메인메뉴 바로가기본문으로 바로가기
네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Modern Form of Pansori Resonates among U.S. Audiences

“Pansori Project ZA” staged performances of its original “Sacheon-ga” work in Chicago and Los Angeles in late September. “Sacheon-ga,” which can be thought of as a 21st-century adaptation of Korea’s unique pansori art form, introduced a new world of traditional Korean art to receptive audiences in the United States.



The performance tour of Pansori Project ZA to Chicago and Los Angeles provided me with a precious opportunity to realize that there are indeed various ways to make traditional Korean culture known to foreigners. I believe that the key factor behind the success of the U.S. performances was the universal appeal of Sacheon-ga, which can be understood and appreciated by audiences worldwide.
Sacheon-ga is the first-ever pansori performance to draw inspiration from a Western literary work. The script was written by pansori singer Lee Ja-ram, based on Bertolt Brecht’s epic drama “The Good Person of Szechwan,” which was adapted and performed by Pansori Project ZA, a group of young artists engaged in Korea’s traditional music, popular music, and contemporary dance. The story line is centered on the agony of the protagonist Shen Teh, who strives to do the right thing, but is continuously challenged by life’s harsh reality. Traditional Korean music and modern aspects of Western music are harmoniously integrated, which results in a work that can resonate with audiences from the East and the West.

Distinctive Charm of Pansori
After being invited to appear on “Chicago’s Sound Experiment,” a live radio show of the WNUR station on the campus of Northwestern University, Lee Ja-ram took this opportunity to introduce Sacheon-ga performance during a 30-minute segment that was aired a day prior to the performance in Chicago. With world music fans making up a majority of the radio show’s listeners, this publicity contributed much to enticing curious people to attend the Pansori Project ZA performance. World Music Festival Chicago organizers were also helpful for assuring a well-attended performance in Chicago by providing an ideal venue, where the audience could fully appreciate the intricacies of a pansori work. In addition, the Pansori Project ZA presentation was supplemented by English subtitles, for the first time, which enabled the audience to better understand the story line, resulting in their keen interest throughout the performance and enthusia-
stic response upon the conclusion.
In keeping with pansori’s traditional practice, Lee Ja-ram played all characters and skillfully conveyed the gamut of emotions of the individual characters. Her enchanting singing and exceptional acting struck a deep chord with the audience.
Michael Orlove of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, who organized the World Music Festival, explained to the audience: “Pansori expresses all sorts of emotions of life through song, like flamenco does through dance.” He also added: “I have seen Spanish audiences shout ‘olé’ to the rhythm of flamenco dancers, while Korean audiences are known to interject ‘eolssu’ to encourage the pansori singer.” This was a creative way to help Westerners understand the pansori art form, and I was impressed by his cultural insight in comparing the characteristics of pansori flamenco.



Blend of Tradition and Modern
The performance in Los Angeles was organized by the Korea Foundation Los Angeles Office’s Director Hah Jae-ho to showcase recent trends of Korea’s performing arts culture. In contrast to the audience in Chicago, which in general had more limited exposure to Korean culture, the performance at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles was attended by local Korean residents and participants of Korea Academy for Educators' programs(KAFE), who acquired a basic familiarity with Korean culture. As such, the Los Angeles audience came with high expectations about this modern-style pansori, while the Chicago performance tended to attract people with a curiosity about the pansori genre.
Ahead of this performance, I was concerned about how the Sacheon-ga could be adequately explained. Conventional references like “creative work of traditional Korean music” or “fusion-style traditional Korean music,” which have previously been used, were not quite appropriate for this case. I came to realize that Sacheon-ga represented the birth of a new genre of Korean music, and my problem was solved when Lee Ja-ram explained: “Sacheon-ga is a 21st-century-style of traditional pansori.” I thought this description would be sufficient for the Los Angeles audience.
Sacheon-ga performers and staff were so eager and passionate to stage successful performances in Chicago and Los Angeles, since it was their first appearance in the United States. I believe that the performance tour has helped to generate international recognition of Sacheon-ga, along with serving as an occasion to enhance understanding and appreciation of pansori among U.S. audiences.
This was all made possible by the assistance and contributions of numerous organizations and individuals. In this regard, I would like to express my sincere appreci-
ation to Michael Orlove of the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Chicago, who provided us with such a wonderful opportunity to introduce pansori to world music fans in Chicago, as well as Consul Jung Ki-hong of the Korean Consulate General in Chicago, Director Hah Jae-ho of the Korea Foundation Los Angeles Office, and Director Kim Jae-won of the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, who provided the performance venue.

SEARCH

통합검색

통합검색버튼
통합검색닫기

전체메뉴

전체메뉴 닫기