Cest Si Bon is all about friendship, music

By Chung Ah-young

When elder singers Cho Young-nam, Yoon Hyung-joo, Song Chang-shik and Kim Se-hwan appeared in a special episode of MBC’s variety show “Come and Play” called “C’est Si Bon Concert” last year, no one expected the performance would start a craze for ’60s and ’70s folk music and an acoustic guitar boom.

“C’est Si Bon” is the name of a music cafe which was located in Myeong-dong in the 1960s. It was home to numerous big-name singers such as Cho, Yoon, Song, Kim and Lee Jang-hee, Kim Min-gi who sang together there and spent their youth in politically and socially hard times.

Their television performance in tune with acoustic guitar sounds immediately captivated the viewers; not only middle-aged fans but also those in their 20s and 30s. The singers presented the nostalgia-provoking folk music, popular back in 1960s and ’70s, and also told warm-hearted stories about their decades-long friendship.

Their unfinished stories about the past are told through a new book “C’est Si Bon Era” written by Cho and published by Minumin.

“I was surprised at the explosive response from the pubic after the TV show because I didn’t think our music would work in the digital era. We just gathered as usual without practicing but with just spontaneous harmony in the show and I realized the audience was overwhelmed with our music. I think we rekindled hopes that the analogue spirit, long forgotten by the digital era, might come back,” Cho told reporters.

The 66-year-old singer explained that his new book is all about the friendships which have been a source of energy to make them continue their music for about 40 years.

“The history of C’est Si Bon members cannot be told without mentioning modern Korean history. It was sad because we didn’t have a choice when it came to music at that time. There was only Japanese-style trot and pop music. C’est Si Bon members played a key role in introducing pop music to Korea. Based on numerous remakes of pop songs, we could make our own creative songs. We thought of ourselves as The Beatles,” Cho said.

In the book, pop music critic Yim Jin-mo labelled their popularity as “the return of the legend” and wrote hit songs to reflect their youth and nostalgia that cannot be found in these modern times.

“At that time, we shared everything at C’est Si Bon. We felt a sort of community spirit among us. If I had 10,000 won, it was not mine, it was ours. The community spirit has enabled us to maintain our friendship, strengthen our bonds and continue to work together,” Yoon said.

“These days, people tend to form relationships in accordance with the need for interests. But we didn’t. We have been in a relationship of sharing. I think this kind of relationship might deeply inspire many young people. In that sense, they want to resemble us,” Yoon said.

Cho said that through the book, he wants to deliver the message that they have lived fiercely until now. “Life can hold everything. So only when our life is full of love and passion, can good music be produced. This book shows how we lived eagerly,” Cho said.

In the book, Cho reveals his friendship and the character of each member including his ex-wife and veteran actress Yoon Yeo-jeong.

At first Cho hesitated to tell her story as he has not seen her since they divorced but they seem to be more comfortable speaking about each other these days as she recently spoke about Cho on a television show. He decided to include her story because she was an important member of forming the C’est Si Bon friendship and culture at that time. “I first met her at C’est Si Bon. Without mentioning her, I cannot speak about C’est Si Bon,” Cho said.

Concerning young singers in the current K-pop music scene, Cho said that he hopes they remain patient and wait and see what happens. “Sometimes, the timing is not good. Then we should wait for the right timing. It is a pity to see many young stars take their own lives so often. I hope many of them learn more patience.”