Gugak festivals bring modern edge to tradition

By Lee Hyo-won

“Gugak” largely refers to Korean classical music, but the term literally means “national music” — it’s an art form that captures the spirit of the Korean people, comprising not only works inherited from past but also currently in the making for the time-honored instruments.

The genre continues to flourish under the wing of master artists, and moreover, the younger generation that they inspire. Fans can witness the collaborative efforts of cross-generational music-making in festivals opening in Seoul featuring such revered icons as Kim Duk-soo and Hwang Byung-ki.

Kim Duk-soo

Retracing past via youths

Forget that gugak is old — sure it may be a time-honored tradition, but Kim’s electrifying “samulnori” (percussion) beats have been capturing the ears of fans all over the world.

Under the artistic direction of this master percussionist, the 2010 Seoul New Korea Music Festival is now underway through Saturday at Nowon Art Hall and other venues around the city.

“It’s a full festival that contemplates the past, present and future of gugak together with young gugak musicians,” Kim said during a press meeting last week in Seoul.

The festival aims to give young performers of gugak greater exposure by providing them with an opportunity to showcase their talents before a large audience. Five highly qualified troupes were chosen through an audition earlier this year, and the lineup includes some of the wildest variations of gugak that also feature dance sequences.

On Thursday Sinawi (its name deriving from a shamanist music tradition) will take the stage with ballerino Lee Won-guk and the Nowon-gu Boys and Girls Choir. On Friday, wHool will create new sounds with celebrated “pansori” (Korean opera) artist Ahn Sook-seon, guitarist Choi Yi-cheol and the band Kingston Rudieska. Arisu will perform alongside b-boy group Flying Korean.

While such fusion performances may seem like a novel attempt, Kim said that in the past, there was no differentiation between dancers and musicians — there were only “yein” (artists) who did both. It was only in the mid-20th century, around the time the Korean War (1950-53) broke out, that music was separated from traditional dance to represent two different genres as Korea became westernized.

“Arts and culture are a part of everyday life, so we can categorize music by period according to the changes in our lifestyle,” the 58-year-old said. “Today it’s all about finding cultural assets that can become a national brand, and Koreans are realizing that our traditions are important and unique. I believe it’s time to revive the traditional Korean-style mixed media festival, but with a modern edge, of course,” he said.

To cater to anyone and everyone, the opening performance was held outside Nowon Art Hall on Sunday — in tune with the traditional “madang” (open yard) culture, since back in the days art troupes performed outdoors and interacted with crowds that gathered around them in a circle.

More street performances will take place around Cheonggye Stream and Insa-dong at noon on Friday and Saturday. Also, featured artists will travel to various venues including a middle school and elderly home to share the festivity throughout the week.

All indoor performances cost 3,000 won. Call (02) 951-3355 or visit www.nowonart.kr.