Korean, Spanish, Japanese artists to come together for flamenco concert 'Passion is Red' in Seoul

A cross-cultural flamenco concert bringing together Korean, Spanish and Japanese artists is set to take place Thursday at Seongsu Art Hall in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul.

Poster for the dance show ″Passion is Red″ set to take place Jan. 15 at the Seongsu Art Hall in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul. [ADELA ART COMPANY]

A cross-cultural flamenco concert bringing together Korean, Spanish, Japanese and British artists is set to take place Thursday at Seongsu Art Hall in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul.

Organized by Adela Art Company, a local Spanish-themed performing arts company, "Passion is Red" combines flamenco with Korean traditional music and Japanese elements to explore the intersection of different cultural rhythms through dance and sound.

The concert features music by British guitarist Ned Darlington, Korean percussionist Seol Ho-jong and daegeum (bamboo flute) player Heo Jun-hyuk. The trio will join forces to present the piece “Roma,” which explores the sentiment of han — a Korean term for deeply rooted sorrow and longing — within a European context, drawing parallels to the nomadic history of the Roma people.

Four Korean performers will showcase the quintessentially powerful footwork of traditional Spanish flamenco atop an intense rhythmic foundation known as compás. The group choreography, unfolding amid the guitar’s melodic lines, the percussionist’s forceful rhythms and the deep resonance of the daegeum, is considered the highlight of the performance, according to Adela Art Company.

Spanish dancer Alessandro will also present a Korean-style dance to “Beautiful Country” (2010), a song widely regarded as an expression of national pride.

In the finale, Japanese flamenco dancer Nagata Ken will combine Spanish dance with geta, traditional Japanese wooden sandals, to deliver a distinctive, rhythmic performance.

“The fundamental spirit of flamenco lies in inclusion — not rejecting external cultures but absorbing and transforming them into one’s own,” said Lee Kyu-joo, CEO of Adela Art Company, in a press release Monday. “Amid the historically and politically complex relationship between Korea and Japan, art is the most powerful tool for breaking down boundaries. Audiences will witness the moment when ‘difference’ turns into ‘beauty’ at the point where familiar instruments meet unfamiliar rhythms.”

Tickets for "Passion is Red" are available on the local ticketing platform Interpark.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]