[Caroline] This is "Share Your World,"
the show where we share
stories and reflect
on our own cultural backgrounds,
so that we can learn about
each other's worlds from home.
In this episode, we're talking about all things music,
theater, and dance - from traditional performances
to iconic instruments and more.
[Caroline] I've always been interested in music,
theater and dance, even as a child.
Last year was my first trip to Armenia in Yerevan
and it was so close to
a place that we visited,
called the Megerian Carpet Factory,
where they weave carpets but
they also integrate everything
from the Armenian culture for visitors to see.
So they have traditional garb, music, dance, and food.
When I went, they put on a little performance for us
with traditional music, and we have an instrument
called duduk and it's made out of the apricot wood.
It's such a beautiful sound and I think it was
just an overwhelming experience being in Armenia
and hearing that sound that I grew up listening to,
and that music I grew up dancing to.
"Guys I am a ball of emotions today, really"
[Katrina] So one of my favorite
instruments in Yoruba culture
is the talking drum.
And the really cool part about the talking drum
is that it mimics human speech.
It literally sounds like someone's singing
or someone talking
I believe it's one of the only instruments
that has not been able to be translated
to midi sounds or to be synthesized.
When I went home for the first time when I was 17,
I got to see the talking drum used,
and it was just very powerful to experience it
in real life, on the continent, in Nigeria.
I just love it.
[Kasey] So last summer I was able
to go visit my parents in Korea.
They've always wanted me to go to the Gyeongbokgung palace.
It's majestic, it's architecturally really strong and sturdy
and there's a changing of the guard ceremony every morning.
And what you can do is
on the outskirts of the palace,
you can go rent a hanbok
which is a traditional Korean outfit for three hours.
And then you get to walk the palace and kind of, you know
feel like what it must have been like back then.
So it's kind of like an immersive theater experience
and it's wonderful to see everybody dressed in costume.
[Jason] I think I was there at that palace.
I'm pretty sure it's the same palace that I went to.
[Kasey] Yeah it's a pretty famous palace.
It's kind of where everyone goes when you visit Korea.
So when I was visiting Korea
I stayed at the Westin Chosun Seoul
which is really close and easy to get to,
to Gyeongbokgung palace.
And I mean the rooms are spacious,
the amenities, the lobby's gorgeous,
and it's just so nice to just be a tourist all day
and then come back to luxurious hotel settings
and just rest, relax, rejuvenate,
and then go back out and just, you know,
see the rest of Seoul.
[Jason] So for Khmer dance, for Cambodian dance
it used to be performed
in front of kings
and queens and royalty,
where people would be dressed in similar outfits
to the Cambodian wedding outfits.
But they would be in golds with like brackets
and with crowns,
but they would do special hand movements.
[Katrina] So there's hand movements that correlate
with the dance and the hand movements mean something?
[Jason] So there's definitely a lot
of movement and storytelling and it's slow,
like watching like a ballet
where you could actually see the story.
Which is a lot about like life and balance.
And I was never able to get it perfectly,
because it's really technical
and you have to bend your fingers
and they practice bending their fingers as a kid.
So they can bend it all the way back.
I don't know if you can try it,
but it's really intense.
Yeah, you get it.
And it tells a story.
[Debby] So Switzerland is very much known
for the alphorn or in Swiss
it's called 'alphorn,'
which is basically the same.
And it's used or used to be used back in the day
in the Alps and the Swiss Alps where, you know
they have cows and sheep and they used a horn to call them
so that they would come all back together
and go back to the stables at night.
And it doesn't have any buttons
or any strings or any openings.
It's just a solid wooden horn.
And I've never played it myself
but I know you Caroline have.
But I know it's very difficult to play it.
[Caroline] That was difficult.
But after practicing, it's like, once you get it
you just don't wanna stop.
Debby you have to do it.
You have to do it the next time you go.
[Debby] Yes I want to next time,
whenever I can go back home, it's gonna be on my list
for sure.
- [Katrina] I actually wanna go to Switzerland.
I wanna go to all of your countries,
but Switzerland I have ties to somewhat
because my mom is half Swiss.
My mom is half Nigerian.
Yeah so she tells me stories all the time
of like how she would go there for holiday
when she was young, but I've never been able to go.
So hearing all of your stories, I'm like, yes
have to get there.
- [Caroline] And if you're like us, I know you can't wait
until we can travel again to experience these
and other music, theater and dance performances in person.