First Foreigner to Perform Full-Length 'Heungboga': Pansori Singer Laure Mafo

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Recently, a pansori singer from France made headlines by performing the full-length pansori "Heungboga," which lasts three and a half hours. She is the first foreigner to perform the full-length "Heungboga."

Today (June 24), Nightline's guest segment features pansori singer Laure Mafo.

Q. You are the first foreigner to perform the full-length pansori "Heungboga." How do you feel?

[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: First of all, I am truly grateful that I was able to complete the full-length performance. When it ended, I felt joy, relief, and deep emotion all at the same time. Above all, thanks to many teachers and the audience, I was able to finish the performance to the very end.]

Q. For your first full-length performance, why did you choose "Heungboga"?


[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: First, my teacher Min Hye-sung is a successor of National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 5, Pansori Heungboga, so I naturally came to study Heungboga. As I practiced it, I found Heungboga to be a warm story with humor. I liked it even more because, amidst the laughter, it contains stories about family love, the value of sharing, human greed, and life.]

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 this, so I asked her, and she told me that I would need to come to Korea. That is why I came all the way to Korea, because I wanted to study it more deeply.]

Q. Moving to Korea to study pansori... How did the people around you react?

[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: At first, my mother was completely against it, to be honest. I first came to Korea in 2017. It was an unfamiliar country to her, and she couldn't understand my decision at all. But as I kept going, I did 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 approval. Now, when my friends and mother see videos or photos of me, they are very proud of me.]

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 is an art form that is not easy even for Koreans. I studied by translating the lyrics word by word 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 resentment)... Isn't it difficult to understand and express?

[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: It is not easy, but I don't think 'han' is just simple sadness. I believe it is a complex emotion that encompasses sadness, longing, patience, and hope. Since any human being can have similar experiences in life, I believe we can empathize with it despite having different nationalities.]

Q. What is the charm of pansori?


[Laure Mafo / Pansori Singer: It varies from person to person, but for me, pansori is music therapy and joy. Pansori is my medium. When times are tough, singing pansori clears my mind. I think that's why I am living my life more passionately.]

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 main stories 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 other artists from various countries around the world, and I hope to perform in a large concert in front of my friends.]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.