Boohwal(부활) | |
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Background information | |
Origin | South Korea |
Genres | Rock, pop |
Years active | 1986 to Present |
Labels | Born Again Entertainment KT Music |
Website | http://www.bornagainent.co.kr |
Members | Bass(left): Seo Jae Hyuck (서재혁) Drums: Chae Je Min (채제민) Vocal: Kim Dongmyung (김동명) Guitar: Kim Tae Won (김태원) |
Past members | See "lineups" |
Boohwal (Korean: "부활", literally "Born again"), is a South Korean rock music band, formed in 1985 by the lead guitarist/songwriter Kim Tae Won .
Kim Tae-won changed the name of the group from "The End" to "부활" ("Boohwal") in ‘86 following the departure of the vocalist Kim Jong Seo (김종서). They led the heavy metal boom in the 80’s along with other bands such as Baekdoosan (백두산), Sinawe (시나위), H2O, and Black Hole (블랙홀). Boohwal, Baekdoosan, and Sinawe were called the ‘Big 3’ by the media as they were all led by talented guitarists (Boohwal – Kim Tae Won, Baekdoosan – Kim Do Kyun 김도균, Sinawe – Shin Dae Chul 신대철), had unique talented vocalists and all aimed to create heavy metal music. However, unlike bands like Sinawe, they have been concentrating more on Korean-style melodic rock ballads, especially after their 3rd album.
After receiving high praises in the underground music scene for their music, they became instantly popular once they released their first major album. The album featured the most popular vocalist to come out of Boohwal, Lee Seung-Cheol (이승철). The title song, "희야" (Heeya) became an instant hit. Kim Tae Won produced bell ringing sounds with his guitar for that song and many aspiring guitarists tried to mimick it. The 2nd album, also with Lee Seung Chul, was also a big success. Their success was a result of many aspects, including Kim Tae Won’s ability to write beautiful songs ranging from rock to ballad, Lee Seung Chul’s ability to sing, and Boohwal’s overall talent for music. However, Lee Seung Chul and Kim Tae Won went their separate ways in 1988. Kim Tae Won worked on many side projects until getting the band together for their 3rd album.
After regrouping, they released their third album in 1993 featuring the hit single “사랑할수록” (Sarang hal soo rok – The More I Love). The album was a success, partly due to the emotional story of Kim Jae Gi (김재기), the original vocalist at the start of the recording, who died in a traffic accident. After the death of Kim Jae Gi, Kim Jae Hee(김재희), who was the younger brother of Kim Jae Gi, was scouted by Kim since the voice color resembled his brother. He did not record any of the songs on the third album, but he later became the official vocalist and went on to record the fourth album. Unfortunately, the album was a failure. Kim Jae Hee left Boohwal after the fourth album. Unlike in the 80s, rock music in Korea didn't fare well in the 90s, with the emergence of dance music as the most popular genre of music. Although Kim Tae Won kept Boohwal (부활) from disappearing as many other rock bands did during that time, they went through many lineup changes.