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Take Five With Lola Danza and JANYA
In Sanskrit, JANYA means to be born, while in Korean, JANYA means around dawn. JANYA was created by four unique musicians— all derived from Korean descent and all women. The music is a fusion of East and West. The East: Seungmin Cha- Daegeum, Eun Sun Jung- Gayageum and Woonjung Sim- Janggo. The West: half-Korean American Singer Lola Jung Danza. Something magical exists between these four musician women and so, JANYA was born, around dawn.
Lola Danza is half-Korean and born in the USA. Danza has a Bachelors degree from Berklee College of Music and a Master's degree from Aaron Copland School of Music. She has toured all over the world with her own musical projects and has played with legendary musicians including
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
Steve Kuhn
pianob.1938
Sheila Jordan
vocals1928 - 2025
Lewis Nash
drumsb.1958
Bob Moses
drumsb.1948
John Lockwood
bass
Ben Monder
guitarb.1962
Mat Maneri
violab.1969
David Tronzo
guitar, electricb.1957
Bob Gullotti
drums1949 - 2020
Luciana Souza
vocals
Leni Stern
guitar, electricEunsun Jung, a Gayageum player, graduated from National School of Korean Traditional Music and earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Seoul National University. She actively performs worldwide, countries include France, Belgium, Germany, America and Japan.
Woonjung Sim is a percussionist working on her Master's degree at Seoul National University and is a team member of Gong, which plays musikdrama. She plays not only traditional music but also theater music and contemporary music. She has a wide musical range and incredible performance skills.
Emerging as one of the most influential experimental daegeum (transverse bamboo flute) artists, Seungmin Cha was trained in traditional music and its discourse. A graduate of the School of Music at Seoul National University, Cha has developed her career as a solo daegeum artist, as well as a composer and illustrator.
JANYA has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. They have also played all over New York City at various clubs and theaters.
Instrument(s):
Voice, Daegeum, Gayageum, Janggo and percussion.
Teachers and/or influences?
Ornette Coleman,
John Lockwood
bass
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Albert Ayler
saxophone, tenor1936 - 1970
Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
Meredith Monk
vocalsb.1943
Theo Bleckmann
vocals
Bill Laswell
bassb.1955
Jaco Pastorius
bass, electric1951 - 1987
John Zorn
saxophone, altob.1953
Sarah Vaughan
vocals1924 - 1990
Anita O'Day
vocals1919 - 2006
Nina Simone
piano and vocals1933 - 2003
Jeanne Lee
vocals1939 - 2000
Dewey Redman
saxophone, tenorb.1931
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Marc Ribot
guitarb.1954
John Scofield
guitarb.1951
Grant Green
guitar1935 - 1979
Joni Mitchell
vocalsb.1943
The Bad Plus
band / ensemble / orchestrab.2000
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Charlie Haden
bass, acoustic1937 - 2014
Steve Swallow
bassb.1940
Elvin Jones
drums1927 - 2004
Roy Haynes
drums1926 - 2024
Jack DeJohnette
drumsb.1942
Bob Moses
drumsb.1948
I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
I was a young child. I grew up around musicians, my father—Lawrence W. Danza (composer, big band arranger, guitar, Berklee '82)—and grandfather/pianist Lawrence J. Danza.
Your sound and approach to music:
The East-meets-West band JANYA is inspired by Korean Traditional Music and the ideology of Ornette Coleman and John Zorn. Korean/American Singer Lola Jung Danza went in search of her Korean ancestry; what she discovered was a whole new world of music. All About Jazz calls JANYA a "Communion with the divine."
JANYA is a daring, unique and captivating world music group that incorporates traditional Korean instrumentation—Gayageum (Korean zither); Daegeum (bamboo flute); and Janggo (drum)—with western vocals.
With her four-octave range and vast array of vocal technique, Lola Jung Danza summons her ancestors through this music, taking the listener on a journey to the far off land of Korea, laying beautiful poetry over traditional Korean instrumentation.
JANYA is an all-female group, and celebrates women in music and culture. The music ranges from the meditative to the dramatic—it's something you've never heard before and it's as if these women are speaking directly to the heavens. JANYA is paving new ground in music. Please join us in a beautiful evening of music.
Your favorite recording in your discography and why?
Our first self-titled album, JANYA is very special as it was completely improvised. Find it at CDBaby.
The first Jazz album I bought was:
Anita O'Day, Taking A Chance on Love.
What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?
The search; I think the fact that we are constantly searching for something new in music. We're looking for more.
Did you know...
JANYA met through bassist
Sean Conly
bassWhat is in the near future?
Friday January 6, 2012 8:30pm
Drom
85 Avenue A NYC, NY 10009
Lola Jung Danza: vocals; Seungmin Cha: Daegeum and vocals; Eunsun Jung: Gayageum; Woonjung Sim: Janggo and percussion.
$15
Photo Credit
Jai yoon Lee
Tags
Janya
Take Five With...
Lola Danza
United States
Ornette Coleman
Steve Kuhn
Sheila Jordan
Lewis Nash
Bob Moses
John Lockwood
Ben Monder
Mat Maneri
David Tronzo
Bob Gullotti
Luciana Souza
Leni Stern
John Coltrane
Albert Ayler
Keith Jarrett
Meredith Monk
Theo Bleckmann
Bill Laswell
Jaco Pastorius
john zorn
Sarah Vaughan
Anita O'Day
Nina Simone
Jeanne Lee
Dewey Redman
Bill Frisell
Marc Ribot
John Scofield
Grant Green
Joni Mitchell
The Bad Plus
Miles Davis
Charlie Haden
Steve Swallow
Elvin Jones
Roy Haynes
Jack DeJohnette
Sean Conly
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