Seoul-fully Indian

Meet Aoora, mashup extraordinaire who is making waves blending Indian and Korean rhythms

- PUJA AWASTHI

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.