photo Justine Darmon

Co-founder of Akale Wube, an ethio-jazz quintet, leader of Frix, a jazz project, the saxophonist also signed a solo record in a more afro style (Maputo Queens) and created the Baeshi Bang project (a tribute to the Korean singer Bae Ho). That’s why we asked the globe-trotter and digger musician to take out of his collection 5 pearls from the land of the morning calm. «They’re not my ‘desert island’ top 5 albums, far from that, but a little focus on Korean music before the K-Pop, with some albums dug in Seoul and Busan.»

Nam In Soo
Esoui Soyagok

«Emblematic song of Nam In Soo, a singer that I like very much. Written in 1937 by composer Park Shin-Choon, and recorded in 1938 for the label Okeh Records. I have a version on a vinyl from the 50’s. I propose this awful translation “song-of-insomnia-of-sadness-of-love”. I am sensitive to the obsolete charm emanating from singing and to the fine and minimalist arrangement for two guitars. The piece is built on a pentatonic scale that is also found in Ethiopia under the charming name ‘Tezeta’.»
 

Shin Jung-Hyeon
DalmaJung

«The first recording of the future godfather of Korean rock, guitarist and singer Shin Jung-Hyeon. A first album with an atypical sound, far and different from his future works. He was called then ’Kinetic Jackie and his electric guitar’, in the late 50’s and he layed us this little chacha-jazzy UFO, accompanied by a very charming alto solo.»
 

Bae Ho
Imae Moksoli

«‘Imae Moksoli’ (the voice of love), composed by Baek Young Ho is one of my favorite songs from my beloved Korean singer: Bae Ho. Crooner with a meteorite career, he died in 1971 at the age of 28 after recording over 300 songs!. I love his songs so much and the mood that emerges from them that I have created a quintet to revisit his music, in live: it’s called Baeshi Bang.»
 

Kim Serena
Sae Taliang

«Be careful: if you type ‘Kim Serena’ on Google you will come across a porn actress!!! Here’s an album from a popular Korean singer, still performing nowadays. It’s one (if not) of her first album, it gathers ten traditional popular songs (called “Minyo”), updated to the taste of the sixties. “Sae Taliang” is a perfect example of her style, with its very typical groove, inked in traditional rhythms and modern arrangements with strings, traditional oboe “pili” and smart accordion. A superb mixing of the world sound’s beginnings.»
 

Hwang Byung-ki
Forest

«An early recording of Byung-ki Hwang – great master of the Kayageum – the Korean zither. One of the first to have composed new pieces for this instrument, ‘Forest’ being one of his first compositions, in the “sanjo” style – a duo piece accompanied by the Changu drum. From my point of view the absolute class!»