Internationally recognized for its K-pop music bringing together various musical genres, but mainly hip-hop combined with singing, South Korea has carved out a place of pride for itself in world culture. This peninsular country also shares much more than its musical art: video games and cinema also make the reputation of this former third world country which has become an economic power over the past decades.
Just think of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho, feature film which received the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019 as well as the Oscar for best film in 2020. The dissemination outside Korea of its cultural content is such that the phenomenon has a name: hallyu, or “Korean wave”.
This wave has long remained far from the small screen, where the productions of the Asian country remained marginal, even non-existent. Although the South Korean entertainment industry is strong in its soap operas, they neither have nor risk developing a large audience in Quebec, which already produces a number of soap operas locally. This does not prevent some recent television breakthroughs from the East Asian country in the West.
In fact, next September 13 and 19 will hit the air respectively Who can sing? in Noovo and Masked singers at TVA, two productions from Korea.
For the one that will see the light of day on the small screen Monday, Quebecers will be able to find Phil Roy at the animation, as well as Rita Baga and Roxane Bruneau as regular panelists.
The idea behind this show, which has already celebrated its sixth anniversary in Korea, is largely inspired by noraebang, Korean term for “karaoke”. Indeed, individuals are invited to take the stage to sing hits on a voice that does not belong to them.
The goal of the guest is to find, with the help of the judges, all the singers who distort in order to keep only the one who really knows how to use his voice in a melodious way, explains Mélanie Bhérer, general manager of the Variety division. , lifestyle and documentary at Bell Media. Up to $ 25,000 will be awarded to whoever successfully completes the mission.
For the second issue, Masked singers, we will rather find Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge at the animation accompanied by a plethora of judges with varied experiences.
The panel will be composed of Stéphane Rousseau, Marc Dupré, Véronic DiCaire, Sam Breton and Anouk Meunier. They will have to discover which stars are under the extravagant costumes from their voices.
A shared taste for music
“We like that, in Quebec, musical games”, exclaims the content producer at Productions Déferlantes for Masked singers, Martin Proulx. In his opinion, this is what motivated TVA to acquire the rights to this program. Same story for Mélanie Bhérer, who speaks more of “passion for musical programs”.
Moreover, the two agree that the success of these shows in many other countries, including the United States (I Can See Your Voice and The Masked Singer), strongly encouraged their respective production team to purchase the concepts.
For the lecturer at the Center for Asian Studies of the University of Montreal Seong-Sook Yim, it is obvious that the love of music, although of different genres, unites these two countries at the antipodes of the Northern Hemisphere. . She illustrates her point by mentioning Star Academy, which has had many great seasons in addition to a comeback last winter.
We like musical games in Quebec
The passion for musical games is not, however, the only thing that unites Quebec and South Korea on the television level. According to the one giving a course entitled Culture and Communication in Korea, “the participation of the public as well as the presence of artists” constitute two winning elements. They also form the majority of favorite varieties of Quebecers, such as The Voix.
“The game aspect will appeal to Quebecers,” explains Mélanie Bhérer as to Who can sing?, revealing by the very fact that there will be “many stars loved by the public” on the set. For Martin Proulx, Masked singers will create a feeling of attachment to the characters and their story, in addition to an effect of curiosity: “You want to know who is hiding under the bird or the dinosaur. “
A culturally shattered future?
Regarding the future of Korean productions in Quebec, Seong-Sook Yim hesitates since they are “two quite distant cultures”. She explains that, although there are adaptations, Korean programs promote certain important values that are not necessarily found here.
She thinks, among other things, of family ties or the exploration of regions, two recurring themes even in musical varieties.
Martin Proulx mentions in this regard that it depends on the freedom left by the original production in the working document, commonly called “the bible”. For example, Masked singers had great latitude as to its sets, costumes and even its format. This explains the difference between Quebec mascot outfits and Korean paper masks.
Seong-Sook Yim believes that this opening up to other countries is a step in the right direction, but that Quebec remains very “Americanized”. Not only does this show through the shows that are rebroadcast on our TV channels, but also in our adaptations.
According to the lecturer, although the concepts are bought from South Korea, Quebec relies more on the American versions to create its programs. At a quick glance, the large sets, the extravagance of the costumes as well as the format prove him entirely right.
When asked if the small Quebec screen will see even more Korean productions in the future, Seong-Sook Yim laughs: “Quebec television is going to decide!” But that would be nice. “
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