Seoul-fully Indian
THE WEEK India|September 24, 2023
Meet Aoora, mashup extraordinaire who is making waves blending Indian and Korean rhythms
PUJA AWASTHI
Seoul-fully Indian

Remember the song ‘Koi Yahan Aha Nache Nache’ from the Mithun Chakraborty film Disco Dancer? It has a fancy K-pop version now. A South Korean artiste, in outfits quirky and colourful, walks the streets of Mumbai belting out the song’s signature hook ‘Auva, Auva’, as he blends Korean lyrics into the original’s tune and tempo. The performer is Aoora, a South Korean singer-composer who is fast carving a niche in mixing Indian tunes with his own work and those of others.

Born Park Min-jun, Aoora is 37—perhaps a tad too mature for K-pop’s feverishly youth-obsessed fandom. But Aoora does have his porcelain skin and boyish looks that belie his years.

No one really introduced Aoora to Hindi songs. It was during a random internet session that he stumbled upon the song ‘Cham, Cham’ from the 2016 film Baaghi. “I was captivated by its energy,” he says. “That is how my interest in Indian music, especially Hindi songs, began.”

Aoora says he was always interested in approaching music with “innovation”. He was 13 when he discovered his passion for music, and 16 when he began formal training. Music shows on television had taught him the basics.

He discovered a deeper connect with songs in Hindi (and other Indian languages, as he later found out). “What immediately resonated with me was their vibrant energy, catchy rhythms and effective use of chorus, all of which are distinctive features of K-pop,” he says.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView all
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 mins  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 mins  |
November 17, 2024