Euro-disco group Boney M tours Korea

Boney M, the Euro-disco group that hit the international music scene in the 1970s and ’80s, is visiting Korea for solo concerts in eight cities around the country.
The group’s national tour kicked off yesterday in Gwangyang, South Jeolla province, and will continue in Incheon and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi province, among other locations. Boney M comes to Seoul to perform in Olympic Park in Jamsil, southern Seoul, on July 22 and 23.
This is the group’s second visit to Korea since their guest appearance at the Seoul International Music Festival in the early 1980s.
The four-member group is led by Liz Mitchell, a vocalist from Jamaica, with Patricia Foster and Carol Grey as back-up singers and Tony Ashcroft as a dancer.
“The name of the band, Boney, came from the Australian TV show ‘Bone.’ It means ‘penetrating music,’ and we want people to be thrilled and touched by our music,” Ms. Mitchell said at a press conference earlier this week in Seoul.
Boney M was organized by German producer Frank Farian in 1976. Though the group has gone through several changes in its members, Ms. Mitchell has remained as the lead singer.
Boney M is a familiar name to Koreans who spent their 20s in the 1970s and ’80s. Songs like “Sunny,” “Daddy Cool” and “Rivers of Babylon” were big hits in Korean dance clubs for years. The song “Rivers of Babylon” in particular was a favorite among comedians, who popularized it by replacing the lyrics with Korean jokes.
Although they never had much success in the United States, Boney M was a European phenomenon decades ago, selling over 60 million albums around the world. The group has been constantly performing in Europe, and Ms. Mitchell has released five solo albums of gospel and jazz music.
After a 10-day tour in Korea this month, the group will head to Russia and Scandinavia. Besides producing remix albums of their hit songs, Boney M is planning to stage a musical called “Sunny,” which, according to the band, is similar to the musical “Mamma Mia,” featuring ABBA’s songs.
For a detailed concert schedule and ticket purchase, visit the Korean Web site www.boneym.co.kr.

By Kim Soe-jung