The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is located in Eastern Asia. It occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
Pansori
Pansori is a form of musical storytelling of Korea. Pansori is performed by one singer (male or female) and one drummer. The drummer keeps the rhythm, known as jangdan, with the sogo drum. The singer performs a long narrative poem by singing, narrating and acting.
The audience interacts with the pansori performers
The Chaosmos of Korean Music: Heaven, Earth, and Human
According to ancient Korean texts, our universe originated from sounds. In other words, in Korea sounds represent the world of Chaosmos where Cosmos and Chaos were intermingled before the birth of the universe. Chaosmos is an aesthetic that engenders a unique philosophy of sound that invokes dynamic changes and raises awareness.
Korea’s spiritual flow stems from Taoism, Buddhism, and Shamanism. Together, they are the basis for the country’s philosophy and arts. Folk songs are one of the musical incarnations of this melding of ideas.
For classical scholars, music cultivated the mind, and the geomungo (the large and distinctive deep-stringed zither) was their favorite means. They practiced music in order to reach a divine mental state – one closer to heaven and the spiritual world.
Buddhism has long been one of Korea’s main religions, and Buddhist music is now designated as an important intangible cultural asset. Buddhist music includes ritual dances jakbeop and barachum.
Shamanism plays a key role in Korean music, and sinawi is the music that traditionally accompanies the rites of Korean shamanism.
P’ungmul nori
P’ungmul nori represents the soul of Korea. Whereas court music died out for the most part with the end of dynastic rule in the early 20th century, p’ungmul nori, a folk medium, was maintained in the villages and rural areas. After the 1961 military coup and throughout the latter half of the 20th century, students throughout Korea employed p’ungmul nori as a medium to empower the masses and demonstrate against the authoritarian government.
[Sources: Korean Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism; Korean Arts Management Service; World Music Central]
Korean Musicians
Baraji
Dongyang Gozupa
Dulsori
Hyun Seunghun
Kim So Ra
Kwon Soon Kang
Lee Hye Joong
Lim Ji Hye
Easternox
Noreum Machi
Tanemotion
Yoon Jeong Heo
