Actors and actresses performing cheo – whether as central characters, heroes, heroines, buffoons, or villains (often a person who counters society’s moral standards. not necessarily one who does evil) – must sing clearly to show their characters’ unique physical characteristics. They must enunciate both the tones and words. Each feeling – whether happy and joyful or sad and miserable – is expressed with a certain unique nuance of voice: metal voice (kim), earth voice (tho), copper voice (dong), and so on. These sung sounds give rise to sophisticated onomatopoeic associations that audience’s treasure.
