flamenco journey 4

       2. Korean song fits Spanish steps

 

 

During  a couple of months after Thani left Portland,

almost every weekday I went to the Central Library of the city

to open my Yahoo emailbox to make on-line contacts

with Lau, the flamenco bailaora  to whom Thani introduced me. 

And we had conversations mostly through the means of emails.

As for me, reading English was much easier than hearing it.

​

​

​

​Portland, Aug.  2001

 Hi ,Gohk:

 My friend Tom Blair will be contacting you to arrange a time

to interview you for a story in the Portland Tribune newspaper. 

I passed your email address to him, so you can expect to hear

from him soon.  He will also arrange a time to take a photo

of you and me together!

 Abrazos!!

 Lau

 

Portland, Aug., 2001

 Hello, Gohk!

 Would you please tell me who is the original author of

Morning Dew? When was it written? Also, would you please

give me a short biography of yourself for the concert program?

Just a bit about you, how you came to Portland, books you

have written, etc. 

Then I need you to come by the studio and sing Morning Dew

for me again. Here I have the Spanish version

you can listen to ! Hope all is well.I am so nervous!

 Abrazos! 

  Lau

 

 

 

Portland, Aug., 2001

Hi Lau,

On thursday 7:30  or so p.m. I will be there at your new studio ,

with what you want to know today about me.
Thinking of you dancing,

Gohk 

 

 

 Portland, Aug., 2001

  Hi ,Gohk, 
 I'm a writer at the Portland Tribune,

and I'm planning to do a story on "The night of Juerga,"

the Flamenco event on Saturday, September 15.

I recently spoke with my friend Lau Marrone,

and she told me that you two developed a Flamenco piece

 hat is based on a Korean song. I don't recall the exact details,

but I would very much like to hear more about this and write about it.
Are you available for an interview sometime between Tuesday and

Thursday ?

It might be nice to discuss your involvement in "The night of Juerga"

over coffee or tea. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

 Feel free to e-mail me, or call me at 503-546-0000.

 

Thank you, 
Tom
Features Writer

 

 

 

Portland, Aug., 2001

Hi, Lau!
I got a massage from BL that he would like to
meet me on either Tue. or Thu.and replied back soon,

saying on Thu.30 Aug preferable", and added

"being interviewed is a new thrilling challenge to me,

as an ex-editorial writer for a newspaper in Korea,

whose important job is interviewing, not being interviewed.

Unbelievable!

 Gohk

 

 

 

Portland, Aug., 2001

Hi Gohk,
Thank you very much for sending me background information

 about the Flamenco story.

 I look forward to meeting with you this week to discuss this

in person. Is Thursday, August 30 still a good date for you?

 Please let me know what time you'd like to meet.
I have a broken toe, so I'm not able to walk very far.

Would you be able to meet me downtown ?

 I work very close to Pioneer Place.
Sincerely,
Tom

Features writer

 

 

 

Portland  

 Hello, Tom!
 ...........

............

It means the very Starbuck Cafe of the Pioneer Square.
I will be there at 2:00 pm ,Thrusday. Okay? 
Gohk

 

 

 

Portland, 2001

Hi, Gohk!

Good.

See you there.
Tom
Features Writer
 

 

 

 

Portland, 2001

Hi Gohk! 

I heard from Tom, too, that the meeting was wonderful! 

So glad that you enjoyed it. 

Have a fun weekend and see you soon!

 'P.S.'

 We will have a rehearsal on Friday, September 14

in the afternoon so that you can meet the singer and

work with her on Morning Dew. 

I will confirm! the time with you soon

 Abrazos!

 Lau

 

 

 

Portland,  2001

Hi, Lau

 

In the morning today I got a sparkle of
inspiration and could barely hold the tail of the comet,

 as below, before it disappeared
 

 "Pioneer Square landscape"

In the Pioneer Square Cafe
by the street-side window
sits a man in his fifties
with a large paper cup filled up

 a half with starburg coffee

 and another half with time,
looking through his mind's eye at those passing by,
one after  one.

