| KangTa 강타 |
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ahn Chil-Hyun |
| Also known as | KangTa |
| Born | October 10, 1979 Gumi, North Gyeongsang, South Korea |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | Pop, R&B |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actor |
| Years active | 1996–2008 ; 2010-present |
| Labels | SM Entertainment |
| Associated acts | SM Town, H.O.T., Group S, Kangta & Vanness |
| Website | Official Site |
| Kangta | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 강타 |
| Revised Romanization | Gangta |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kangt'a |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 안칠현 |
| Hanja | 安七炫 |
| Revised Romanization | An Chil-hyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | An Ch'il-hyŏn |
Ahn Chil-Hyun (Hangul: 안칠현; born October 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Kangta (Hangul: 강타) is a South Korean pop, R&B singer, first known as the lead singer the boy band H.O.T. (High-five of Teenagers).
He is an experienced songwriter and composer, having written over 100 songs[1] for H.O.T.'s albums as well as for other groups and singers like NRG and Fly to the Sky. When H.O.T. disbanded in March 2001, Kangta surprised many people by becoming the first member to debut solo. He released his first solo album "Polaris", which became a huge hit; it was followed by his second album "Pinetree" in 2002. His first solo concert took place in the summer of 2003.
In 2006, Kangta was chosen as a runner up for Best Korean Singer overseas, according to Arirang International Broadcasting. A poll was issued over the internet, allowing only people outside of Korea to vote. Shinhwa's song "Once In A Lifetime" won by 60% of the vote, beating Kangta, who came in second with 20.3 percent.
In 2007, he filmed two dramas and Love in the city 2 aired on October 1, 2007.
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Kangta was discovered at Lotte World, a theme park, when he was only 13 years old. He debuted as a back-up dancer together with Moon Hee Jun (another H.O.T. member) for singer Yoo Young-jin. Kangta eventually decided to become a singer with Moon Hee Jun and three others, Jang Woo Hyuk, Tony An, and Lee Jae Won to form H.O.T. in 1996.
After planning for years, Kangta worked with his celebrity friends Shin Hye Sung from Shinhwa and Lee Ji Hoon to form the project group "S", standing for "Supreme". They released their first solo project album called "Fr. In. Cl." or Friends in Classic. They have won several awards since then. Their title track, "I Swear" was written, composed, and arranged by Kangta while Shin Hye Sung wrote the English lyrics.
Early 2006, Kangta collaborated with Vanness Wu of F4 from Taiwan, and formed Kangta & Vanness. Their first debut was in Thailand ending the ceremony for the 2006 MTV Asia Awards. They released their single "Scandal" and have been busy promoting their single all over Asia. "Scandal" was a success over Asia and a repackaged version was released in mid-July. On September 12, they held a showcase in Malaysia, Berjaya Times Square.
On Arirang TV's talk-show "Heart to Heart", Kangta announced that he would be entering the Army in early 2008, so activities have been put on hold.
Kangta received several offers and has accepted a drama offer in China. In 2004, he starred in a drama called Magic Touch of Fate together with Taiwanese actors and actresses, Ruby Lin and Alec Su. Kangta portrayed the role of the evil magician Jin-Xiu.
Soon afterwards, Kangta returned to Korea and released his much-awaited third album. In 2005, Kangta released "Persona", which included tracks that were very different from his previous two albums. The main single of the album, "Persona" had a similar melody to Babyface's "The Loneliness". Kangta surprised his fans when he said he wanted to become an actor. A month later, he starred in a KBS drama, Loveholic.
Kangta also acted in his second Chinese drama,[2] Love In The City 2. In Love In The City 2 Kangta portrayed the life of a successful CEO with a dull life.
During the promotion events of Kangta's third album "Persona", he was contracted to become the spokesperson for a Korean MP3 player.
As group 'S', Kangta, Shin Hyesung, and Lee Jihoon were in a commercial for IVY Club.
In 2008, Kangta was initially scheduled for military service at the beginning of the year, but SM Entertainment helped him defer it to April so he could release his last album "Eternity". The album was released on March 12, 2008.[3] On March 29 and March 30, Kangta held his last solo concert before enlistment at Yonsei University's main auditorium. His concert, "Eternity", was aimed at looking back at his last twelve years as a singer and thanking his fans.[4][5] On April 1, 2008, Kangta officially began his military duties in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.[6] Every male in Korea is required to serve for two years in the military, and Kangta has completed his service period on February 19, 2010.
After two years and five months of hiatus from the entertainment industry due to Korean military service, Kangta comes back with his first Chinese mini album entitiled "静享七乐 (Rest in the Seven Luck)", with its lead single, Love, Frequency (Breaka Shaka).[7] The digital single will be released online on September 13, 2010. The mini-album marks Kangta's entrance to the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the teaser for the single, as well as the digital mini-album, was released through SM Entertainment's official YouTube page on September 9, 2010.[8] The mini album and the music video was released September 13, 2010.[9]
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