Musical Conversations
One thing that I have long lamented is the state of music in Korea.
I quite enjoy Korean traditional music. There is something about Korean drumming that speaks to the primal beast within me. I could sit and listen for hours to people like these drummers at the park near my office. However, when Korean music wanders too far from the traditional music, it generally begins to suck. The awful sampled, cookie-cutter, prepubescent, homoerotic boy band tripe that is pumped out into Korean society is utterly horrible. the Korean “gansta” rap is actually fun to watch…in an obscenely comic way. There are very few singers worth listening to here.
Because of this, the following converstion I had with a 23 year-old, straight, male, Korean waiter/floorsweep named “Nick” really came as no surprise.
Nick: What kind of music do you like?
Me: Any kind.
Nick (walking to the restaurant’s CD player): How is ABBA?
Me: Eh… it’s ok.
Nick: Ah Ha! I know….
(Ricky Martin’s La Vida Loca comes up on the stereo)
Me: Umm… This isn’t ABBA!
Nick: Yeah. I love Ricky Martin
Me:
Nick (wearing an express that hints at a sign for some sort of approval):
Me: I hate Ricky Martin
Nick: All Korean girls love Ricky Martin.
Me: I’m not a Korean girl.
Nick: EVERYONE loves Ricky.
Me: Uh…… No. No they don’t. Most people do not like Ricky Martin.
Nick: What do you want to listen to.
Me (sorting through CDs): Here. Put in this B.B. King and Eric Cplaton CD.
Nick: Ok
(Clapton and King begin playing)
Me: See. Isn’t that better than Ricky Martin?
Nick: Well…I like hip hop and gansta rap. Music you can dance to.
Me: Did you know that without blues there would be NO hip hop or gangsta rap?
NIck: This music makes me sleepy. I don’t like it.
Me: Ugh…….
COMMENTS:
Name: angus E-mail: amactavish@hotmail.com
Date: 17-Sep-2004 19:43:30
agreed. it strikes me as strange that an
insular nation that generally loaths a) black
americans b) gays, would interpret black
american music in such an obviously flaming
queer package. makes me wonder about male
dominated cultures who leave child rearing
totally to the women.