Last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city was giving away 2,000 free Broadway tickets to high school students. What was remarkable was that he recorded the video messages in Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish and Bengali. He does not speak these languages.
This reminded me so much of K-pop idols delivering messages to their fans, often in languages that they do not speak. Both examples demonstrate the special effect on listeners when individuals try to communicate in a language foreign to them, but native to the recipient. It is endearing and conveys to the listener that the speaker cares about them and people like them.
I cannot judge Mayor Mamdani’s Spanish and Bengali videos, but I can say something about the Mandarin video, since Mandarin is my first language. Mayor Mamdani, who is a child of famous immigrant parents (acclaimed film director Mira Nair and professor Mahmood Mamdani), is keenly aware of the lives of immigrant families.
Mira Nair has made many memorable films about immigrant families, including “The Namesake” and “Mississippi Masala.”
The mayor clearly worked very hard to pronounce the Chinese words with the correct tones — something that is difficult for non-native speakers. He was amazing, and no Mandarin speaker would have had any problems understanding him.
Still, I don’t think this is the appropriate standard by which to judge him. The fact that he cared enough to dedicate himself to the task is admirable in itself. Although I don’t live in New York City, so he is not my mayor, I am deeply impressed by him. I’m certain that his constituents appreciated the effort too. This was clearly not an AI video, but for those who doubted him, his office even released a blooper reel. In a time where AI-produced content is everywhere, many of us hold content by humans in higher esteem.
These videos reminded me of the dedication K-pop idols have to give to foreign language training. Many Americans who are unfamiliar with K-pop probably do not realize that non-Korean K-pop idols spend years on their Korean language skills so they can answer questions on variety shows and speak to their fans at concerts. Those from the Korean diaspora (Korean Americans, Canadians and Australians) have to learn Korean too. Trainees and idols learn a few phrases in a multitude of languages. If you don’t believe me, just watch any concert footage from outside of Korea. Certainly, trainees are given language lessons. They also get help from vocal coaches in the diction of foreign words.
Mayor Mamdani’s effort reminded me of the eight videos by Super Junior announcing their “Beyond the Super Show” concert during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The messages were recorded by seven of the bandmates in eight different languages: (1) Korean (by Yesung), (2) Japanese (also by Yesung), (3) English (by Siwon), (4) Chinese Mandarin (by Kyuhyun), (5) Indonesian (by Ryewook), (6) Vietnamese (by Donghae), (7) Thai (by Leeteuk) and (8) Spanish (by Shindong). I was new to K-pop at the time, and remember watching these videos in awe of the members.
K-pop idols also have to sing in many languages, and most often in English. They sometimes record songs in Japanese for the Japanese market since Japanese-language content is still banned in Korea for over-the-air terrestrial broadcasts. Songs with any Japanese words are forbidden on traditional TV and radio networks. Of course, this law is a remnant of the response to Japanese colonial rule.
Super Junior has recorded songs in Mandarin and Spanish. A particularly interesting example of the movement of a song across national and linguistic boundaries is Super Junior’s 2019 cover of Mexican singer Luis Miguel's 1987 single “Ahora Te Puedes Marchar.” Their music video is unique in that it replicates every scene of Luis Miguel’s video.
Miguel also recorded the song in Portuguese as “Agora Voce Pode Ir.” Moreover, his Spanish version is a cover of Madagascar’s Les Surf’s 1963 version of the song, which they released as “A Present tu Peux t'en Aller” in French.
In France, it was Richard Anthony (of Egyptian French background) who brought the song to No. 1 in France. Notably, the original song is one that is familiar to older Americans — Dusty Springfield’s 1963 hit, “I Only Want to Be with You.” This tune has been recorded in many other languages — a potent example of how catchy songs can attract a wide international audience.
Where does this leave us? While national and linguistic boundaries are hard to cross, just a few sentences might make a difference to the listener. I’m biased, but I think music is especially effective for this task. Maybe this is why I love finding covers and samples from old songs in newer ones. If you don’t believe me, try giving the songs above a listen.
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Grace Kao
Grace Kao is an IBM professor of sociology and professor of ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.
khnews@heraldcorp.com