 

 The first  goer is a shepherd in his teens
with his ears given to the stars up in the sky,

 twinkling and whispering in the darkness.

 followed by a dog and dozens of lambs.

 

The second goer is a dandy in his twenties
saying to his first date ,in a bold and sweet voice,
'Shall we kiss?'

 

 The third one is an aesthetically-spirited poet in his thirties

 mummering lines of an old Japanese poem-

 'if man were never to fade away like the dews of Adashino,

 but lingered on forever in the world,

 how things would lose their power to move us!'

 

 The seer by the window looking at them

 drinks a sip of coffee and

 another sip of time.

 And he is greatly envious
of a Spanish matodor and bailaor in his forties,

 whose image now suddenly wavers as if a mifage,

about whom he read once in a flmenco book,
with a gift of cold elegance
entering the bull ring
facing his destiny aloof
to his death. 
   

abrazos
Gohk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portland,  2001

Hi ,Gohk,

Please come to rehearsal on Friday at the studio at 2 p.m. 

 For Saturday, I need to know which seat you will sit in

 so that an usher can come

 and bring you backstage after the intermission. 

 I hope that you are doing well

 in the *aftermath of such a tradgedy

(*Sept. 11 attacks, 2001 in NY)

 I am just shocked and stunned. 

 As you know, I was born and raised in New York City.

 

Un abrazo

Lau

 

 

 Below is the related article  on the subject of 

' Korean Song fits Spanish steps ' ,

carried  in  a daily newspaper named Portland  Tribune

2 days before the very day of the flamenco performance 

to be held at Dolores Winningstad Theatre located

in the downtown of the city on Sept.15, 2001.

Tom was the very reporter of it :

 

'below'

 

 Portland, Sept. 2001

Born of Southern Spain's Gypsy culture ,

flamenco dancing and music can pierce the stoniest of hearts.

The sorrowful facial ｅxpression!!!!s, theatrical body movements and

seductive guitar rhythms leave and indelible imprint on viewers.

 

This saturday, Portlanders have a rare opportunity 

to catch flamenco at its finest when  a program called 'The night of Juergao'

hits the Dolores Winningstad Theatre. Lau Marrone , a local performer and

flamenco instructor who has trained extensively in Spain, will be joined

by Seattle- based musician Jose and Monica.

Rommel Nieto, a Vanouver ,B. C. resident who has toured Europe as a bailaor

will make his debut. 

Joining the lineup of seasoned performers is Gohk Ma, 

a writer from Korea. Currently staying in a downtown studio ,

the 56- year-old developed a taste for the art form

during a visit to Portland 2 years ago. In his book ' The Magic Flute',

he describes seeing a flamenco dancer at the 1999 Art in the Pearl festival .

How tender is the wave of her waist moving! Fascinating!

 

Upon returning to Portland earlier this summer , Gohk pursued his interest

in flamenco by calling at Morrone's studio in Portland:

' I had a great desire to meet a flamenco dancer.'

This meeting unexpectedly blossomed into a creative partnership

between Gohk and Marrone.

 

During his visits to Lau's studio,

Gohk drew a parallel between the sorrow of flamenco music and dance

and the sad tone of "Morning Dew",

a protest song about the former military dictatorship in South Korea .

He sang the song for Lau and suggested that it be translated into Spanish

and performed during "The night of Juerga".

 

Though Lau couldn't understand a word of Korean, she was moved to tears.

Convinced that " Morning Dew" was a good candidate for the flamenco treatment,

Lau asked Monica Carmona to translate the piece into Spanish.

 

The  results of this cross-cultural effort will premiere during "The night of Juerga".

At the Gohk's rendition of the song , performed in Korean,

will be followed by a Spanish version

with singing by Monica and guitar playing by Jose .

 

 ...............

 

 Tom,

 reporter,

 Portland tribune