A book to break misunderstanding and prejudice about blues

Yoo Sung-eun seems angry all the time. It is because of the blues. He recently published his first book titled “The Real Blues.”

“One of the drivers for my writing is surely anger,” Yoo said. “I believe there are certain books that need to be published in the world.”

Yoo added that he feels upset about the times in which he was deceived about the real blues. Yoo first found out about the blues through radio channels and music magazines in the 1970s.

“I was mainly introduced to the British blues-rock, such as the Animals, Cream, the Bluesbreakers. I believed that they represent all of the blues without knowing what the real blues is, such as the country blues,” the author said. “It is the fault of radio show hosts and critics at the time sharing wrong information with the public – it took me quite a long time to calm my anger.”

Yoo who used to work at an ad agency visited the U.S. several times for work in the 1990s, which was when he learned about the “real” blues. There were endless things to learn as he studied the blues. “I just kept learning about what I like, which has led me here.”

His meticulousness can be seen throughout the 376-page book “The Real Blues” as if he had controlled his anger with reason. The book features dynamic stories about classic blues stars, such as Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, and Son House. In particular, it focuses on how the Great Depression and wars impacted the development and popularity of the blues.


imi@donga.com