Apr 2010 15

SOUNDCHECK: Koonta & Nuoliunce (쿤타 & 뉴올리언스)0

Posted by Tiffny - In Music, SOUNDCHECK

Reggae music, like other genres of music, knows no boundaries and speaks to everyone regardless of mother tongue. So it should come as no shock to you that it is starting to grow a stronghold in the Far East. Artists and musicians have gravitated towards this soulful sound, and by incorporating elements of their natural surroundings, have produced many flavors of what was once a purely Jamaican sound. Enter Koonta & Nuoliunce. As a duo, they are one of the very few musical groups in South Korea to have embraced and promoted Reggae…with a Korean twist of course.

Who: Koonta & Nuoliunce

Members: Koonta aka Ahn Tae Hyeon (안태현) – vocals , Nuoliunce (Nuol) aka Choi Sung Beom (최성범) – producer

Representing: Seoul, South Korea

Genre: Hip Hop/ Reggae

Latest Release: 2nd album - Navigation

Korean Reggae is fairly unheard of in mainstream South Korea, let alone the rest of the world. There are only a few artists who dare venture into this genre, because unlike pop, hip hop (hip pop) or even R&B, it’s not easily emulated or accepted into the collective iPod of K-poppers. However, Koonta and Nuoliunce have joined the ranks of the few in Korea who have managed to take this sound and flip it with a uniquely Korean flavor. Having a solid following in the underground scene of Korea, they’ve produced two studio albums Koonta’s lively vocals over Nuoliunce’s hypnotic beats make for a really good listen. If you’ve never checked out Korean Reggae before, I would suggest these guys along with Stony Skunk who I’ve mentioned on HH. BUT! As this post is about Koonta & Nuoliunce, let’s check out a few of their pvs that I love. You can kinda hear how influenced Koonta is by Bob Marley…nice.

Koonta & Nuoliunce- Mama