Rejuvenating dying genre

Military chaplain Koo Ja-uk sings at a semi-final round of cable channel Mnet's singing contest show ‘Trot X' on May 30. / Courtesy of CJ E&M

Cable audition program inspires young ‘trot' singers

By Baek Byung-yeul

Cable network Mnet's "trot" (Korea's oldest pop music genre) singing contest show, "Trot X," which named its eight finalists last week, has a day left before the final, Friday.

"Trot," distinctive for its two-beat rhythm and slow vibrato, is rooted in the days of Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). While it had been widely beloved by Koreans for decades for its intimacy and easiness to sing along to until the early 1990s, the genre was been brushed aside when the country's music scene became saturated with teenage pop.

The show's producers, who have agonized over how to revamp this waning musical genre and attract more middle-aged viewers who still remember its heyday, launched Trot X, similar to Superstar K, the Korean equivalent of "American Idol" last March.

The result was better than expected. After nine episodes, the show has scored 2 percent average viewer ratings, according to Mnet. Especially, as intended, it earned a fervent response among women in their 40s and 50s.

Kim Ki-woong, Mnet's chief producer said they launched the show "in order to see trot songs enter the top 100 chart."

Finalists of cable channel Mnet's singing contest show ‘Trot X' pose at a cafe in Jongno, central Seoul, Monday.

In an interview with the eight finalists, contestants shared their thoughts about appearing on the show and concerns over the future of trot music.

"I have released seven studio albums and have been singing as a professional singer on the stage for 30 years, but all of that has gone unnoticed until I appeared on the show," Nah Mi-ae, one of finalists said Monday at a cafe in Jongno, central Seoul.

Nah, who earned a great response for her powerful voice, said she feels happy at the attention she is receiving. "I felt that I grew as a musician. That is the biggest reward of this program for me," Nah said.

"While R&B, soul and hip hop have evolved over the years, trot didn't," said Mr. Pang, another finalist.

The judoka-turned-singer is one of the popular candidates for his clownish behavior on stage. He has sung in clubs for eight years.

"We have done slew of meaningful musical experiments combining different genres with trot through the show. I hope this show will lead to some changes for the development of trot."

Mentoring system

Each of the eight finalists have been mentored by eight coaches — renowned trot singers Sul Woon-do and Tae Jin-a; young trot stars Park Hyun-bin and Hong Jin-young; pop singers Ivy and Muzi; and comedian-musicians Park Myeong-su and Yoo Sae-yoon.

Dubbed as "troducers" (a portmanteau of trot and producers), they assisted the participants in stage manner and selection of songs for the contest.

Lim Ho-beom, one of finalists, who lost his sight after a car accident in 2009, said he would like to "steal everything" from his coach Sul Woon-do. "Mr. Sul courteously taught everything about trot singing to me so far. I would like to keep learning from him," he said. Lim added that he will sing a song written by Sul in the final.

Trot duo Ladies said that they could learn "the true color of music" from their coach Yoo Se-yoon. "Yoo pointed out that we should not to be overly expressive. It was hard to follow at first, but that led us to better results in the end," they said.

Koo Ja-uk, who received attention for his unique background, which is a military chaplain, said he visited a club for the first time in his life with comedian-musician Park Myeong-su. "Park took me to a club in Seoul for training. He made me dance, saying that I shouldn't be shy on stage," Koo said.

The final of Trot X will take place at Mnet's studio in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province at 11 p.m. The winner will receive 100 million won ($98,000), in addition to recording and concert engagements.

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