08-18-2009 17:08



Singer Surprised by Korean Fans’ Enthusiasm
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Before hitting the stage at the Seoul Jazz Festival last May, Dutch jazz singer Wouter Hamel was already aware that Korean fans would be enthusiastic. Nevertheless, he was still shocked at just how enthusiastic the Korean fans were during the concert, which he considers one of his most memorable so far.

``My band and I were very much blown away by the audience in Seoul. We did expect a great crowd, since we had spent a couple of days of promoting before our big show, and all the fans we had met were so enthusiastic. But multiply that by 2,800 and that's what we got,' he told The Korea Times in an e-mail interview.

With his good looks and dreamy voice singing romantic tunes, it's easy to see why Hamel has captured the hearts of many female Korean fans. Fans rushed to the front to get a closer look at Hamel during the performance at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, something rarely seen at jazz concerts.

The same enthusiasm is expected when Hamel returns to Seoul for two concerts, Aug. 30 and Sept. 6, at the Waterside Stage, Olympic Park.

``We've changed some songs a little around the North Sea Jazz Festival in July, so maybe we'll play some new stuff. But most of all, expect me and the band to have a good time on stage with you,' he said.

Hamel's music career has blossomed since he won the Dutch Jazz Vocalist Competition in 2005. He worked with sought-after producer Benny Sings on his debut album ``Hamel,' which received critical acclaim and commercial success not just in Netherlands but in other countries as well. He won the prestigious Dutch Silver Harp award and a Gold Disc award.

``When Sings and I started working on our first album together, everything was new and we really had to discover everything from scratch, in terms of sound, style and choice of songs,' he said.

For his second album, ``Nobody's Tune," Hamel once again worked with Sings, but this time they decided to take more risks.

``For our second collaboration we tried to broaden our musical horizon in terms of arrangement and choice of instruments with our first album as a starting point. The biggest difference to me was that `Nobody's Tune' was recorded in a proper studio. Our first album was recorded at home, so to spend time in a real studio with an amazing engineer was luxurious in comparison, to say the least," he said.

The title track is a very personal tune for Hamel. He says the song's message is basically: ``Just be stubborn and go your own way, and don't pay attention to anything else."

As a songwriter, Hamel finds it easier to come up with lyrics before creating the right music to go with it. ``I always try to come up with a lyric first, so I can sit down behind the piano and instantly start playing and singing. The rhythm and tempo of the lyric just leads the way to find a groove. Choosing a musical key is a big deal to me, and from there I'll try endless melodic variations and various chord progressions," he said.

Hamel might be a hard worker, but he also knows how to relax. ``I've just spent a lovely holiday in the Caribbean, and haven't performed for a couple of weeks. I read a lot of books and snorkeled across coral reef! I like to shop, especially in Seoul," he said.

Tickets to his concert are 88,000 won. A free glass of wine is available for ticket holders before the concert. Call (02) 563-0595 or visit www.privatecurve.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr