Youn Sun Nah - Lento (2013)

With her universal yet individual style Youn Sun Nah gives traditional vocal jazz a new flavour, while unconventionally and effortlessly exploring new exciting spaces. She is one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal jazz that includes the whole spectrum of contemporary music.

Female singers who manage to stir a whole genre are seldom found. Diana Krall and Norah Jones are such outstanding talents who gave vocal jazz a whole new colour, and Korean singer Youn Sun Nah has been equally phenomenal. In the last few years she has conquered the music world with her albums Voyage (2009) and Same Girl (2010) released on ACT.

Within two years Nah had received her fourth Korean Music Award , the BMW World Jazz Award and the ECHO Jazz Award for best international female singer whilst in France, her second home, Same Girl was the best selling jazz album of the year in 2011, Nah received the Prix Mimi Perrin du Jazz Vocal as female vocalist of the year, the leading magazine Jazzman awarded her with Choc de l'annee 2012 as artist of the year and she was
granted the title of nobility Chevalier de l Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the culture secretary, putting her in the prominent company of such stars as David Bowie, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Dustin Hoffman.

What is the secret of her remarkable success? Her new album Lento gives an explanation by combining Youn Sun Nah s unique qualities. One of them is the blending of different cultural and musical sources, in a respectful yet unconventional manner. Besides jazz and related styles, she draws on chanson, pop and folk music, and in addition to compositions by herself.