Geum Na-Ra, The Show-Stopper!

Kim Na-hee (stage name Keum Na-ra) is a singer, actress, dancer, and musician who is singing the OST for a Disney movie. Earlier this year, she released an album. I first "met" her in 2011, when she did background vocals for a rap video I was in. She provided the vocals, so I hadn't met her at that time.

* * *

A year or so later, I was at an event, when a cute young lady introduced herself to me. Of course, I thought I was world-famous, because she was talking in Korean about the rap song I had been in. Then, I realized: Oh!!! She wasn't just a casual fan. She was telling me that she was one of the ladies in the rap video. Wait, no! After a bit more trying to understand each other, it turned out that she was the lady singing the background vocals!

If you watch the rap, you can see me at the 1 minute and 2:30 minute marks. The Keynes-Hayek rap battle was big back then, almost going viral, so I had recommended to the CEO of the Center for Free Enterprise that he should do a rap video.

* * *

Over the years, I have bumped into her at other events.

One night I was at a Harvard alumni event... I kept thinking, that lead singer playing various instruments looks really familiar... then I realized, "Hey! That's her! My backup singer from the rap video!"

Yes, it was her!

* * *

Another day, I was watching a musical, I was invited to it at the last minute. It was a one-woman musical about a North Korean woman. So I'm in the audience, watching, then I realized...

"Hey! I know actress!"

I was telling the people I was with that I knew her. Did they believe me? They did after we took a photo after the show!

Yes, Yeonmi Park is on my left!

Yes, that is the producer of the play "Yodok Story."

* * *

In 2016, FSI (then TNKR) had a Christmas party. We had some entertainers that night, but it was clear that Kim Nahee was the show-stopper! She took over the stage with an unforgettable performance.

Here she is warming up, testing the microphones.

Yes, that is with Cherie Yang

With professor rapper Kim Chung-Ho and Nahee.

* * *

Now she is doing an OST for Disney!

Please subscribe to her new channel, watch all of the videos, leave likes and comments! After the pandemic is over, I hope she recognizes the love and support she has received from FSI and will perform at another concert.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

Michael Breen discussion at 10 Magazine

Yesterday I attended a discussion with writer Michael Breen, hosted by Barry Welsh. Very often, when I attend a speech or discussion about a topic I know a lot about, I often think about ways the speaker/facilitator/discussant could have done better. But I didn't feel that way about Breen, it was one of those times that I really felt like I had a lot to learn and should listen more than talk. He's been in Korea for three decades, working as a reporter, commentator, communications specialist. He reminds me of Andrei Lankov in that his analysis seems to be based on observation of how things work rather than trying to get the world to fit his biases. I don't know him, so his friends may say he is a raging ideologue, but that's not the impression I had yesterday and based on his writings. Michael Breen (L) and Casey Lartigue I first read his book The Koreans about a decade ago. It was a delightful read, that was both warm to Koreans but also critical at times. Yes...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

"Yoegi Anjuseyo!"

* I have a short reflection in today's Korea Times about an encounter with an unfriendly looking Korean man on the subway. It was a reminder not to be too quick in judging people in Korea. 09-13-2011 16:47 'Yeogi Anjeuseyo!' By Casey Lartigue Jr. The recent incident in which an American English teacher bullied an elderly Korean man and other passengers on the bus reminded me of a more pleasing incident from years ago. I was on the subway, taking the train outside of Seoul for a work assignment. I have the habit of standing on the subway to strategically position myself near the doors in case my stop magically appears. On that particular day, there was a Korean man STARING at me. Not just looking at me, but intensely staring at me. He had an incredible frown on his face. Not just for one stop, but for several stops the guy just kept staring at me. If I had known more Korean then I would have been able to curse him ...

2020-11-26 My basketball story

This photo was uploaded today by my aunt Annette. This was back in the day, when 1) I had a head full of hair and 2) played basketball a lot. That first year of playing organized basketball, I focused on playing defense. It seemed that everyone wanted to shoot the ball, so I passed the ball and played defense. I probably led the league in steals, rebounds and blocked shots. I enjoyed taking on the best player from the other team, I felt like I would get better, quickly. The second year, I was a different player. I will never forget the first game that second year--we lost 29 to 26, I scored 18 points. I probably led the universe in scoring that second year, although we didn't win much. One thing I learned from that experience is that one great player 9 (at least in his own mind) can't beat a team. An eye injury ended my pro career before it began, to this day I still have floaters in my eyes because of the injury. I started wearing glasses, but the problem never went away. On t...

From nothing to something super special (2023-02-10)

FSI has moved into a better institutional neighborhood where we are the poorest in the area. In August 2022, I was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and in January 2023 FSI achieved incorporation status in South Korea. This has meant that FSI must upgrade operations and structure and I am the one, as chairman and co-president, who will be blamed if it doesn’t happen. I really should not be the chairman, for a variety of reasons, but anyway I am. Eunkoo and I are not the typical executives of a growing organization. In addition to being mainly responsible for building and fundraising for the organization, we are the hands-on leaders who are constantly in contact with North Korean refugee speakers. We look forward to the day we can afford staff to handle many tasks. Until then we can expect to continue having more days like yesterday, even on Eunkoo’s birthday. 2023-02-10 Meeting #1: planning We started Eunkoo’s birthday with a planning...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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