She then participated in numerous Korean musicals of national scale and for which she has often been rewarded. She has even been demanded by one of the Biggest Japanese company of the genre (Sakye), but declined the invitation.
As she did not find suitable fulfilment in these musical environments, due to all their constraints, Youn Sun decided in 1995 to go to Paris in order to study jazz and French songs. She registered at CIM school, one of the oldest jazz school of the French capital, at the National Music Institute of Beauvais and at the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory. Her natural fondness for jazz reveals itself when she starts playing in the Parisians jazz clubs in 1996-97 with David Georgelet and Yoni Zelnik (still playing together today). She rapidly provokes considerable attention, notably by Jacques Vidal who invites her on his record ‘Ramblin’ (1999). She receives numerous prizes (Jazz à La Defense, Saint-Maur, Montmartre...), continues to comb jazz clubs and also participates at festivals.
Parallel to this French life, Youn Sun performs in Korea. Some opportunities have her living a double life, one in her native country, one in the country that has adopted her. In order to make this feasible, she is working with two different teams. In Seoul, she created her own production structure, Bis Music, with which she produced two records as a leader. Those were distributed by SONY MUSIC. In Paris, she almost exclusively worked with her quintet whose records are produced by an independent label, In Circum Girum.
In 5 years, Youn Sun Nah has recorded 4 albums (2 of which are exclusively distributed in Korea) and has extensively performed in various jazz festivals in France, Europe and Korea. In 2003 she obtains a full recognition by the Korean audience and media who declare her Jazz Artist of the Year. A few months before, she had been broadcast with her quintet on a program for ARTE Channel called Paris Jazz Club – Rue des Lombard. In 2004, the release of Youn Sun Nah5’s ‘So I Am...’ is widely celebrated by the French specialised as well as generalist press which fully recognise her talent and present her now like one of the most remarkable singer of the new generation. Lastly, her live performances are awarded by an impressive jury of jazz professionals at Jazz à Juan Revelation 2005.
Calypso Blues
Youn Sun Nah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice,
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice
These Yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice.
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie,
Six coconut, one female goat,
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
An' all de town, she come to dine.
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
Me feet hurt from shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
I got Calypso blues.
She need to, bubble like perculatah'
She come from Trinidad so winin' in her nature
Never can't I assess a reps until failure
Tell her if she stops she needs fe fly Air Jamaica
Anytime she land she nah go feel like no stranger
Carry us beyond we similar in behavior
Them no understand our customs and we flavor
Need a natty dred to be the new care taker, lord!
These Yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blond de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't!
She jitterbugs when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got.
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
She need to, she need to, she need to, bubble like perculatah'
She come from Trinidad so winin' in her nature
Never can't I assess a reps until failure
Tell her if she stops she needs fe fly Air Jamaica
Anytime she land she nah go feel like no stranger
Carry us beyond we similar in behavior
Them no understand our customs and we flavor
Need a natty dred to be the new care taker, lord!
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Wa oh wa oh wa oh way
Youn Sun Nah's "Calypso Blues" is a song that deals with themes of nostalgia, longing, and disorientation. The repetitive chorus, "Wa oh oh, wa oh oh, wa oh wa oh wa oh way" adds a sense of melancholic longing and reflects the singer's feelings of being lost and overwhelmed in a foreign land. The references to Trinidad and its traditional food and culture add to the sense of nostalgia for home, which the singer misses dearly.
The song compares the singer's experiences in America to those in Trinidad, where a dollar could buy a lot more and the people were more familiar with the singer's customs and behaviors. The contrast between the two places is striking, as the singer struggles to adapt to life in America and misses Trinidad, where everything seems easier and familiar. The references to Yankee hot dogs, cups of coffee, and ham on rye reflect the singer's struggles to adapt to American food and culture.
Overall, "Calypso Blues" is a powerful and moving song that highlights the challenges faced by immigrants in adjusting to new cultures and environments. The singer's longing for home and struggles to adapt to new customs and ways of living are universal themes that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Wa oh oh, wa oh oh
Repetitive sound expressing the singer's emotions.
