INTO THE LIGHT MUSIC OF KOREA 6

By using the difference in the tone of the lyre-guitar improvised from traditional music to the song that completes the rhythm, or the free leaf and harp playing was limited to a relatively repetitive and naegoja capture an image of the destruction of the oppressed, or nature. 

숨[suːm] was formed in 2007 by two Korean traditional musicians with the ambitious aim of starting a new era of Korean traditional music that combines the sensory experience of musical with lessons learned from modern life. Foundering, member Jiha Park admits, “I like Korean traditional music, but when I play it I feel a little weird because I don’t live in that time, a long time ago. I live now, in the 21st century, so I want to make my own music.” To reach that goal they experiment with melody and rhythm and adapt traditional techniques to their needs.

Singer-songwriter Gonne Choi creates music that gives listeners the impression that it has existed for a long time. Listening to her music has been likened to finding yourself in the midst of a long journey.Choi has released three EPs(“36.5℃,” “Good Morning,” and “Real”) since 2010 before her first studio album(“I was, I am, I will”) was issued in 2014. Despite having learned to perform pansori(Korean traditional narrative songs) and play the gayageum(a Korean traditional instrument, like a zither) when she was young, by the time she was in college she had reverted to singing vocals in hard core rock band. 

As a gayageum player, composer and improviser, Kyungso Park sways between traditional and contemporary art – a truly preeminent contemporary musician. She is known for expanding the scope of gayageum music and challenging its often traditional role in Korean cultural expression. Having debuted in 2004, Park’s collaborations and performances have spanned a variety of genres, from jazz music and avant garde improvisation to experimental music, gayageum sanjo(an improvised instrumental solo from the late Joseon era), creating her own unique style of music.

In Korean, the concept Baraji is a purely indigenous that refers to the heartfelt care given to a person through unconditional support. Among Korean traditional musicians, however, Baraji refers to the impromptu harmonizing carried out by background vocalists, adding depth to the lead vocals and enhancing the complexity of the music. The spirit of Baraji is epitomized in the distinctive Jindo Ssitgim Gut, a traditional shamanistic purging ritual for the dead that offers prayers for peaceful rest with singing and dancing. The members of the musical group Baraji display an intense desire to pay homage to Baraji and to share its beauty with the world through their music.

Daegeum performer, composer and researcher, Hyelim Kim, is opening up new possibilities for Korean music by using a Korean traditional instrument, the daegeum, as a tool to promote exchange with a wide variety of musical cultures.

Since the group's founding in 2000, Jeong Ga Ak Hoe has toured widely throughout Korea, Europe and the United States, presenting its unique performances of both Korean traditional music and newly composed works for Korean traditional instruments. Jeong Ga Ak Hoe's eclectic and diverse repertoire has deep roots in the ancient Korean concept of johwa, meaning "harmony" or "balance" each performance is an expression of the transformative power that exists in music and nature. Jeong Ga Ak Hoe's holistic approach has led them to explore the potential of new - and at times - unexpected artistic collaborations, resulting in a distinctive genre of emotionally compelling performance art, utilizing the aesthetics of Korean traditional music as a catalyst to create a visionary, multi-dimensional theater.