Male Singers Celebrate Anniversaries
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Veteran male singers will celebrate their decades-long careers with concerts through the end of the year.
Ballad singers Park Hyo-shin and Kim Bum-soo will celebrate their 10th anniversary. Composer Yang Bang-ean will mark his first decade with a special concert. Lee Seung-hwan, known for his circus-like shows, will celebrate his 20-year career.
Park Hyo-shin released his sixth album ``Gift-Part 1,'' returning with a more sophisticated look and sound. The 26-year-old, who has had many sold-out concerts, repeated the feat this time, where tickets for his ``2009 Gift Tour Live'' quickly sold out.
Park will be accompanied by more than 100 musicians and artists, including a full orchestra and a session band. The concert will also feature a special lingerie fashion show, acrobatic and media art performances.
The concert, originally planned for two days, was lengthened to three on fans' demands, Park's agency Jellyfish Entertainment said.
The Seoul performance will be held at the Fencing Stadium, Olympic Park, from Oct. 16 to 18. Tickets cost from 55,000 to 99,000 won. Park's concerts will continue through November in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Incheon. For more information, visit www.interpark.com.
Kim Bum-soo, one of the best male vocalists in Korea, will offer romantic tunes to fans at his concert: ``An Invitation to 10 Years and 10 Love Stories.''
Kim made his debut with his album ``A Promise'' in 1999, and garnered fans with his strong vocals and hit ballads such as ``I Miss You'' and ``Day.'' He recently released the single ``Slow Man'' to celebrate his anniversary. The upcoming concert is divided into 10 themes, or 10 feelings people in love go through, such as sadness, memories, love, inspiration and passion.
Kim's concerts will be held at the Jade Garden, Walkerhill Hotel, on Oct. 9 and 10. Tickets cost from 55,000 to 77,000 won. He will also perform at Gwangju, Oct. 31, and give an encore performance at KBS Hall, Nov. 4. For more information, call 1544-1555.
Japanese-Korean pianist and composer Yang Bang-ean is also performing for fans through the anniversary concert, ``Evolution 2009 10th Anniversary.'' He will be joined by Japanese musicians and a Korean orchestra.
Yang, a doctor-turned-artist, is known for his experimental works. He has composed and produced various songs that range from classical and jazz to rock. He also worked on projects that are based on his Korean roots, including ``Frontier!,'' the official song for the 2002 Busan Asian Games, and ``Prince of Jeju.''
Yang also won various awards for his efforts on original soundtracks, such as the Best Motion Picture Music Award for the KBS documentary ``Chamagodo: Asian Corridor to Heaven,'' and the Korea Film Critic Award for Best Original Soundtrack for his work on veteran director Lim Kwon-taek's ``Beyond the Years.''
Yang's concert will be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 23. Tickets cost from 44,000 to 99,000 won. For more information, visit www.interpark.com or call 1544-1555.
Lee Seung-hwan, or the ``King of Live,'' will celebrate his 20th anniversary with a special Christmas concerts from Dec. 24 to 26.
``It's a great honor to still be in the interest of music fans after all this time. As this Christmas concert celebrates my 20th anniversary, I will do my best to show my passion and gratitude to fans that have been supporting me for so long,'' Lee said in a press release.
``My concerts are famous for being a space where everybody can be a part of the music, and I do hope fans will get to experience the energy and surprises I have in store for them.''
Making his debut with ``BC 603,'' Lee has released nine albums and has always preferred performing for fans through concerts, instead of recorded television programs. Having a passion for live concerts, he has given more than 1,000, even one that lasted more than five hours. His anniversary album ``Hwantastic'' will be in stores Oct. 15.
Lee's concerts will be held at the Fencing Stadium, Olympic Park. Tickets cost from 55,000 to 132,000 won. For more information, visit www.interpark.com or call 1544-1555.