Korean Opera and the A.A.P.I.Creative Legacy

I have been so incredibly busy this AAPI Heritage Month. This is a time to honor the artists, traditions, and cultural lineages that have shaped the American creative landscape. While K‑pop and K-drama are often spotlighted, another Korean art form deserves its moment center stage: Korean opera — a vibrant fusion of tradition, innovation, and cross‑cultural storytelling.

I recently heard a duet from a Korean opera called "Chunhyang-ga" for the very first time. It is one of five surviving masterpieces of pansori, which is a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling. It is usually performed by a solo vocalist and a drummer.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/295a84_81271089e8d94b5385ae477cd4d09b2a/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Performance of pansori during AAPI month screening of Songs of Love from Hawai'i.

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