South Korea and is gathering a following around Europe, as is evidenced by this Reepherbahn show in Hamburg. Her Facebook page has this description which fits her style and message perfectly: Kim Sawol’s dark and cold voice combines with sad and smooth underlying melodies. Kim’s first full-length album, “Suzanne” was designed to portray the time she had faced in her life as a person named Suzanne.
Have a listen to this festival gig from 2021 and keep an eye open for more to come. From what I’ve been sampling, as far as talent and musical adventures in South Korea go, there is a very vibrant scene going on as it has for some time – but it also covers many genres which need some digging and discovering. That’s the nice part about the World Music scene; a lot going on and a lot of activity and all you have to do is sit back and listen. It’s Monday night anyway, so press Play and chill.
