S. Korean jazz singer gets French medal

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- Jazz singer Nah Youn-sun will receive a prestigious
cultural honor from France next month, becoming the first such South Korean
artist to receive a national medal from a foreign government, her agent said
Monday.
Nah, 40, is one of the best-known South Korean musicians in France. She has
earned top awards at events around the country, including the France St-Maur Jazz
festival in 1999 and the Antibes "Jazz a Juan" festival in 2005.
The Chevalier des Arts et Lettres medal, established in 1957, is awarded to those
who have made a noteworthy contribution to the arts. Nah, recognized for her role
as a bridge between Korean and French music, will receive the medal on Oct. 5,
her agent in Seoul, Hub Music, said.
The singer said she was "surprised and very pleased."
"I will make more efforts to show the world the greatness of Korean music and
singers," she said in a press release.
Born to musician parents, Nah moved to France in 1995 and received a vocal
diploma from CIM, the first jazz school in Europe, and graduated from the
Beauvais national school of music with first honors.
She was later named the first female Asian teacher at CIM, and in 2002 she held
her first concert tour around France, releasing a French debut album shortly
afterwards.
In 2005, Nah was named among the nine most noteworthy world music artists by
French magazine "NOVA."
Nah currently resides in France, and is preparing for concerts in China and
Germany later this month as part an international 30-city tour.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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