In 1966, the girl band ‘All Stars’ was formed centered on drummer Kitty (Jun-im Lim), a third-year high school student. They left the country with an understanding that they were going to perform in Southeast Asia. However, they arrived and put on a spot to perform, sometimes risking their lives, for the soldiers on the battlefield of Vietnam. Kitty was recognized for her musical talent, and formed the five-member girl band ‘Korean Black Eyes’ in Bangkok in 1971. The band moved onto Beirut as their base and toured throughout the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt and Nigeria. When they entered Spain in 1973, they went on a concert tour with Cliff Richard, Julio Iglesias, and others. They recorded an album in Portugal at the suggestion of a local producer, but had to quickly escape the country when the military revolution broke out.
Wherever they went, including Vietnam and Lebanon, they encountered turbulent scenes of modern history. In 1975, Korean Black Eyes took a leap to Northern Europe at the suggestion of the Swedish manager who discovered ABBA. They were musical nomads wandering around the world for a decade. What choices did the five nomads make afterward and where are they now?

In the Korean pop music scene,1960s and 1970s were the era of the ‘Sisters.’ There were female musicians who were not just a ‘girl group,’ but a ‘girl band.’ They also began performing on the US military base club stage to make a living at first, then advanced into Asia, including Vietnam. Among these, there was a girl band that was hardly known in Korea, yet their musical ventures and talents were recognized across continents.
During the production of ‘Try to Remember (Aka. Dreaming Blue At A Cafe)’, I learned that many Korean female musicians were active even though they were not as famous as the Kim Sisters. Several years later, I was finally able to get in touch with the members of ‘Korean Black Eyes’. I would like to look back and unfold the journey of these female musicians, whose names have never been listed before in the history of k-pop music.