Foreign pansori singers to perform in Itaewon
Cameroonian French pansori singer Laure Mafo / Korea Times file
Tacos and pansori, Korea’s traditional narrative sung performances, may not seem like a natural combination, but this unique melding of cultures is on the menu this coming Saturday. Taco Amigo in Itaewon will be hosting a Pansori Busking event bringing together music, food and people from around the globe.
The event will feature pansori singers, called “sorikkun,” with a twist — all of the performers are foreigners and the guest star and headliner is Laure Mafo, the Cameroonian French pansori sensation also known by the Korean name So Yul. She will be joined by several other foreign-born singers, including Gaia, Siyu, Shungmin and Erin Hughes, who helped organize the event after her pansori performances caught the restaurant owner’s ear at an open mic night.
“As a regular customer and occasional performer at Taco Amigo's Open Mic night, the owner had heard my Korean singing and was intrigued. He asked me if I'd like to organize a Korean music show at his venue, so I called my friends and said, ‘Hey let's put a show together!’” Hughes said.
Pansori is one of many traditional Korean musical forms, or "gugak." Usually performed by a single singer who narrates and takes on all the character roles while accompanied only by a drummer, it is one of Korea’s most treasured art forms. It was officially designated a part of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1964 and added to the UNESCO register of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003.
“Pansori is all about storytelling — in particular, five specific stories that have been passed down through generations," Hughes said. "We'll be performing short segments from these stories, but we'll also include some ‘minyo,’ or folk songs.”
The busking performance at Taco Amigo aims to bring pansori and other forms of folk singing to an expanded audience through an unusual venue and an international mix of singers.
Mafo explained, "An intimate event allows us to communicate with people and answer questions, I think. I really don’t have the opportunity to be with foreign students and young people so I didn’t hesitate to say yes. "
Tham Shung Min, from left, Gaia Brusasco, Tian Siyu and Erin Hughes sing, accompanied by drummer Lee Beom-hee, at Seoul Gugak Festival 2025, June 7. Courtesy of Erin Hughes
Hughes noted that as she set up the event with friends, the goal was to create something friendly and inviting.
“Personally I wanted to create an event where people can experience traditional music in a lively and comfortable atmosphere, without a strict barrier between performers and audience. Audience members can sing along, and performers can relax and enjoy themselves too. Secondly, we want to introduce pansori and gugak to a wider audience, and we hope that after this event, other foreigners will be encouraged to learn too," she said.
She said she thinks Koreans feel a sense of novelty in seeing non-Koreans perform gugak. Earlier this year, she and her friends performed on the KBS program "Gugak Han Madang" and a YouTube video of the episode received over 40,000 views, with many commenters expressing surprise.
"We want to faithfully represent traditional arts, but we can also have fun adding our own global flavor," Hughes said. "For example, singing parts in our own languages. I think this can make it more accessible to an international audience, too.”
Mafo will be performing the famed "Sarangga" from the pansori "Chunhyang" in a mix of French and Korean.
A poster for the Pansori Busking event this Saturday at Casa Amigo / Courtesy of Erin Hughes
Hughes recommended that audience members should feel free to join in and sing along, promising a performance of the well-known “Jindo Arirang” that many people already know the lyrics to. She also said that anyone who was interested in learning how to sing pansori could ask the performers at the event, or get in touch directly with the World Pansori Association or the Soeul Soripan school.
For anyone thirsty for more pansori and folk music performance, Mafo suggested a another upcoming event: "From September 12 to October 11 is the Yeongdong World Traditional Music Expo, where I am the honorary ambassador. If you have time, please come with family/friends to see it. (maybe you will see your traditional music too)."
The Taco Amigo event begins at 7.30 p.m. and admission is free, although the venue asks that attendees purchase food or drinks.
Visit @tacoamigo on Instagram
for more information.