Sangjin Lee has long been a fan of NPR’s Tiny Desk music concerts. He appreciated the show’s musical diversity and the way the intimate setting made it easier to connect with the music. Lee, who previously worked at Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM and also at HYBE, the company that launched BTS, envisioned a similar music show in Korea, a program that shifted the focus from performances to the music itself. That vision led to Tiny Desk Korea, the first international iteration of the beloved music show. To make it happen, Lee, now vice president of content IP business for LG U+, enlisted longtime friend InSoon Kim, executive vice-president of the Korean format agency Something Special.
“It took three or four months to find the right contact from NPR, but he never stopped,” said Kim. “He was really persistent.”
Sangjin Lee, vice-president of Content IP at LG U+. TINY DESK KOREA
To make the plea in person the duo flew to Washington DC and met the production team, the head of NPR music and Bob Boilen, the musician and media personality who hosts and created NPR’s All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts.
“He wanted to convince them that we not only have k-pop, we have a very diverse range of music in South Korea,” said Kim. “He wanted to spread that music energy, through this brand to the global fans of Korean music. So, he went over and talked face-to-face with the NPR people and convinced them.”
The goal of Tiny Desk Korea is to portray all the genres of Korean music, from traditional to classical music, as well as trot, jazz, R&B, hip hop, indie music, rock and also k-pop. The first series of Tiny Desk Korea concerts began airing on August 25 on the LG U+ platform and on YouTube. Guests included singer-songwriter Kwon Jin-ah, singer-songwriter and producer Sunwoo Jung-A, jazz performers the Yun Seok Cheol Trio, musician-actor Kim Chang-wan and BTS member V.
“Of course there will be some k-pop within Tiny Desk,” said Lee. “There are many new k-pop groups and musical artists who are eager to set their foot on the global market. So Tiny Desk would be a great opportunity and a great window for them to easily meet the global fans.”
K-media fans may recognize one of the musicians from the first line-up due to his many roles in Korean dramas and films. Kim Chang-wan, a composer, TV host and radio DJ is also a rock singer, who started his career as a musician in the 70s and then became an actor. His music edges into psychedelic rock with a distinctly Korean flavor that evokes traditional music.
“His band consists of three brothers, so it’s like a Jackson Five in South Korea,” said Lee. “It’s a rock band. Of course, he’s a great actor through diverse Korean dramas, but he has so many talents. Among his various talents he always emphasizes that he’s originally a musician.”
There are also plans for Tiny Desk Korea to feature musicians from other parts of Asia.
“For now, k-pop is really one of the major music industries,” said Lee. “There are many opportunities for k-pop musicians, but other musicians from Thailand, Vietnam and Japan have fewer opportunities to show their musical talent through these platforms. I want to make Tiny Desk Korea a major opportunity for such talented musicians. There’s so much recent music that’s really sophisticated and really good, but nobody knows about it yet.”
Sunwoo Jung-A were among the first artists to perform at Tiny Desk Korea. TINY DESK KOREA
The Korean set differs slightly from the original, although it includes the iconic desks and bookshelves. The main focus in choosing the location was to have a space where musicians can sing and play in an enjoyable informal way, but Lee also wanted the performance space to be open to the audience, inviting interaction. The location will also feature a library with plenty of books about music, so between performances visitors have another way to engage with music.
“I wanted to make the artists feel very comfortable and cozy,” said Lee. “To feel— whether they’re just preparing for the concert or they’re just having a short jam—that they can be really natural in that space.”
Realizing the dream of Tiny Desk Korea was certainly made easier by the popularity of k-pop. A few k-pop artists—BTS, Jay Park and, as a soloist, BTS member RM—have already performed on the original Tiny Desk.
“I’m really grateful that k-pop is really beloved by global fans and it gives us so many more opportunities in the Korean content industry,” said Lee. “The people who love k-pop may only know the k-pop boy bands and girl bands, but there are a lot of layers and a lot of diverse genres in Korean music and culture. I really want global fans to focus on the diversity of Korean music.”
Keith Jenkins, NPR’s vice president for visual and music strategy describes Tiny Desk performances as “breathing new life into music already known or recently discovered. I’m thrilled that our partners at LG U+ will bring their reverence for this aesthetic directly to music lovers in South Korea.”
All Tiny Desk Korea performances will be filmed, produced, and aired in South Korea on LG U+ owned platforms. Episodes will be produced and released weekly.
This story was originally published on forbes.com.