“Instead of the word ‘retirement, I‘d like to say ‘last performance’.”

‘Queen Elise’ Imja (84) is preparing for a ‘beautiful farewell’ and a traditional song stage that she has stubbornly maintained for 66 years. She revealed that the ‘Imja Traditional Song Tribute Performance - Connecting the Pulse’, to be held on April 26th and 27th at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul, will be her “last stage”.

Until last year, Lee Mi-ja, who had been touring the country with an upright posture and holding the microphone, announced her intention to end her career as a singer at a press conference announcing the launch of a tribute concert held at the Stanford Hotel Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 5th, saying, “I don’t really like the word retirement, but there will be no more recordings or performances in the future.”

The reason Lee Mi-ja, who devoted her life to the development of traditional songs, has finally decided to put down the microphone that she considered as her life is “because I have found juniors who will continue the tradition of traditional songs.” She will be performing her last concert with singers Joo Hyun-mi and Jo Hang-jo, whom she “handpicked and selected as successors who will pass on the spirit of traditional songs.”

At the press conference that day, Lee Mi-ja said, “I thought that if I were to step down from the stage, the tradition of traditional songs that share the pain and joy of the times would be cut off. However, he was delighted, saying, “I’m happier than ever to be able to hold a performance that I can pass on and end (my career as a singer).”

He also defined traditional songs as “songs that comfort and soothe the pain of mothers and fathers who lived through difficult times like the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, as they traveled to Vietnam and Germany to send their children to school.” He reflected, “The pride I felt when I went to Germany and other places for consolation performances and saw people crying, laughing, and welcoming me while listening to my songs is what brought me here.”

Joo Hyun-mi and Jo Hang-jo, who were chosen as the “Queens of Pop Songs,” expressed their gratitude to Im Ja-mi, saying, “We were embarrassed by our shortcomings, but we will work hard, thinking that we have been given the important mission of continuing pop songs.” Jo Hang-jo also sang a verse from his hit song ‘Thank You’ on the spot to express his respect for Imja.

Just because Imja is not standing on stage as a singer doesn’t mean she is completely leaving the public‘s side. Imja said, “The reason I don’t use the expression ‘stepping down’ is because I want to give advice whenever I need it in the process of passing on responsibility for popular music to my juniors,” and emphasized, “If there‘s an opportunity to talk about it on broadcasts or something, I will.”


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.