Sittin' by de ocean
The singer is sitting by the ocean.
Me heart, she feel so sad,
The singer's heart feels sad.
Don't got de money
The singer doesn't have enough money.
To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer can't afford to travel back to Trinidad.
Fine calypso woman,
The singer met a beautiful calypso woman.
She cook me shrimp and rice,
The calypso woman cooked the singer shrimp and rice.
These Yankee hot dogs
The singer compares the calypso woman's cooking to Yankee hot dogs.
Don't treat me stomach very nice.
The singer's stomach doesn't like the Yankee hot dogs.
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
In Trinidad, one dollar is worth.
Papaya juice, banana pie,
In Trinidad, you can buy papaya juice and banana pie.
Six coconut, one female goat,
In Trinidad, you can buy six coconuts and one female goat.
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
In Trinidad, you can buy plenty of fish to fill the boat.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
In Trinidad, one can buy a bushel of bread and a barrel of wine.
An' all de town, she come to dine.
Everyone in town comes to dine together.
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Here, one dollar is only worth.
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
Here, one can only buy a cup of coffee and a sandwich.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
The singer's throat is sore from wearing a necktie.
Me feet hurt from shoes.
The singer's feet hurt from wearing shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
The singer is broke and has an empty pocket.
I got Calypso blues.
The singer is sad and depressed.
She need to, bubble like perculatah'
The singer wants the calypso woman to dance.
She come from Trinidad so winin' in her nature
The calypso woman is from Trinidad and loves to dance.
Never can't I assess a reps until failure
The singer doesn't believe in assessing someone until they fail.
Tell her if she stops she needs fe fly Air Jamaica
If the calypso woman stops dancing, she needs to fly to Air Jamaica.
Anytime she land she nah go feel like no stranger
The calypso woman will never feel like a stranger in Jamaica.
Carry us beyond we similar in behavior
The singer and the calypso woman share similar behavior.
Them no understand our customs and we flavor
Others don't understand their customs or flavor.
Need a natty dread to be the new caretaker, lord!
The singer wants someone new to take care of them.
These Yankee girl give me big scare,
The singer is scared of Yankee girls.
Is black de root, is blond de hair.
Yankee girls come in a variety of looks.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
Yankee girls wear fake lashes and heavy makeup.
And pads are where de girl she ain't!
Yankee girls wear pads to create curves they don't have.
She jitterbugs when she should waltz,
Yankee girls dance differently than the singer.
I even think her name is false.
The singer believes the Yankee girl's name is fake.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
The calypso girl is much better than Yankee girls.
Is what you see, is what she got.
The calypso girl is authentic and doesn't try to be what she's not.
Contributed by Muhammad P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GerardRebours
I LOVE THIS INCREDIBLE SINGER ! very personal style, not cloning anyone, a very true artist. And a very kind person, too, as I could notice when seeing her in concert.
@samlowry9663
You should see her live! After a fantastic performance, she and Ulf Wakenius spent an hour at the kiosk talking, signing CD's ect. A remarkable person.
@smlsm1344
대한민국의 자랑스런 인물!
@annakhine
I think her vocal range is more than 4 oct using very high notes with technical throat and "inhaling" sound. I just saw her tonight in a show in France and that's simply prodigious from soft to strong and shiny ! Woaw woaw woaw !!!!!
@YuzanaKhin
Felling in love with her artistic creative voices and techniques. I love her to be my mentor in person.
@LeChanell
WOW I love her voice! <3
@frankyandme2
Incredible talent....Incredible beauty. Her style reminds me a little of Laurie Anderson, but not like a copy or anything. Youn Sun Nah is uniquely and refreshingly different.
@richardlehwald7354
Amazing talent . Love your music
@analuciatoledo8915
Years ago I went to a unforgettable show at small teatre near paris and this girls touch my soul! So beautiful her sound! Wonderfull
@saintepatience
....C'est ça une chanteuse, une capacité à se servir de la voix dans différents timbres et harmoniques, à oser inventer des sons et à savoir les associer dans l'instant, c'est une performance riche d'enseignement, de technique et, de poésie! Bravo