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Cecilia · @Cecilia9095

18th Jun 2011 from Twitlonger

@hazywords

The Korean Wave Unfolds at the Zenith

A Phenomenon in Seoul, these “boy” and “girl bands” drive French teens crazy. They sing for the first time in Paris.

After having conquered Asia, the K-pop war machine is now attacking Europe. And Paris is at the head of the bridge for these new stars of Korean song. This Thursday and Friday evening, the most popular South Korean “boy” and “girl bands” are going to rock the stage of the Zenith for 2 concerts without precedent on the Old Continent. Success is assured since tickets were sold out in less than 15 minutes. About to break out into all-out abnormal riot in front of the pyramid of the Louvre on May 2, hundreds of fans waved/waived their dignity in order to demand another concert date whilst dumbfounded tourists looked on. A riot that made the headlines of South Korean newspapers and convinced the organisers, the all-powerful SM Entertainment, to add another new date.

“They are so excited to be here to perform in Paris! It’s the city of romance par excellence,” gushed Eun-a Kim, the spokesperson of the most powerful agency in show business in all of Asia. “They” are Girls Generation, the key of the show at the Zenith, the group that is dominating all the charts in the Far East: 9 dolls of barely 20 years old with long legs and mini-mini skirts mere millimetres from being stripped to show the juicy thighs that have already caused Japan, China and Thailand to drop to their knees. The security guards at Roissy have already pre-issued an emergency plan in order to confront the crazy hordes of groupies that will be in the arrival terminal.

On stage, [Girls Generation] will be accompanied by SHINee, TVXQ! and Super Junior, 3 boybands of ambiguous gender that drive French teenage girls wild. Recruited sometimes as young as primary school age, these baby stars follow a spartan training regimen and know how to do it all: sing, dance to frenzied rhythms and other things like participating in sitcoms or commercials, one of the principal revenues of South Korean show business.

“ The enthusiasm in Europe surprises us”

For five years, Hallyu, the “Korean Wave”, has ravaged through all of Asia to the point of eclipsing Japanese pop thanks to an impeccable cocktail: sounds and choreography borrowed from the West and adapted to the tastes of Asian audiences to offer a complete show of impeccable execution. A global product that has been seducing more and more French youth since two years ago who discovered K-pop mostly through manga before jumping ship from Japan to Korea.

“It’s a mix of familiar sounds, with the slight addition of the exotic touch that makes all the difference,” explains Maxime Pacquet, a 31-year old (male) fan. This computer engineer is the president of the Association Korea Connection, which has an estimated 100,000 members in France. A fad that is spreading through YouTube and social media networks online like Facebook where fan communities exchange the latest videos and organise classes in K-pop dance. “The enthusiasm in Europe surprises us. But, Asia remains our priority,” clarified Eun-a Kim. And for good reason: in September, Girls Generation will be in Tokyo for a concert in front of 100,000 people! Europe needs to arm itself with patience before being able to see their idols in miniskirts again.

Original source: http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2011/06/09/03006-20110609ARTFIG00465-la-vague-coreenne-deferle-sur-le-zenith.php

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