Kahi (entertainer)
Encyclopedia
Park Ji-young better known by her stage name Park Kahi is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is the leader of the girl group
After School
.
on December 25, 1980. She did not find her passion for dancing until she was 16. She also became fascinated by the hip hop
group Roo'ra
at age 16, which motivated her to become a singer. However, due to her family's opposition and practical conditions, she could not get any professional training. In her high school years, she trained herself in singing and dancing. However, her father made her go to a university in a rural area. She obeyed at the beginning; however, eventually, she could no longer stand being a college student, and left her hometown to pursue her dream. She did not speak with her father for the next seven years. She went to Seoul
alone and empty-handed.
Then, one day a friend took her to an interview to be a backup dancer. She did well at the audition and got the job. She then started her dancing career at age 18.
's mega-hit, "Run to You", just three months after she entered. However, her instant success also brought her huge stress, and eventually forced her leave. To make a living, she worked many jobs such as working as a cleaner, waitress, and sales clerk for long period of time. Finally, a choreographer in SM Entertainment
gave her a chance to become a temporary dancer for BoA
. SM Entertainment liked her dancing, and she was kept as full-time dancer. Since then, she gradually gained fame in her field. She also met TVXQ's Park Yoochun,who she had a relationship with that last until her final days as a dancer for the company. Her cooperation with BoA lasted more than three years. Besides BoA, she was also a famous backup dancer for Country Kko Kko, JinuSean
, 1TYM
, Lexy
, Chae Yeon
, Eun Ji Won
, and many others. She was also the dance teacher for Son Dam Bi
and May Doni.
girl group "S. Blush", whose first digital single peaked at #2 at the Billboard
Hot Dance Chart in May 2007. However, due to various reasons, the band disbanded.
. They planned for and produced the debut of the new group together. After years of work and selection of members, she debuted in January 2009 as the leader of After School
.
The promotional campaign for Kahi's solo debut started in mid-February, with the album jacket photos released on February 9 and a teaser video on February 12. The album photos were noted for highlighting the singer's "S-line", while netizens and news articles commented on the contrasting "black vs. white" images and "charisma" in the teaser. The mini-album
was then released on February 14, 2011. The music video for "Come Back, You Bad Person" was released on February 14, 2011 and Kahi began promotional activities on the 18th.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
After School
After School (band)
After School is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009. They are the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a “natural” manner...
.
Early history
Kahi was born in a small village in GangwonGangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
on December 25, 1980. She did not find her passion for dancing until she was 16. She also became fascinated by the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group Roo'ra
Roo'ra
Roo'ra is Korean hip hop and dance group from 1994-2001. Its name is abbreviation of Roots of Reggae.Many of the groups albums were the top selling of their time in Korea, with their debut album selling over 280000 copies. As well they also hold the title for first setting the record of one million...
at age 16, which motivated her to become a singer. However, due to her family's opposition and practical conditions, she could not get any professional training. In her high school years, she trained herself in singing and dancing. However, her father made her go to a university in a rural area. She obeyed at the beginning; however, eventually, she could no longer stand being a college student, and left her hometown to pursue her dream. She did not speak with her father for the next seven years. She went to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
alone and empty-handed.
Then, one day a friend took her to an interview to be a backup dancer. She did well at the audition and got the job. She then started her dancing career at age 18.
Dancing
In 2000, Kahi was chosen as the main dancer for DJ DocDJ DOC
DJ DOC is a Korean hip hop group. DOC is an acronym for "Dream of Children". Popular in the late 1990s, the group has last release an album on July 29, 2010. DJ DOC will often be seen in live productions with similar music group 45RPM and hip hop duo Jinusean.-Albums:# DJ. DOC, 1994# 머피의 법칙, 1995#...
