6.Kim Hong-chul, the living witness of the Korean Yodel
In the early '60s I walked on the street in a random opportunity to hear a strange vocalizations from the radio (I did not know which broadcast it was, but I just guess it 'the Travel to the world by music').
After listening, I tried to imitate the strange vocalizations (because it was fun). I stopped by the Korean National Library to check the materials and visited the newspaper investigation room, but there were only a few lines about Yodel. That context said, "yodel is a song by a Swiss & Alps shepherd". That's all! , I could not get nothing about what I want to know.
So I decided to ask yodel in Switzerland and sent a English-letter(My English teacher help me) to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper in Zurich, Switzerland. I asked "Can you send me yodel music-sheet and introduce me specialist who can learn Yodel? "in letter.
Walter Bernays, the chief editor of the Tages-Anzeiger, sent me a music- sheet and a one-hour tape with yodeling samples. He also advised as specialist,"You have to sing it slowly at first, but then sing it more faster and faster." A year later, he responded,"Did your yodelings get well? I would like to hear your voice. If you send it, I will recover your wrong skills from the Swiss Yodel-expert."
Hence I recorded a few yodels and sent it to Switzerland. Later on, I was invited to Switzerland with the support of the Swiss people who became familiar with the broadcasts and articles about me.
Therefore I have been the first Korean to learn and perform the folk music of the Switzerland.
- It is quoted from 김홍철Kim Hong-chul's "Edelweiss in Vancouver"
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| Performed at Kindli in Zurich's folk restaurant (1968) <Photo courtesy>: Hong Yong-hwa |
In Korea, there was a singer who sang yodel at least from the 1930s, but Kim Hong-chul was the first Korean gone to Switzerland to learn yodel.
Kim Hong-chul has released a total of 10 yodel-albums, which is not easy for the yodelers of the Switzerland.
According to his testimony, all his records were made by the greed of singers, that was not a big profit to him, but it became the bibles of many next followers and remains as the biggest asset of the Korea Yodel.
▶ Initial records (1970 ~ 1973)
아름다운 베르네 산골The Beautiful Bener Valley
Composed by Gottlieb Jakob / Korean Lyric by Kim Hong-chul
아름다운 베르네
맑은 시냇물이 넘쳐 흐르네
The Beautiful Berne valley,
There, a clear stream have been flowing.
맑은 시냇물이 넘쳐 흐르네
The Beautiful Berne valley,
There, a clear stream have been flowing.
새빨간 알핀로제
이슬 먹고 피어 있는 곳
A bright red Alpine-rosé,
the flowers are in full bloom.
이슬 먹고 피어 있는 곳
A bright red Alpine-rosé,
the flowers are in full bloom.
다소 오버렌야 오버렌
베르네 산골 아름답구나
Das Overland! Ja Overland!
The Berne valley look too beautiful!
베르네 산골 아름답구나
Das Overland! Ja Overland!
The Berne valley look too beautiful!
다소 오버렌야 오버렌
나의 사랑 베르네
Das Overland! Ja Overland!
the Berner valley, it's my lover.
나의 사랑 베르네
Das Overland! Ja Overland!
the Berner valley, it's my lover.
[Yodel]
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| Kim Hong-chul's debut album with the beautiful Berner valley |
아름다운 스위스 아가씨The Beautiful Swiss Less
Composed by Tom Emerson / Korean Lyric by Kim Hong-chul
저 알프스의 꽃과 같은 스위스 아가씨
귀여운 목소리로 요로레이띠~There, a beautiful Switzerland girl like a flower of the Alps
sing yodeling with a cute voice Yo ro re ee di
귀여운 목소리로 요로레이띠~There, a beautiful Switzerland girl like a flower of the Alps
sing yodeling with a cute voice Yo ro re ee di
발걸음도 가볍게 산을 오르면
목소리 합쳐서 노래를 하네
While stepped lightly up to the mountain,
She began clear her throat, then start yodelings!!
목소리 합쳐서 노래를 하네
While stepped lightly up to the mountain,
She began clear her throat, then start yodelings!!
