Pansori theorist Shin Jae-hyo신재효 of the late Joseon period cited four conditions of a good clown - he must be good looking, good with words, able to sing well, and have good stage manners. You may think a clown should be judged based solely on his performance, not his appearance, but it is human nature to view a good-looking person in a more favorable light. Appearance was even more important for a singer who had to perform at major events in front of royalty and nobility. But in the late Joseon era there was a performer who was known for his ugly appearance. His name was Nam Hak and he was so ugly that, according to old historical records, his face resembled a goblin mask called “bangsangsi방상시.” Bangsangsi was a mask used in royal processions or funerals to chase away evil spirits, so the goblin mask had to look scarier and uglier it if was to ward off malicious spirits. Namhak’s eyes were said to resemble those of a crazy dog, his nose that of a lion, and his beard that of an old goat. His hands were scrawny like chicken feet and they looked so fierce that children would be scared out of their wits whenever he showed up. But despite his hideous looks, his voice was so beautiful that he often sang women’s parts in songs. Here’s “Love Lies” from the original soundtrack of the Korean period film “Love, Lies” sung by the film’s lead actress Han Hyo-joo.  

Music 1: Love Lies/ Sung by Han Hyo-joo

Confucian scholar Lee Ok of the late Joseon period described Nam Hak’s lovely singing as the sound of a young cuckoo chirping on a plum branch and a glass windchime tinkling in the gentle breeze. People’s souls were rattled and their hearts flushed when they heard his voice, as if they had seen the greatest beauty in the world. People would say that his lovely voice and exceptional singing talent more than made up for his awful looks, but in those times, it would have been quite humiliating for him to sing in a woman’s voice. However, rather than feeling sorry for himself, Nam Hak made a trademark out of the incongruence between his face and voice. He even had great fun surprising female entertainers in Hanyang first with his looks and then with his singing voice. Let’s listen to another song before I tell you another amusing anecdote about his distinct voice. Here’s a drinking song titled “Have a Shot” sung by Modern Gagok.  

Music 2: “Have a Shot”/ Sung by Modern Gagok

One day Nam Hak and his friend hatched a plan to surprise some gisaengs기생 or female entertainers in Hanyang. Their plan was to have the singer dress up as a woman in a dark room, and his friend would take a group of gisaengs to that room. When the women were all in the room, Nam Hak started singing and all the women were so amazed by the voice that they fawned all over him. The gisaengs at the time were all professional singers and able to recognize a great talent, so Nam Hak’s voice must have been pretty amazing to captivate such seasoned artists. He sang about 20 songs and completely won over the women when his friend lit the candles to reveal the singer’s true identity. When the women saw Nam Hak’s face, they were so stunned that some broke into tears and some became completely speechless. They must have had the shock of their lives, but those who heard Nam Hak tell this story later rolled on the floor laughing, amused by how the ugly singer had fooled all those women with his angelic voice. But imagine how Nam Hak would have felt deep inside as he told this story. This week’s episode will conclude with “The Monologue of an Old Reed” sung by Kim Nari.

Music 3: The Monologue of an Old Reed/ Sung by Kim Nari