Q & A

{ About Big Mama }

Who are they?

Big Mama is a South Korean quartet singing group. They debuted in 2003 and made a splash in Kpop scene with their amazing vocals and less than polished appearances. Unlike many of the singing groups, Big Mama consists of members who are older (most of them in their late 20′s when they debuted) and heavier by Korean entertainment standards. Their harmony has been dubbed the “harmony of angels,” and their success is nothing short of a miracle in an appearance obsessed Korean entertainment industry. For more detailed information on them, check out their Profile.

Why did they name themselves Big Mama?

Officially, the concept of the name “Big Mama” refers to their voice and talent. However, when two members of the group were considered overweight, it was hard for people not to associate the name with their body image. I guess they were “big” in many senses of the word. Now that they have lost weight, I have heard people refer to them as “Slim Mama”.

Why did they lose weight if they were all about the music?

The fact that two of the members were heavier and none of them had the traditional ‘looks’ considered essential in Korean entertainment industry has proven to be both a blessing and a curse. Their non-traditional debut certainly brought them a lot of attention, but it also took away some of the focus from their music. They said in interviews that they wanted to lose weight because they felt like people were focusing too much attention on their bodies instead of their music. They might have other personal reasons for losing weight too. Whatever the reasons, they do seem to be happier and healthier now (and not anorexic looking).

Did they get plastic surgery? How come they look so different now?

Many Korean celebrities have gone under the knife to have the perfect look in order to succeed. However, while Big Mama as a group has lost weight, they never had anything done surgically. If you look at their pictures when they’re not wearing make-up, they look about the same as always without magically grown bigger eyes or higher noses. When they were under YG, there was even a clause in their contract that prohibited them from getting plastic surgery. All they did to change their image was hitting the gym and getting a decent stylist (and hopfull burning all their debut clothes -:).

Sure they could sing, but do they write their own music?

Most of their title tracks have been written by professional composers. However, they have written a few songs for their albums (such as “Thanks to”, “An unforked Road” etc.) and they always write their own solo songs . They have said that the record company doesn’t believe that the songs they write make good lead songs and prefers to use those written by ‘professionals’ who are good at making music that have a broad appeal. However, some of the members have worked as professional songwriters before joining Big Mama and continue to contribute songs to other artists.

Big Mama has performed quite a few gospel songs. Are they religious?

I think most, if not all, Big Mama members are Christian. Not sure if they ever mentioned their religious faith in interviews or not, but here’s a YouTube clip of Lee Ji Young and Park Min Hye singing in a church. They are a secular band though and their music is mostly R&B and Pop.

Why did they leave YG Entertainment?

Big Mama was signed under M-Boat, which was a sister company of YG at the time. They released three albums under the YG-M-Boat project before the contract expired in March, 2006. It was said they left YG-M-Boat due to the lack of promotion and YG dropping the ball producing their 3rd album. They released their fourth album under Manwalldang [만월당]. However, the group partied ways with the label after a long disput over creative control. They are now with Tailruns Media.

Was Gummy (거미) once a member of Big Mama?

Gummy auditioned for Big Mama and was initially going to debut as a member of the group. However, YG decided that she and the record company would be better served if she debuted as a solo artist. Gummy has said that she regrets not being part of Big Mama.

Which member is the sister of Lee Seung Woo from Soulstar?

Lee Ji Young. Check Profile for more info on the members.

*Please note that all info here are gathered from various online sources. If you find something amiss here, leave a comment and I’ll correct it.

**If you have any additional trivia/info about Big Mama, please let me know and I’ll add it here.

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{ About Me }

Are you a member of Big Mama or in anyway associated with them?

No. I’m just a fan and have no way of contacting them.

Are you Korean?

No, and I don’t speak the language either.

I know Korean. Can I offer you any help?

Yes! Any help is welcome. As it is right now, there is very little English information on Big Mama on the web, so if you know Korean and would like to help make this blog more informative, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at temptingkismet@gmail.com.

Why did you want to make a website for Big Mama?

Because they are too awesome not to have an English fansite dedicated them. It’s also a place for me to put their info together, and sharing always makes fandom more enjoyable.

Do you update regularly?

I’ll update as frequently as my time allows. This is really like a hobby for me, so I won’t stress myself out over it.

How can I contact you?

You can either leave a comment here or email me at temptingkismet@gmail.com.