Cha Sanggu
Artistry and Authenticity as a “Synthetic Korean”
Photos courtesy of Cha Sanggu
At first glance, Cha Sanggu looks more like a K-pop idol’s bodyguard than an actual artist. As a six-foot-four non-Korean, he does not fit the mold of a K-pop artist in looks, age or nationality. Having fallen in love with the Korean spirit, taken a new name, and thrown off any trace of doubt, Canadian-born Sanggu is currently recording an original album for release in Korea and is in talks with a Korean television network for a reality show based on his unique situation.
Despite having worked with some of the greatest talents in the North American music scene, Sanggu never felt that his music was honestly expressing his point of view. Moving from genre to genre he found success, but felt unsatisfied as an artist. His entry into Korean music is a rebirth of sorts. He took a Korean name and refers to himself as a “synthetic Korean,” an identity still under construction. Being a synthetic Korean means that he shares the pride that Koreans feel for their country, but he knows that he can never claim to be Korean. “I am just a musician and singer who is inspired by Korea and her history, language, and culture,” he said. “I am not a K-pop artist.” He hopes that his Korean audience will feel his passion and sincerity as they watch him progress, both artistically and linguistically, in the months to come.
Sanggu has been studying Korean for just over a year. When he first started to learn the Hangeul alphabet, he was searching for Korean poetry and came across the work of Sangrim, a poet from Ulsan. He was captivated by the English translations of her poems, and upon trying to learn more about the poet, he discovered that Sangrim has family in his hometown of Vancouver. He reached out to them to explain his situation. Having the hunger to record songs, but no ability to read, write, or speak Korean, he asked Sangrim if she would consider writing lyrics for him until he became more proficient. He knew it was a long shot, but to his surprise, Sangrim loved the idea and began writing for one of his songs right away. The partnership between the singer and the poet is vital at this stage in Sanggu’s career.
“Even though the idea was for it to be a temporary thing, I think Sangrim is enjoying the process,” he said. “I also know that no matter how good my Korean gets, writing my own lyrics is going to be a million mile drop from the beautiful poems she’s writing now in our collaborations. As long as Sangrim is willing, I’m hoping to never take that fall.”
Sangrim forms the third part of Team Sanggu along with producer Ronnie King, who has sold millions of records and received nominations for Grammy and Oscar awards. When Sanggu introduced him to K-pop, he fell in love with it, too. “It’s actually right up his alley,” said Sanggu. “The K-pop sound reminds me a lot of hip-hop and R&B influences I grew up with, many of which Ronnie produced.” The combination of Sanggu’s vocals, Sangrim’s lyrics and Ronnie’s expertise creates an exciting recipe that Sanggu hopes will be a fresh take on K-pop. “It could be something fresh and unique, and it could be a total disaster. Only time will tell,” he admitted.
Sanggu learned fearlessness from Ronnie King. “From Ronnie, I learned how to let go,” he said. “Ronnie taught me how to truly express myself. As a growing artist, a lot of dangerous barriers can build around you—walls that criticism, fear and loathing can create. Ronnie operates without any of these barriers and the result is obvious from his work and talent.”
Working for two years with Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes of TLC has also been instrumental in Sanggu’s artistic growth. “From Left-Eye I learned what it meant to be an artist and performer, and how humility and being down-to-earth are so important to longevity,” he said. “She taught me how to focus on what’s important over the superficial things that are out of your control. It’s not about fame and money, it’s about creativity and connecting with people. No one understood better than Lisa that even a single fan was a blessing, and an opportunity to nurture love and build a connection that supersedes anything physical and tangible.”
From Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Sanggu learned how to write songs and how to be a professional. “I learned that just having a skill set was not enough to be successful. You need drive, organization and a relentless work ethic to even have a chance to be heard,” he noted.
Already, Sanggu has not only gotten the chance to be heard, but has received positive reactions to his new project. At the very beginning of the journey, he e-mailed a song he had recorded to the executive producer of a major Korean television network. “He responded in minutes with a reaction that blew me away. He absolutely loved it to a degree that was probably surprising for both of us,” Sanggu remembers. It was a key moment that gave him confidence moving forward. “Thinking about that still makes me smile and gives me hope that I’m on the right track.” Another key development is that Team Sanggu is in concept talks for a reality show that would introduce Sanggu to Korean audiences. While unable to share much at this stage of planning, Sanggu said, “I’m super excited that it’s even a thought…I think what I’m doing is pretty amazing, comical, and hopefully inspiring.”
As a non-Korean, Sanggu knows that his role in Korean music will be different from that of other artists. He hopes to use his art to provide a foreigner’s point of view on Korean social issues and connect with audiences on a deeper level. “Everything I’m doing musically will touch on important events in Korean history and the human condition,” he said. “I want to share my perspective on what I’ve learned and show the deep compassion I feel for things that have occurred, past and ongoing. I want to deliver my interpretation of the pain and suffering of those who stood, fought, witnessed, and lost against the evils of their times.”
As Sangrim educated Sanggu about Korean poetry styles, he was particularly moved by Gasa poetry, which was realized in Gwangju. He learned about the Gwangju Uprising and became more determined to honor the pain, loss, and sacrifice of previous generations. “I want to speak without fear or reservation to show that at least here in my heart, these events are neither forgotten nor lost,” he said. Sanggu dreams of performing at Gwangju’s World Cup Stadium and plans on having at least two nights of performance in Gwangju in his first week in Korea, hopefully by the end of 2015.
Another of Sanggu’s dreams is to collaborate with the artists he looks up to, especially Psy, the “virtual father” who gave him his first taste of K-pop. “I’d love to work with him, G-Dragon, 4-Minute and Primary for starters,” he said. “Korea is so rich with musical talent, and it would be amazing to collaborate with any of them.”
While it remains to be seen how Sanggu will be received in Korea, he already considers the journey a great success. “Because of this journey and transformation, I’ve already made great friends, had great times, and been both overwhelmed and thoroughly enriched by what I’ve learned,” he reflected. “What comes next is out of my hands, but whatever it is I’ll do my best to enjoy it.”
Connect with Sanggu on social media:
Website: www.mawheyo.com
YouTube: ku1thousand
Facebook: @mawheyo
Twitter: @mawheyo
Instagram: @mawheyo