Spain Boosts Language Profile With Music

By Philip Dorsey Iglauer
Staff Reporter - The Korea Times




Students throng Korea University’s Inchon Memorial Hall to particpate in the “Feastival de Musica Latina” on Tuesday. Organizers said they hope the event would raise the profile of Spanish, and promote Latin culture in general.
Spain’s diplomatic mission in Seoul is promoting Koreans’ understanding of its culture through Latin music and Spanish.

The Spanish Embassy co-hosted the ``Festival De Musica Latina’’ on Tuesday at Korea University’s Inchon Memorial Hall with the university’s Spanish Language and Literature Department.

The event was presented by television personalities Kim Hyun-wook and Son Mi-na. The audience of about 2,000 enjoyed performances by Spanish and Korean pop bands, Latin dance and a taste of various other musical forms and genre.

``We wanted to be better involved with universities here in Korea to create a synergy and improve bilateral relations,’’ Jose Hornero, 1st secretary of cultural affairs at the embassy, said.

Hornero said relations between Spain and Korea can be enhanced through raising the profile of the Spanish language and Latin culture in general.

Diplomatic relations between Korea and the Spanish-speaking world have increased substantially over the past few years with a state visits by President Roh Moo-hyun in Mexico and key Central American countries last year and in Brazil in 2004.

Roh’s visit to South America signaled the growing importance of the Spanish-speaking world, especially in trade and investment opportunities throughout the region. Korea’s first free trade agreement was signed with Chile in 2004.

``There are few Latin cultural events of this kind in Korea and it is really necessary to raise the profile of Latin culture and language in Korea,’’ Hornero said.

He expects that such events will help the public gain awareness of the Spanish language and Latin culture. The embassy co-organized a similar event at Yonsei University on Thursday.

Many Korea University students lent a hand to help make the festival a success. ``The Spanish language is not very popular here and I wanted to do something about it,’’ said Kim Nam-ho, 28, a Spanish language major.