The Words of the Lee Family
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The Words of the Lee Family |
N. Korea is the country where TP were born. I feel that I shouldn't forget this point when I talk about N. Korea. We know Father shed so many tears there.
A pro N. Korean group in the U.S. has been sending fine artists to Pyongyang to perform for several years when N. Korea has big national events. The conductor of the pro N. Korean orchestra in NYC, Mr. Lee, called me at the end of January and said, "Let's go to N. Korea on Feb. 9th." He picked three artists from the NY region to perform for Mr. Kim Jung Il's birthday in Pyongyang. They were a cellist, a pianist and myself as a vocalist. The artists supposed to be Korean but Mr. Lee said, "Who would know that you are Japanese? You speak Korean, eat Korean foods, sing Korean songs and you have a Korean husband. The only thing that you have to do is use a Korean name when you perform at the stage." But after he sent the list of the performers to N. Korean government, they sent back the answer that Seiko Lee can't come and perform because she is Japanese. Since this answer was from the N. Korean government, even Mr. Lee couldn't do anything. I had to just be quiet and give up going to N. Korea. But I prayed on that night even though I already could not come, "Heavenly Father, please let me go to N.K. to deliver your love and truth. They need TP. I strongly feel I have to go to N.K." The next day, I received a phone call from Mr. Lee and he said that the N.K government allowed me to perform. This is the kind of miracle that God can perform at this era. It is amazing.
I visited N. Korea last year and stayed at Pyongyang Koryo Hotel. Our hotel was the same this time, but they gave a special room which they called a "Deluxe Room" for each performer. For the first night, I prayed with tears, "I repent as being Japanese, who made this country suffer. Please, let me make a new era in history, by loving this country as Japanese, and opening the gate to welcome God and TP."
I was so moved that even I couldn't believe it when I had my first rehearsal with the N. Korean orchestra. I sang an Italian opera aria and a N. Korean art song. Actually, it had been my dream to sing in N. Korea since I joined this movement in 1983. I saw their pure hearts towards music and I felt our hearts became one through music even though I am Japanese, whom N. Korean people had hated for long time.
There was another group Korean-Chinese performers in our concert. They performed old N. Korean pop song as a part of our program. N. Korean songs are about Communism, the unification of S. & N. Korea, praising the beauty of their country, and about Mr. Kim Il Sung, and his son, Mr. Kim Jung Il. They express hope a lot in the song. Of course, they have love songs too. We had two concerts in Pyongyang. One was on the 14th and the other was on the 16th, Mr. Kim Jung Il's birthday. The concert on the 16th was only for the VIPs or top leaders of N.K., and it was broadcast throughout the whole country. Since they have only one main channel, our guide said that most of the N. Korean people would see the celebration program of Mr. Kim Jung Il. Unfortunately, the guide said that Mr. Kim Jung Il hardly appears in the public recently, but he will watch the TV program.
In the morning of Mr. Kim Jung Il's birthday, we visited the huge statue of Mr. Kim Il Sung and gave flowers as the representatives of the US. Then we went to the National Cultural Palace to attend the lunch banquet that we were invited to by the N. Korean government.
The concert hall was very nice but it was very cold because their heater system was not working at all. Whole parts of the building were frozen. They said they had a serious oil situation. But they put two old oil stoves at the dressing room on the day of the concert. There was a chair in front of the stove and they let me sit. Many people came over me and asked if I was warm enough. They thought I needed to take care of my body especially since I am a singer. I felt their sincere and warm hearts through it.
The N. Korean song I sang was a very beautiful song about the beauty of the future unified Korea. I changed the word "communism" to "unified hometown", but nobody pointed it out. I focused on loving this country and these people during singing. I knew that my performance shouldn't have been just fine singing to them, but a prayer. I put my whole heart into singing. I saw our church leader, Mr. Sang Kwon Park, who is the president of the Peace Auto Company and the Hotel Po Tong Kang in Pyongyang, in the audience. I felt so secure to see Father's disciple there and felt that God and TP were together with me. After my performance, the clapping didn't stop, and they had me to sing an encore. After the concert, one of the leaders came to me and said, "Although we have only heard you once, you will be the singer who will live in our hearts forever." I was thinking that Heavenly Father could touch their hearts through my singing.
For the dinner party after the concert, we went to the BBQ restaurant with the leaders of the music department, the president of the music university, the music teachers, and the three conductors of the orchestra, the composer, and the border musicians of the orchestra. They said that they learned a lot from my performance and asked me to come and sing for Mr. Kim Il Sung's birthday in April. We talked about music and sang many N. Korean songs together. Although we couldn't discuss God, I realized that our hearts became one through music, God's gift.
Now I will focus on the next performance at Pyongyang in the middle of April. But before this, I have other plans of recording the peace cantata, "Halelu", composed by David D'Or and David Eaton in the beginning of April. It will be in Tel Aviv, Israel with David D'Or and the Ra'anana Orchestra and the Chorus of the National Opera of Israel. I will be the soloist in the soprano part, and David Eaton will be the conductor of the orchestra. This is an exciting and a very beautiful tune about the world peace.
The reason that I'm singing is just to liberate God's and True Parents' "Han", resentment. My desire is to be a pure instrument that God can use. Father gave me a mission in the "Artists Association for World Peace" in 1995 with David Eaton. It was not easy to make a good foundation for a long time. We tried many things but it didn't work very well so far. But I feel we can support Father through the art more and more from now on. I believe that music can become the glue or bridge or even the fire to break down the walls of human kind.
Thank you so much!
Seiko Lee