K-Pop grooves, kimchi flavours take Chennai by storm

Chennai

At the entrance of the venue, K-Pop fans Nikita and Pavithra eagerly posed next to the posters of Eddy and Simba of K-Pop band JJCC, who were the chief guests for the  finale. Their excitement knew no bounds as their favourite popstars passed by them. Speaking about their love for K-Pop, Pavithra said, “While watching Korean dramas  we came to know about popular bands in Korea. Our favourite band is EXO and we also like JJCC. We were really, really excited when the band members interacted with us, before heading to the auditorium!”

Dr Rathi Jafer, Director of the InKo Centre, said the focus was to give a complete experience of Korean culture to the visitors. “This is the fifth edition of the K Pop Contest and for the first time, Chennai is hosting it. K-Pop is not just about the dance or music but it spills over to so many areas — from hairstyles to clothes — the entire fashion quotient. We wanted people to experience Korea; so the food festival and music are cultural signboards,” she said, adding that the grand finale was jointly hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre, New Delhi, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chennai and InKo Centre.

Out of 200 entries, 17 final teams/ participants from across the country performed K-Pop favourites by artistes such as Ailee, Big Bang, Red Velvet, Beast and many others. Consul General Kyungsoo Kim, who inaugurated the finale, said one can expect the popularity of Hallyu (Korean cultural wave) to rise in Chennai. “K-pop lovers meet regularly in Korean restaurants or at InKo Centre to share about their favourite idols,” said this diplomat.

The warm aroma of hotteok (Korean pancakes) sizzling in the pan wafted from the dessert counter, as a giant screen relayed the finale, creating an impromptu, al-fresco dining space. Other delicacies at the K-Food Festival included Dak-galbi (spicy stir-fried Chicken), Tteok-bokki (spicy rice cake), Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and the popular kimchi.

Sarah Ahn, Deputy Consul General, said, “Most people who attended the event, watch K-Drama and know about Korean food. So, we wanted to give them a chance to try it. We also asked our Indian friends their favourite Korean food and Hotteok was quite popular. Apart from this, we had the popular kimchi, which is a Korean staple, served with fried rice – so even those who are trying Korean food for the first time can enjoy it.”

The winners of the K-Pop contest were 3 Plus 4 Crew from Delhi (dance category), who will be nominated for the Changwon K-Pop World Festival in South Korea.  Priyanka from Sikkim came first in the vocals category.