그 아가씨 언제나
요로레이띠에이에이~ 요로레이 요로레이띠~She always yodeling as like Yo ro re ee di
Yo ro re ee Yo ro re ee di
요로레이띠에이에이~ 요로레이 요로레이띠~She always yodeling as like Yo ro re ee di
Yo ro re ee Yo ro re ee di
귀여운 목소리로
요로레이띠에이에이~ 요로레이 요로레이띠~with cute voice
Yo ro re ee Yo ro re ee di
요로레이띠에이에이~ 요로레이 요로레이띠~with cute voice
Yo ro re ee Yo ro re ee di
The two yodels that I have just introduced are Kim Hong-chul 's representative songs, which are still the most popular yodels in Korea.
'The beautiful Berner Valley' is the debut song of Kim Hong-chul. It was first released in the album called "the Mountain Song for Alpinist", produced on Dong-A Broadcast(1970). The lyrics were made on the spot in the airplane(1968) that returned to Korea after finishing yodel-studying in Switzerland.
'The Beautiful Swiss Less ' was first released in 1972 with the collection of 'the fascinating Yodel of Kim Hong Chul' , and then reissued in Kim Hong-chul's 1st Collection (1974) and Kim Hong Chul's Yodel Collection (1981). This song caused a great repercussion, ranked third in Korean popular song charts at the time of release. I think 'The beautiful Swiss Less' was probably the only yodel on the popular song charts in Korea.
'The Beautiful Swiss Less[She taught me to yodel]' is the most famous yodel not only Korea but also the whole world. Also, along with 'the beautiful Berner valley' mentioned above, 'The Beautiful Swiss Less' is the most familiar yodel to all Koreans.
And in 2007, "The Beautiful Swiss Less' covered the movie "싸이보그지만 괜찮아I'm Cyborg, but it's okay," by 정지훈Jung Ji-hoon, world-famous Korean singer. Moreover It is also the only yodel that can be sing in Korean- karaoke.
In addition to the two songs mentioned above, Kim Hong-chul's early recordings include the songs of Peter Hinnen, the world-renowned singer and yodel teacher, as follows; '칠천마리의 소Siebentausend Rinder' and '콜로라도의 장미Eine Rose blüht in Colorado'.
The songs of '딩동 폴카Ding Dong Polka', '알프스의 메아리The echo of the Alps' were also influenced by 大野義夫Yoshio Ono, a Japanese yodeler. Yoshio Ono also participated in the banjo session directly in Kim Hong-chul's 2nd album(1972).
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Yoshio Ono, a friend of Kim Hong-chul and Japanese Country style Yodeler / Illustration: Han Eun-jung▶ Mid-term record (1974 ~ 1976)푸른 창공에 로프를 던져라Throw the rope in the blue sky [I'm Casting My Lasso Towards the Sky]
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Kim played Hackbrett in 'Alps Chalet', The first Switzerland style restaurant opened by Kim Hong-chul In Korea(1983) / Kim Hong-chul introduced the musical instruments of Switzerland such as Alphorn and Hackbrett, and the Western musical instruments of USA such as Banjo and Chromaharp. The instruments mentioned here were first known to Korea by him
 Banjo and Kim Hong-chul <Photo courtesy>: Hong Yong Hwa
Since the 1980s, Kim Hong-chul had been widening the scope of the Yodels such as frequent appearances on TV children's programs as well as running Switzerland restaurants. Hence the Swiss culture in Korea became more and more deepened through him.
Switzerland Travel with the members of the Korea Yodel Federation (1986) <Photo courtesy> Hong Yong Hwa
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"Kim Hong-chul & his friends " participated in the Alps folk music festival held in Japan (1989)
In 1993, Kim Hong-chul left the Canadian immigration, and for a long time we were no longer able to hear the yodel in Korea's broadcast media. The Yodel are getting more and more distant from the general public in Korea. Currently, the name Kim Hong-chul is known only to people born before 1979 to the Korean general public except the yodel enthusiast.
In other words, those who have been their childhood in the 80s and early 90s know who Kim Hong-chul is, but those born later do not know about him. the long vacancy of the Kim Hong-chul's was equal to the blank of the Korean yodel.
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