KORRecently, a pansori singer from France made headlines by performing the entire "Heungboga," which lasts three and a half hours. She is the first foreigner to complete a full performance of the pansori "Heungboga."
On today's (June 24) Nightline Guest, we are joined by pansori singer Laure Mafo.
Q. How do you feel about being the first foreigner to perform the entire pansori 'Heungboga'?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: First of all, I am truly grateful to have been able to complete the full performance. When it ended, I felt joy, relief, and deep emotion all at the same time. Above all, I was able to finish it thanks to many teachers and the audience.]
Q. This was your first full performance. Why did you choose 'Heungboga'?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: First, my teacher, Min Hye-sung, is a certified trainee of National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 5, Pansori Heungboga, so I naturally came to study Heungboga. As I practiced it, I realized Heungboga is a warm story filled with humor. I loved it even more because, amidst the laughter, it contains stories about family love, the value of sharing, human greed, and life itself.]
Q. How did you first encounter and start learning pansori?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: I first heard it in France. I was studying Korean at the Korean Cultural Center there, and by chance, teacher Min Hye-sung held a pansori workshop. During that workshop, she sang a passage from Chunhyangga. It was a truly happy moment for me. Even though I couldn't understand the lyrics, I was smiling the whole time, and it was deeply moving. From that moment, I felt that I wanted to try it, so I asked my teacher, and she told me I had to come to Korea. So, because I wanted to study it more deeply, I came all the way here to Korea.]
Q. You came to Korea to study pansori. How did the people around you react?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: At first, my mother in particular was completely against it, to be honest. I first came to Korea in 2017. Since it was an unfamiliar country to her, she couldn't understand it at all. But as I kept doing it, I had my first pansori performance in 2019. When I performed at the Korean Embassy, my mother saw me and said, "You look so happy when you perform pansori, so keep doing it." That's when I got her permission. Now, when my friends and mother see videos or photos of me, they are very proud.]
Q. Pansori contains many dialects and archaic words. How did you overcome the language barrier?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: It was really difficult at first. As you know, there are many dialects, and it's an art form that is not easy even for Koreans. I studied by translating the lyrics one by one and asking my teacher about expressions I didn't know. I also listened to recordings repeatedly to practice and master the pronunciation. Because I studied so hard, it has gotten a little better now.]
Q. The sentiment of 'han' (deep sorrow or grief)... Isn't it difficult to understand and express?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: It's not easy, but I don't think 'han' is just simple sadness. I believe it is a complex emotion that contains sadness, longing, patience, and hope. Since any human being can go through similar experiences in life, I believe we can empathize with it regardless of our nationality.]
Q. What is the charm of pansori?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: It varies from person to person, but for me, pansori has become a form of music therapy and a source of joy. Pansori is my medium. When times are tough, singing pansori clears my mind. I think it helps me live life to the fullest.]
Q. Do you have any dreams or goals you want to achieve in the future?
[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: I will continue to study pansori; this is just the beginning. There are five major stories (batang) in pansori, and so far, I have only done Heungboga. I want to study the other stories as well. I also want to collaborate with artists from different countries around the world, and eventually, I hope to perform a large show in front of my friends.]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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