's mega-hit, "Run to You", just three months after she entered. However, her instant success also brought her huge stress, and eventually forced her leave. To make a living, she worked many jobs such as working as a cleaner, waitress, and sales clerk for long period of time. Finally, a choreographer in SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
gave her a chance to become a temporary dancer for BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
. SM Entertainment liked her dancing, and she was kept as full-time dancer. Since then, she gradually gained fame in her field. She also met TVXQ's Park Yoochun,who she had a relationship with that last until her final days as a dancer for the company. Her cooperation with BoA lasted more than three years. Besides BoA, she was also a famous backup dancer for Country Kko Kko, JinuSean
Jinusean
Jinusean is a well-known Korean hip hop duo from YG Family. The duo is made up by Jin-woo Kim and Noh Seung-hwan .-History:In 1994, Jinu debuted in Korea as a solo artist with the popular song: "I Was the Captain"...
, 1TYM
1TYM
1TYM is a four-member Korean hip hop group. The four members are: Oh Jin Hwan , Park Hong Jun , Song Baek Kyoung , and Im Taebin . Leader Teddy and lead vocalist Danny originated from the United States and moved to South Korea when they were accepted under YG...
, Lexy
Lexy (singer)
Hwang Hyo-sook , know by the stage name Lexy , is a Korean female soloist who debuted in 2003 under the management, YG Entertainment...
, Chae Yeon
Chae Yeon
Lee Chae-Yeon , better known as Chae Yeon, is a Korean pop singer who rose to fame with her hit single "Two of Us" in 2004 and her wave dance style.- Beginning of career :...
, Eun Ji Won
Eun Ji Won
Eun Ji Won is a Korean rapper, Host, dancer, composer and former leader of Korean Hip hop group Sechs Kies . Sechs Kies was divided into The Black Kies, which were the three rappers and The White Kies which were the vocalists...
, and many others. She was also the dance teacher for Son Dam Bi
Son Dam Bi
Son Dam Bi is a South Korean singer, dancer, model and actress.-Biography:Son Dam Bi is one of the most hyped names to debut in Korea. She had appeared in music videos for Paran and MYV, along with many advertisements. She first came to fame when she appeared in a commercial for an MP3 player...
and May Doni.
S.Blush
Around 2006, after more than five years career as a professional dancer, she set her mind to debut as a dance-pop singer. She joined the Korean AmericanKorean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
girl group "S. Blush", whose first digital single peaked at #2 at the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Chart in May 2007. However, due to various reasons, the band disbanded.
After School
In late 2007, Kahi contacted some friends in the industry that she had known from her years as a dancer, who are now the staff of Pledis EntertainmentPledis Entertainment
Pledis Entertainment is a South Korean music label, home to artists like Son Dam Bi, After School, and After School subunit Orange Caramel....
. They planned for and produced the debut of the new group together. After years of work and selection of members, she debuted in January 2009 as the leader of After School
After School (band)
After School is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009. They are the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a “natural” manner...
.
Solo Debut
Pledis Entertainment initially announced that the singer would release a solo album sometime in 2010, which started rumors of her leaving the group; however her management denied that she was leaving After School. However, the debut was delayed to February 2011. Meanwhile, Kahi joined the cast of reality-variety series Yeongunghogeol .The promotional campaign for Kahi's solo debut started in mid-February, with the album jacket photos released on February 9 and a teaser video on February 12. The album photos were noted for highlighting the singer's "S-line", while netizens and news articles commented on the contrasting "black vs. white" images and "charisma" in the teaser. The mini-album
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was then released on February 14, 2011. The music video for "Come Back, You Bad Person" was released on February 14, 2011 and Kahi began promotional activities on the 18th.
Featured
- 2010: "One Love" by Suki
- 2009: "Starry Night" by One Two
- 2009: "I Want to Buy It" by E.Bul
- 2008: "Bad Boy" by Son Dam BiSon Dam BiSon Dam Bi is a South Korean singer, dancer, model and actress.-Biography:Son Dam Bi is one of the most hyped names to debut in Korea. She had appeared in music videos for Paran and MYV, along with many advertisements. She first came to fame when she appeared in a commercial for an MP3 player...
TV Commercials / Advertisements
- 2010: Fat Down
- 2010: CJ 팻다운
- 2010: Vivaldi Ocean World
- 2006: m:robe Mp3-Player
Awards
| Years | Awards | Notes | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Best Newcomer - Variety New Star Award |