By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
American orchestra band Pink Martini is promising to take fans on a ``rollicking around-the-world musical adventure'' when it hits the stage in Seoul on Saturday.
``Our Korean audience can expect to travel all around the world for the price of one concert ticket. Our music includes all different genres in many different languages, and so the audience will be able to have a special musical experience with us. Our Korean fans should expect a lot of dancing, too,'' China Forbes, Pink Martini's lead vocalist, told The Korea Times in an e-mail interview.
Pink Martini is best known for its unique musical style ― a frothy mix of different genres and languages. The band is the brainchild of pianist Thomas Lauderdale. In 1994, he invited Forbes, an old friend from Harvard, to be the band's lead singer.
``We would share our favorite music with each other and sing arias together in the college dormitory. Some years later after graduation, Thomas called me up and asked me if I would be interested in joining him. We started Pink Martini with four to five musicians initially, then Thomas included more musicians, eventually becoming the little orchestra it is now, composed of 14 members,'' Forbes said.
As for the band's quirky name, Forbes said it is a nod to classic films like ``Breakfast at Tiffany's'' and ``Pink Panther,'' which Lauderdale loved and was inspired by. ``At that time, we were trying to think of something fun and fabulous, and somehow, the name `Pink Martini' popped up in our heads and we loved it,'' she explained.
With albums ``Sympathique'' (1997), ``Hang on Little Tomato'' (2004) and ``Hey Eugene!'' (2007), Pink Martini gained a following around the world. The band's penchant for digging up diverse musical genres from different eras, has earned them the description: ``musical archeologists.'' Forbes attributes the band's ``retro'' image to Lauderdale, who is a history buff and loves collecting old records.
Inspiration for the band's music comes from a variety of sources such as foreign films, beautiful views and for Forbes, her son, Cameron.
``We have 14 musicians with different musical and cultural backgrounds, and it really motivates us to become better musicians. Some like Latin, some like classical music and some like jazz. We constantly influence each other and it makes Pink Martini who we are right now,'' Forbes said.
The band released its fourth album, ``Splendor in the Grass,'' last year. Compared to its previous efforts, the lead vocalist said the latest album had a more laid-back atmosphere, plus a wider array of musical styles and languages.
``We were able to do more collaborations with other amazingly talented musicians on this album. It has more guests, and we have used so many different languages and styles, people who listen to this new album will feel as if they're going on a journey throughout the world,'' she said.
Pink Martini has evolved throughout the years, not just the musicians themselves, but also its sound. ``We are now more aware of what we're doing, so I think we can be more flexible on stage and enjoy it more. But at the same time, because we know what we're doing, we might have lost a little bit of our naivete compared to when we all had started,'' Forbes said.
She attributed Pink Martini's appeal to the band's universal themes and melodies. ``Our music is just all over the map, so I guess we can say we have something for everyone,'' Forbes said.
Pink Martini will perform March 13 at Melon-AX Hall, eastern Seoul. Tickets are 99,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com (1544-1555) or call Private Curve at (02) 563-0595.