Art and Culture

It's Thursday and it's almost the weekend again and for those of you looking to make weekend plans right now, our Michelle Kim is here to help us with what to do and where to go to enjoy some quality time with your family and friends.

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Hello Michelle [Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young

What do you have for us today [Reporter : ] It's almost May and May is the month to spend with your family and loved ones, with Children's Day and Mother's Day coming up. This may be the perfect time to go on a trip with your loved ones and if anyone is looking for a place to visit that is quiet, serene, yet full of excitement, Provence may be just the place for you.

From Lavender Walking Tours to Emerald colored oceans, the southern region of France is filled with natural beauty and historical architecture.

Many people think of Paris and the Eiffel Tower when they think of France, but Provence's beautiful scenery is sure to be a pleasant surprise to everyone.

[Interview : Bruno James, General Director
Provence-Aples-Cote d'Azur Tourisme] "The southern parts of France offer a diverse culture. There are beautiful oceans, beaches, and of course, mountains that show of the natural beauty of Provence".

As the southern regions of France neighbor the Mediterranean Sea, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur is an exceptionally beautiful place valued for its breath-taking landscape and the quality of lifestyle it offers.

Tours, like the Grand Tour from Avignon and the Lavender Walking Tour, offer tourists a taste of the lifestyle with sightseeing tours of picturesque medieval villages, wine tastings in the vineyards, and walking tours through fields of lavenders.

The beautiful lights and scenery have not only captivated tourists over the years but famous artists like Van Gogh as well.

[Interview : Bruno James, General Director
Provence-Aples-Cote d'Azur] "The city of Arles was built during the Roman Empire. It is still one of the cities that contain the traces of the Roman times".

Van Gogh moved to Arles hoping for refuge, as he was suffering from a smoker's cough. He was enchanted by the local landscape and light and portrayed this in his artwork, as his works during this period were richly draped in yellow, ultramarine, and mauve.

Along with the city of Arles, Marseilles has been designated as the European City of Culture of 2013, so it will offer cultural events for the whole year as well.

Blue skies, landscapes and historical heritage, the sweet songs of cicadas, lavender fragrance and hilltop villages are all assets that make Provence a dream destination.

APR 26, 2012
Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr

Art and Culture 2

Wow, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous, with the fields just blossoming with lavenders and also just thinking about looking at the beautiful ocean in real-life, I'm already excited. So when will it be the best month for tourists to visit[Reporter : ] Well, 320 out of the 365 days are basically sunny so any month would be great, but to really enjoy the grand view of Provence, the months May, June, September, and October are the best months to enjoy the scenery and also have a quiet vacation, away from the heavy tourist months of July and August.

And you know, when you go visit a different country, food is always an important aspect. What would be the signature dish that will suit the taste for Koreans[Reporter : ] I guess the best way to look for the kinds of food that may suit your taste, is to really try the signature dishes of the southern parts of France. Bouillabaisse one of the most famous dishes of that region so I strongly encourage you all to check that dish out.

I'm sure many of us are thinking of making plans to go on a trip to Provence now, and moving on what can we do in the meantime here in Seoul[Reporter : ] There are many concerts being held next month so I brought you a couple that sounded interesting and appropriate for the spring weather. Sergio Mendez, Didier Squiban, Jun Je-Duk, and L'Ark-en-ciel are all visiting Korea in the month of May. Here are the details.

Bossa Nova virtuoso Sergio Mendez and the Keith Jarett of France, Didier Squiban are coming to Korea.
Harmonica player Jun Je-Duk will also hold a concert with a 60 person orchestra.

Sergio Mendez is coming to Korea to celebrate his 50th anniversary since his musical debut. Starting off as a keyboardist in Brazil, his musical influence grew quickly. leading to a Grammy nomination in 1992.
Crossing over from Bossa Nova to Jazz, and then to Pop, he will be playing his fun, cheerful, and energetic music to his Korean fans in May.

Didier Squiban has won the title of 'The Keith Jarett of France' with his sentimental melodies. His jazz performance is mixed with traditional music from the Bretagne regions, which creates comfortable and lyrical melodies.

After overcoming his visual impairment, Jun Je-Duk has earned fame with his harmonica performances.
He will be joined on stage by a 60 person orchestra at his concert, playing music from movie soundtracks, as well as pop and jazz melodies.
L'Arc-en-Ciel is the first Japanese band to have sold out the New York's Madison Square Garden. The rock band will be coming to Korea for the first time in 4 years.
Their world tour will take them to 11 different countries.

APR 26, 2012
Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr

Art and Culture 3

[Reporter : ] Sergio Mendez will be holding his concert on May 8th at the Olympic Park Olympic Hall, Didier Squiban will be holding his concert on the 25 of May at the Theater Yong of the National Museum of Korea, Jun Je-Duk will be performing at the Seoul Arts Center Concert hall on the 3rd, and L'Ark-en-ciel will be having their world tour on the 5th at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium.

I think all of theses concerts will be a great way to spend the warm and breezy spring months. From harmonica melodies to bossa Nova to rock, we definitely won't be bored.

[Reporter : ] Nope, we definitely won't be. As I have mentioned before, May is the month of family so these concerts will be a great opportunity for a family outing. And for more options for family expeditions I have the events bulletin consisting of three concerts.

[Reporter : ed:mark] This bulletin features 3 events.

World famous Soprano Jo Su-mi will be performing at the Goyang Aram Nuri Aram Theater on May 1st. She will be singing pieces from Operas and Operertta like 'Carmen' and 'Gypsy Love of Lehar'.

A Traditional Music concert will be held at the National Theater of Korea at the Main Hall, Hae. The concert will be divided into three sections, 'The end of the continent', 'Bamboo Bamboo' and 'La Mujer Eu Un Ardol'.

Guitarist Milos will hold his first ever concert in Korea on May 3rd. The concert will be held at the Mapo Arts Center Art Hall MAC. He is the first guitarist to have received the "Prince's Prize" Silver Medal from Britain's Prince Charles.

Thank you for your update today and we will see you tomorrow for more art and culture news

[Reporter : ] Always a pleasure, see you tomorrow.

APR 26, 2012
Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr