The four-member German bombast rock combo Krypteria is topping even the successes of grizzled forbears like the Scorpions in their homeland, with their hit ¡°Liberatio¡± making it all the way to no. 2 in the German singles charts. But the crystal-clear voice singing in Anglo-German and, yes, Latin is second-generation Korean Cho-Ji-in. The singer's father was a miner dispatched to Germany some 30 years ago. Her mother is a nurse.
Cho, who dreamed of being a singer since childhood, joined the rock band even though she majored in classical piano at Cologne¡¯s University of Music. But Krypteria combines huge classical orchestral sounds with rock beats, and Cho¡¯s powerful and slightly mysterious voice soars over the playing (and conducting) of the three German men who make up the band. In a telephone interview with the Chosun Ilbo, Cho stumbled often but spoke in comprehensible Korean.
¡°I studied classical music in university because I thought classical music could be a basis for Rock or other pop music,¡± she said. But she has no particular ambitions to be a rock chick. ¡°As for singing, Whitney Houston is a role model; for entertainment, Madonna and for dancing Janet Jackson.¡± She does not attempt to conceal her ambitions to go solo after acquiring more experience with the band. The album ¡°In Medias Res¡± will be released in Korea next year. ¡°If the album does well in Korea, I would like to meet fans there too, even if it's just on a small stage.¡± Although she only visited Korea once before, 12 years ago, she still remembers Korean food she enjoyed, like Deokboggi and Hodeok.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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