Vocalist Hyewon Mun from Korea-based band spoke to I Kaur about her love for the sitar and how she introduced it in one of her songs
If music is about fun, Korean band Biuret can be its ambassador. The members met when they were 18 and out of sheer whim formed a band. Now 11 years later, they look like they’ve just gotten out of school and are on an unending vacation. Biuret, a four-member group, which has boys and girls in equal number, was formed without thinking of future, and today, as they stand on Indian soil, they just laugh looking at each other. It’s really funny how this band was formed, said Hyewon Mun, the lead vocalist. “Happy Jackson, our guitarist, had this idea ever since he was a kid. So when he met my friend, Il Park (bassist) and I randomly in 2002, his idea kind of pricked our heads too. We knew it made no sense to leave everything and form a band, but we still went ahead. In 2004 we met Jai An, our drummer. An wanted to go to UK and join an official drumming university, but instead left that and joined us. So it has been a crazy journey,” she shared.
The name of the band sounds strange too. It may remind you of Beirut which is the capital of lebanon, but it actually means something very different. Mun explained, “It means beautiful violet. All our music is about beauty and happiness. We feel that nothing better than a beautiful violet can express it.”
This is Biuret’s first visit to India, but they have been touring to England, Vietnam, China and Australia in the past. According to Mun, they were not half as excited about visiting any of those countries, as they were to visit India. “India is extremely special for us. We love the culture, music and vibe of this country. The people here too are very beautiful and have lovely eyes,” she said.
The sitar seems to be one of the most popular Indian instruments abroad. So when we asked Mun how much she knew of Indian music, her instant reply was, “I’ve heard the sitar. In fact the notes sa re ga ma in Indian music are very expressive. It helps bring out the emotions we want to bring out.” Her love for the instrument is so much that their closing song at the concert, Mama’s recorded version actually has an overlap of the sitar to give it the real feel. “The song is about a mother. We want to convey that when you have an enemy you should add the motherly instinct in you and forgive him. That will bring peace and happiness,” she elaborated.
Though Biuret is technically a pop band, they take inspiration from the alternative rock era of the 90s. “I think we are a mix between alternative rock, folk and pop,” added Mun.
Some of the songs they played at the concert were Falling Star, lie, Fly my voice, Dancing Queen, lady Marmalade, I Don’t Want To Go Back Home Today and Violet. “The sixth song that we will play is Do You Want To Get MeIJ That song is based on the French novel. It explores the feeling you get when you are in love — anxiety and happiness,” she said.