Participation of Top-Level Artists from Both Countries and Koryoin
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended the "Korea-Kazakhstan Cultural Performance" held at the Astana Drama Theater in Kazakhstan on the afternoon of the 12th (local time), watching performances by artists from both countries and the Koryo-saram community together with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. [Photo by Yonhap News]
During their state visit to Kazakhstan, President Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady attended a joint cultural performance held at the Kazakh National Academy's 'Kalibek Kuanysh Drama Theater' on the 12th (local time) with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, fostering harmony between the two countries.
Under the theme of "'Ryu and Hybrid: The Aesthetics of Difference and Harmony," this joint cultural performance featured top artists from both countries as well as Koryo-saram participants, traversing various genres such as opera, jazz, and folk songs to enhance cultural intimacy between the two nations. Notably, the performance included the sorrows and hopes of the Koryo-saram, who serve as a connecting link between the two countries, adding deeper significance.
The co-hosts were Song Il-gook, Kazakhstan's most popular Hallyu star, and Dilnaz Zaskairatova, a well-known Kazakh TV arts program presenter. The K-drama 'Jumong,' starring actor Song, aired in Kazakhstan from 2008 to 2009 and achieved a phenomenal 80% viewership rating, the highest ever for a Korean drama in the country.
The Kazakh National Art Troupe opened the festival with the traditional song 'Toybastar,' known for its lively rhythm, and presented the 'Koryo Arirang' performance. 'Koryo Arirang' was composed in 2015 by the late Yakov Han, a former artistic director of the Koryo Theater and a pioneer of Kazakh jazz. Additionally, Kazakh violinist Jamila Serkebayeva arranged Korean folk songs such as 'Doraji,' adapting 'K-Culture' into a Kazakh style.
Kazakh traditional music was also incorporated. The Kazakh opera choir performed alongside the traditional instrument 'dombra,' and Mayra Mukhamedkzy, known as Kazakhstan's 'national singer,' introduced the folk song 'Gulderayim.'
Reflecting Koryo-saram Sorrows... Promoting Harmony Between the Two Nations
The participation of the Kazakh National Academy Koryo Theater Art Troupe drew attention. Founded in 1932 primarily by Koryo-saram compatriots, the Koryo Theater Art Troupe is the longest-standing overseas Korean performing group. On this day, the troupe showcased a dynamic sogo dance performed by about ten dancers and a joint fan dance with the Kazakh ballet company.
Tenor Lee Young-hwa, soprano Son Hyun-kyung, bass Im Cheol-min, pianist Park Jong-hoon, all active worldwide in classical music, and jazz vocalist Na Yoon-sun’s jazz team responded to the diverse performances by the Kazakh and Koryo Theater troupes with a repertoire embodying "longing and reunion, a story of adventure."
Tenor Lee Young-hwa sang the Italian art song "Non Ti Scordar Di Me," while bass Im Cheol-min performed the Korean art song "Hyangsu" (Nostalgia) as a duet with Lee, comforting the sorrows of the Koryo-saram. Soprano Son Hyun-kyung, a prima donna active at world-class opera houses, received great applause from the audience by collaborating with the Astana Opera Theater Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra on the aria "Vivo Per Lei" followed by "Nella Fantasia."
Pianist Park Jong-hoon performed Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2, followed by "Flight of the Bumblebee," a piece depicting the story of a prince flying back to his homeland to his family. Jazz vocalist Na Yoon-sun and her jazz team overwhelmed the audience with a scat performance reinterpreting "Arirang" and the Spanish guitar piece "Asturias."
A presidential office official said, "Based on Kazakhstan’s regional characteristic as a 'crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations' connecting Asia and Europe, the cultural codes of the two countries, which are both similar and familiar yet sometimes unfamiliar, blended exquisitely, adding meaning to the exchange."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is viewing a special exhibition titled "The Golden of the Great Steppe" together with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, before attending the "Korea-Kazakhstan Cultural Performance" at the Kalibek Kuanysh Drama Theater of the National Academy in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the afternoon of the 12th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]
The National Academy Kalibek Kuanysh Drama Theater, where the performance took place, opened in 1991 and was named in 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the renowned actor Kalibek Kuanysh, who laid the foundation for the Kazakh National Ethnic Theater.
The Kazakh government held a special exhibition titled "Golden of the Great Steppe" in the lobby. To commemorate the state visit of President Yoon and the First Lady, a full display of ancient golden artifacts, including restored pieces of the "Golden Man" from the Kazakh National Museum, was arranged. Also exhibited in the lobby was the traditional Kazakh portable dwelling, the "Yurt." This dome-shaped structure, which protects against wind and cold, is a living space where Kazakh nomads spend their entire life cycle.
A presidential office official stated, "The Kazakh government welcomed President Yoon and the First Lady with the highest honors by specially exhibiting cultural symbols embodying national pride such as the 'Golden Man' and the 'Yurt.'" About 600 people, including the two countries’ leaders, key Kazakh figures, and local Hallyu fans, attended the performance.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
