[W Forum] When It Is the Hardest and Most Painful, the Backward Run Begins

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The resurgence of the girl group 'Brave Girls' is a hot topic. After struggling in obscurity for a full 10 years and facing disbandment, their past military慰問 performances and old videos suddenly went viral, causing them to climb back up the music charts and enjoy top popularity. They endured daily hardships, overcoming financial difficulties through various part-time jobs. Now standing at the top, they shed tears reflecting on their past.

The tears of emotion that suddenly flowed come to mind. Watching the miraculous resurgence(?) event that happened long ago around the globe...

In 1968, at a live cafe in Detroit, USA, famous record producers approached an unknown singer who was known for writing and singing good songs. Expecting a hit like Bob Dylan, who was causing a huge sensation in the US at the time, they immediately began producing albums and completed two albums. Contrary to expectations, the albums sold only a few copies and that was the end. Moreover, the singer, who was unrecognized by anyone, reportedly committed suicide with a pistol during a live performance out of frustration, or rumors spread that he self-immolated, leaving only grim stories behind.

However, a few years later, unexpectedly in South Africa, the singer’s songs suddenly gained storm-like popularity. They comforted the people suffering under severe apartheid policies, oppression, and censorship with songs like "I Wonder" and "Sugarman." It was a time of resistance against tyranny. The people united by singing these songs. Citizens called the singer by the song title, Sugarman. While South Africans might not have known Elvis Presley, Sugarman was a hero.

A woman who came from the US to visit her boyfriend brought the album, and people recorded it onto cassette tapes, sharing and spreading it among themselves. As the songs gained popularity, scammers produced albums without the original author’s knowledge and sold hundreds of thousands of copies, pocketing the profits. After over 20 years of popularity, fans began to wonder who Sugarman really was. It was not the internet age, and he was internationally isolated, so finding him was not easy, but after much time and effort, they finally found him living as a laborer on a construction site in Detroit.

South African fans invited him. When the once-veiled figure appeared, the fans’ cheers grew louder. Overcome with emotion, Sugarman bowed his head and could not start singing. Only the intro of "I Wonder" repeated endlessly amid the cheers. "Diriri diririri... diriri diririri..."

Finally, the two lives?one as the unknown worker Rodriguez for 30 years, and the other as the hero Sugarman in another world?merged, and when he sang with his unique tone, the standing audience’s huge cheers were muted by overwhelming emotion. This true story was made into a documentary film.

When you think you are a loser, when you feel everything you do is failing and it’s hard, remember that in another world, you might be a hero and have style.

The great writer Marcel Proust spent 20 years writing books that no one read. Near the end of his life, looking back, he came to this conclusion:

"The days when you are struggling and suffering are the best days of your life, because those are the times that made you who you are."

(It reminds me of Yoo Jae-seok, who struggled for over 10 years as an unknown during his reporter days and sincerely reflected on himself while filming himself.)

Seo Jaeyeon, Executive Director, Mirae Asset Securities Galleria WM

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.