'Bob Dylan brought me back to songwriting': legendary folk music couple returns
It was American music legend and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bob Dylan who inspired Korean singer-songwriter Joung Tae-choon to resume writing songs after a decade. Joung, 71, who marks the 45th anniversary of his singing career this year, discovered Dylan's "The Lyrics," a more than 1,500-page book containing the singer's works, at a public library he was visiting with his granddaughter.
'Reading the lyrics, listening to his music, reading his biography, I realized I never knew Bob Dylan,' Joung said at a press conference on Tuesday in Seoul.
Then he had an urge to create again, 11 years after he thought he was finished with writing songs. 'I just wanted to write songs again and -- truly good songs.'
Good songs are, in Joung's definition, 'capable of shaking a person's heart—from rationality to emotional resonance.'
Park Eun-ohk, his wife and musical partner of 45 years, said that her happiness performing on stage has only deepened with age.
'It's clear — I feel happy and grateful when I sing on stage. If I were born again, I'd want to be a musician, but this time I'd want to have creative talent like Joung,' said Park, 68.
Known for her warm and captivating voice, Park contributed two songs to the 10-track album.
'I usually never use the word 'never,' but I couldn't help thinking that perhaps this might be our last album,' Park said. 'It's probably natural that our music might not resonate easily with listeners in their 20s and 30s. However, even if they're a minority, I'd love to connect with them through music.'
Releasing their 12th album is more than simply introducing new music. Titled 'Literary Project," their comeback also includes a nationwide concert tour, a new publication and an exhibition.
'I want to repay my debt to literature.' Joung explained. 'I wanted to express gratitude for the artistically refined language and literature that deeply influenced me. My music is, in essence, indebted to Korean literature,' Joung said.
Joung began his singing career with the debut album Poet's Village in 1978 and soon won Best New Artist. In 1980, Joung married Park, who debuted in 1979, and together they released several collaborative albums as a couple. Their 'Leaving Bark' (1984) and 'At Bukhan River' (1985) were major hits. Joung played a major role in the abolition of Korea's policy of requiring government approval for artists to release music albums in the 1990s.
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