By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Insooni, one of Korea's favorite female singers, will hold concerts nationwide to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her music career.
The singer held a press conference Wednesday, showing her ambition and outline her future path.
``I have done many concerts but this is the first time I am holding a press conference solely to introduce one. Dramas and movies have press conferences before their launching, but I wondered why concerts didn't. This will surely be a good start for great concerts to come,'' she said.
The concert, titled ``Legend'', will start April 3 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and continue in 20 different cities including Busan, Daegu and Jeju.
Insooni, with her trademark permed hair and vibrant smile, introduced her concert with excitement.
``I have performed many concerts. I stopped counting at 1,000. This one is particularly special because I'm holding it at the Sejong Center, which is huge. I will have to run back and forth to interact with my fans, so it has been quite a burden for me. Even the little things that I didn't even consider before seem so important,'' she said.
The singer has endured many ups and downs, but it was the hard times that made her strong and enabled her to go up on stage again.
``When I first started singing in 1978, I literally couldn't see the audience. I simply did what I was told and that was it. But now, I see every person in the audience, and this has made it harder for me to perform because of the pressure,'' the singer confessed.
However, the she didn't stop when her fans turned to other singers. In order to keep her fans from leaving her, she tried everything she could, from learning jazz to changing her hairstyle.
Following the concert, Insooni will also be releasing her 17th album, ``Legend,'' her first in four years. Lee Hyun-seung, the producer of the album, admitted that indeed, Insooni is one of the greatest singers in Korea.
``I think it is her passion that made her this big. Not only can she sing, but she also has the ability to absorb different genres and recreate them into her own unique style. Insooni is known for her larger than life songs, but this album will be more simple and lovable,'' he said.
As for the album, Insooni joked about how much she wanted her own nuptial song.
``I am frequently invited to weddings, and I thought how great it would be to have my own nuptial song for the couple. We will certainly look into that,'' she said laughing.
Whether it is at weddings or glamorous performances, Insooni will prove that she has yet to show her full passion and love for her music and fans.
``It has been thirty years, but I'm not counting my age. This year is special, but so will be the next. I'm not having these concerts to just celebrate, but to jump to a new start. Next year will be the start of another thirty years,'' she said.