Art and music communicate differently than language and establish sympathy for the soul in their unique way. Maybe that's why being a foreigner doesn't really matter to musicians. However, since the cultural backgrounds from each person's history influence the outcome naturally, such an outcome appeals to the local public in a foreign country. Sun-mi Hong and Zaky Wael live in countries on the other side of the world, performing their own music. Sun-mi Hong is a jazz musician in the Netherlands, leading the Sun-mi Hong quintet. Wael from Egypt is participating in the band [Omar and Eastern Power] as a percussionist. Through the stories of two musicians pioneering each of their own fields, you can feel that their music has become the universal language in every corner of the world.
1. Would you introduce yourself?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ My name is Sun-Mi Hong from South Korea. I am a drummer. I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 10 years, and I am currently working as a freelancer.
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Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My name is Zaky Wael. I am 33 years old and have been living in Korea for 11 years. I first came to Korea from Egypt to study. Now I am working as a translator and as a Musician.
2. Why or how did you come to live in that country? How long do you plan to stay?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I came to the Netherlands to learn jazz. Back then, there wasn’t much jazz education in Korea. I switched from studying pop music at Howon University in Seoul to Jazz at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. I don’t have much of a plan regarding how much longer I’ll stay here. My life goes by with many surprises as a jazz musician.
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ I first came to Korea in 2010 through a Korean government scholarship program. I studied here for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. After graduating, I started working. Regarding how long I plan to stay here, I don’t really plan for anything in my life.
3. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I can’t get used to Dutch food culture. What I love is that the Dutch seem able to accept differences, such as personalities and nationalities.
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ One thing I love is the Mountains in Korea. One thing I hate is the weather.
4. What is the best thing about being a musician in the country you live in?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ In the Netherlands, they allow musicians to be musicians. There is still a lot to do in the cultural sector. I don’t necessarily need to do anything else other than making music and performing. People are open to new things, and the music scene is huge. The Netherlands is one of the best countries for Jazz in Europe.
![]()
Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ In Korea, I can meet more musicians and explore a wider variety of music styles than in Egypt. There are many foreign artists living in Korea. This has enabled me to develop more. It’s also easier to find instruments here, and they’re cheaper. Studios are also better than in Egypt.
5. Since you have plenty of experience collaborating with local musicians, what was the biggest difference you’ve felt compared to collaborating in your home country (or with the same nationality)?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Here in the Netherlands, I play a lot with Dutch and non-Dutch musicians. The Jazz scene here includes many foreign artists. In the Netherlands, we are all from different countries; we have many other interests and characteristics in music but also in languages and culture.
![]()
Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ The biggest difference is that in Korea, they care more about technique, and they practice really hard to improve. In Egypt, they care more about the “feeling,” and not many musicians have the same technical skills as Koreans. I find more creativity and “groove” when I play with Egyptian artists and more technical skills when I play with Korean ones.
6. How does it affect your music that you have different cultural backgrounds?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Music is powerful because you don’t have to speak any language to understand it. It relates to memories and feelings. People here feel something different about my music. I had an opportunity to tell about my childhood stories, and the reaction was much stronger than I expected. The Dutch were so shocked by my stories that they got even a little famous!
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My different cultural background and experiences mean that my music has no genre. I don’t know how the public receives my music in Korea; I should probably ask them! I simply play.
1. Would you introduce yourself?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ My name is Sun-Mi Hong from South Korea. I am a drummer. I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 10 years, and I am currently working as a freelancer.
Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My name is Zaky Wael. I am 33 years old and have been living in Korea for 11 years. I first came to Korea from Egypt to study. Now I am working as a translator and as a Musician.
2. Why or how did you come to live in that country? How long do you plan to stay?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I came to the Netherlands to learn jazz. Back then, there wasn’t much jazz education in Korea. I switched from studying pop music at Howon University in Seoul to Jazz at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. I don’t have much of a plan regarding how much longer I’ll stay here. My life goes by with many surprises as a jazz musician.
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ I first came to Korea in 2010 through a Korean government scholarship program. I studied here for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. After graduating, I started working. Regarding how long I plan to stay here, I don’t really plan for anything in my life.
3. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I can’t get used to Dutch food culture. What I love is that the Dutch seem able to accept differences, such as personalities and nationalities.
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ One thing I love is the Mountains in Korea. One thing I hate is the weather.
4. What is the best thing about being a musician in the country you live in?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ In the Netherlands, they allow musicians to be musicians. There is still a lot to do in the cultural sector. I don’t necessarily need to do anything else other than making music and performing. People are open to new things, and the music scene is huge. The Netherlands is one of the best countries for Jazz in Europe.
Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ In Korea, I can meet more musicians and explore a wider variety of music styles than in Egypt. There are many foreign artists living in Korea. This has enabled me to develop more. It’s also easier to find instruments here, and they’re cheaper. Studios are also better than in Egypt.
5. Since you have plenty of experience collaborating with local musicians, what was the biggest difference you’ve felt compared to collaborating in your home country (or with the same nationality)?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Here in the Netherlands, I play a lot with Dutch and non-Dutch musicians. The Jazz scene here includes many foreign artists. In the Netherlands, we are all from different countries; we have many other interests and characteristics in music but also in languages and culture.
Photo by Sun-Mi
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ The biggest difference is that in Korea, they care more about technique, and they practice really hard to improve. In Egypt, they care more about the “feeling,” and not many musicians have the same technical skills as Koreans. I find more creativity and “groove” when I play with Egyptian artists and more technical skills when I play with Korean ones.
6. How does it affect your music that you have different cultural backgrounds?
︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Music is powerful because you don’t have to speak any language to understand it. It relates to memories and feelings. People here feel something different about my music. I had an opportunity to tell about my childhood stories, and the reaction was much stronger than I expected. The Dutch were so shocked by my stories that they got even a little famous!
︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My different cultural background and experiences mean that my music has no genre. I don’t know how the public receives my music in Korea; I should probably ask them! I simply play.
Read more
Other articles in Vol.06
No 1. Life outside the big cities by Ines Miranda de Dios, Yeon Choi 최승연
No 2. The way I work, the way we work. by Mike Gaitan, Hansung Kim 김한성
No 3. We speak the universal language by Wael Fahmy Ibrahim, Sunmi Hong 홍선미
No 4. Lessons without lectures by Marta irene Giotti, Jiyoun Jung 정지윤
No 5. Life in International Marriages by Anonymous, Eunjoo Ji 지은주
No 1. Life outside the big cities by Ines Miranda de Dios, Yeon Choi 최승연
No 2. The way I work, the way we work. by Mike Gaitan, Hansung Kim 김한성
No 3. We speak the universal language by Wael Fahmy Ibrahim, Sunmi Hong 홍선미
No 4. Lessons without lectures by Marta irene Giotti, Jiyoun Jung 정지윤
No 5. Life in International Marriages by Anonymous, Eunjoo Ji 지은주
