A Kcrush Interview with Ali

Ali, the singer known for her ‘voice’ and musical ability

Ali is a Korean singer-songwriter famous for her rich and soulful voice. Her stage name, ‘Ali’ was inspired from the world’s greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali.

Ali made her debut in 2003, by featuring in songs from Leessang’s third album, ‘I’m Not Laughing’ and ‘Never Never Say Goodbye’ and she collaborated in various other songs for other artists for several years.

During those years, Ali was praised by her senior artists for her unique voice and talent but she did not get much recognition from the public until she released her own debut album, ‘After the Love has Gone’ in 2009.

In 2009, Ali made an appearance as a contestant on the KBS program Immortal Songs 2. Because she could belt out extremely strong and high notes, she stood out from the other contestants, quickly gaining recognition and fame from just one episode of the show.

Two years after her debut in December of 2011, her first album SOULri was released. Following the release of her album, she held her first independent concert.

As well as being a great singer and entertainer, Ali also works as a professor in applied musical arts at the Seoul Technical Arts College.

She has had her share of ups and downs in her singing career, but she has held out strong like her trademark: Her voice and talent in performing.

One of my favorite performances by Ali is when she sang, “A Kilimanjaro’s Panther” – originally a song by the Korean legend, ‘Yong-pil Cho’ in the Immortal Song 2 and that performance garnered her a large fan base of all age groups.

We were honored to be able to attain an interview with Ali. I hope our readers enjoy reading about Ali from our interview. Plus, a special thank you goes to Ali for her precious time.

A Kcrush Interview with Ali

*Could you briefly introduce yourself to our Kcrush readers?

Hello, it’s nice to meet you all. This is Ali, I am a singer who sings all genres of music.

*How old were you when you started singing?

I learned Pansori (which is a traditional Korean music) when I was in third year in elementary school.

I began to prepare myself to become a vocalist for popular music when I was in my last year of high school, at the age of 19. My major at University was related to Jazz music.

*Have you always dreamt of becoming a singer from an early age?

Since I was very young, I enjoyed singing in front of family members. There is a photo of me singing holding a red microphone when I was about three or four years old.

Growing up, I was very much interested in opera and musicals. Because I enrolled into the Jazz vocal department for my university major, I worked as a contributing Hip-Hop vocalist locally. I believe that I was destined to become a singer.

*Which artists/musicians do you admire the most?

There are so many artists who inspire me, so it’s hard to even count them all. All the artists who are older than myself inspire me. But if I had to choose, I would say Chet Baker for Jazz music. Stevie Wonder for R & B. James Brown, Alicia Keys for Soul, and Tupac for Hip Hop. Every one of them are such great artists.

*How do you cope with the busy schedule and how do you release stress and fatigue?

I usually like to nap and eat delicious foods. I also watch movies at home with two of my pet dogs.

*What do you do as a hobby?

I play Tennis. I play cookie jam game and collect bear bricks. I enjoy reading comic books and watching historical dramas.

*Which artists or songs do you listen to most these days?

I’m currently listening to “The Last Time” by Eric Benet and practicing on singing that song because I want to sound sweet.

*Do you do a lot of vocal practice and dance/choreography?

I don’t do much vocal practice in case I injure my vocal cords. So, I only do vocal training when I feel that I have to. Depending on how the song is produced, I do dance practice for about two days before I go on stage for Immortal Songs.

*Do you have any novels or films that you watched recently that you were inspired by?

‘Imitation Game’ because I want to make my own music that no one else has figured out, even if it gets forgotten after I die. The book that inspired me is ‘The Problem of Pain’ by C. S Lewis.

I am anticipating for the release of Avengers!

*What would you say are your favorite food or drink?

I drink a cup of Espresso double shot and cream from Starbucks every morning. I have low blood pressure, so I need the caffeine in order to get myself to wake up. But since it’s not particularly good for my throat, I can only drink 200ml of it per day. I enjoy eating all kinds of food as long as it’s not salty. I really like to eat all kinds of meat and fruit. I can’t eat raw onions since I have an allergy for them.

*Could you describe what kind of person is your ideal?

Someone who is very sociable with people, who is a hardworking person. A person who has a sexy voice. It would also be nice if he could play a good game of tennis.

*Can you play any other instruments other than the piano?

Other than the piano, I am able to play the violin.

*Could you let us know about your goals or wishes for this year?

I want to make exciting music. The kind of songs that everyone and anyone can sing along to.

I’d like to travel all over Europe with that music. In particularly, I wish to travel to England.

(Of course, I’d love to visit the States as well ^^).

— J. Chung