Na Yoon-sun
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Na Yoon-sun (Korean: 나윤선; born August 28, 1969), also known as Youn Sun Nah, is a South Korean jazz musician.
Life and career
Na Yoon-sun was born on August 28, 1969, in Seoul. Her parents are musical: her father, Na Young-soo (나영수), is a conductor in Korea and her mother, Kim Mi-jung (김미정), is a musical actress. She studied French literature at Konkuk University in Korea. While she was working for a fashion company, she was scouted by Kim Min-gi (김민기), who was the president of the Hakchon Theater Company (극단 학전). There, she made her acting debut in a musical called Subway Line 1 (지하철 1호선).
Having been exposed to many kinds of music by her parents, Na decided to study and sing jazz after her performance in Subway Line 1. In 1995, she went to Paris to study jazz and chanson. There, she studied jazz at the CIM Jazz School, the National Music Institute of Beauvais, and the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory. After graduating, she taught students at the CIM Jazz School from 2000 to 2001. She formed her own quintet, YSN 5tet, and performed at various jazz clubs, theaters, festivals, and bars in France. Also in 2001 she released her debut album, Reflet. Her mostly self-composed 2002 album, Light for the people, was her first album to receive a wide distribution. She recorded the follow-up, Down by love, with guitarist Olivier Ode. With her 2004 release So I am, she became more known in Europe.[citation needed]
In 2007, she made a pop record, Memory Lane. In 2008, she signed a contract with German label ACT, and in 2009 was acknowledged for her musical contributions in France by receiving the distinction of the Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She released her album Same Girl in 2010 and in 2013 this was followed by Lento. From 2009 to 2015, she gave about 500 performances in many countries, including prestigious festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Vocal style
She was not influenced by any historical jazz musicians, because she did not have any knowledge of jazz music until her late start as a singer.[citation needed] Even though she began studying jazz history in Paris, it was after she had already created her own vocal style. Rather, she sang various genres of music from classical music to rock music by herself before she studied jazz in Paris.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | AUT | BEL (Fl) | BEL (Wa) | FRA | GER | SWI | |||
| Reflet | Released: June 13, 2001 Label: Sony Music | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Light for the People | Released: August 31, 2002 Label: In Circum Girum | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Down by Love | Released: December 12, 2003 Label: Sony Music | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | KOR: 11,084 |
| So I Am... | Released: October 19, 2004 Label: In Circum Girum, EMI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Memory Lane | Released: April 10, 2007 Label: Seoul Records, Interglobal | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | KOR: 10,379 |
| Voyage | Released: September 22, 2008 Label: Triangle, ACT Music, Interglobal | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Same Girl | Released: August 17, 2010 Label: ACT Music, Warner Music Korea | 13 | — | — | 89 | 38 | — | — | |
| Lento | Released: March 12, 2013 Label: ACT Music, Warner Music Korea | 8 | — | 145 | 47 | 14 | — | 70 | KOR: 6,987 |
| She Moves On | Released: May 19, 2017 Label: ACT Music, Warner Music Korea | 16 | 50 | — | 184 | 27 | 61 | 38 | KOR: 1,309 |
| Immersion | Released: March 8, 2019 Label: Warner Music Korea | 41 | — | — | — | 36 | — | 90 | |
| Waking World | Released: January 28, 2022 Label: Warner Music Korea | 76 | — | — | — | 56 | 98 | 74 | |
| Elles (with Jon Cowherd) | Released: January 26, 2024 Label: Warner Music Korea | — | — | — | — | 101 | — | — | |
| Lost Pieces | Released: February 19, 2026 Label: Warner Music Germany | — | — | — | — | 107 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes album did not chart or was not released in that region. |
Singles
- "My Favorite Things" (August 10, 2010)
Other contributions
Buddha Bar Volume 5 features a song named "Road" created by Refractory (a French music group) and sung by Na Yoon-sun, under the name "Youn Sun Nah".
She appears on multiple songs of the 2011 release "Songs of Freedom" by French guitarist Nguyên Lê.
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee/work | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Académie du Jazz | 2010 | Prix du Jazz Vocal | Same Girl | |
| BMW Welt Jazz Award | 2010 | Second Prize | Na Yoon-sun | |
| Concours national de jazz de La Défense | 1999 | Special Jury Prize | ||
| Echo Jazz | 2011 | Best International Female Singer | ||
| Festival de Jazz de Montmartre | 1998 | Second Prize | ||
| Jazz à Juan Révélations | 2005 | Grand Prize | ||
| Korean Music Awards | 2004 | Best Crossover Album | Down By Love | |
| 2008 | Netizen Vote: Jazz & Crossover Musician of the Year | Na Yoon-sun | ||
| 2009 | Best Jazz Album | Voyage | ||
| 2011 | Same Girl | |||
| 2014 | Lento |
State and cultural honors
| Country or organization | Year | Honor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2019 | Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | |
| Korean Cultural Center | 2013 | Korean-French Culture Award | |
| South Korea | 2012 | Prime Minister's Commendation | |
| 2014 | Sejong Cultural Award |