Korean music ventures out at Yeowoorak Festival
"Hollim; Immersion" by Jangdan DNA and Ahn Sang-soo will kick off the 2018 Yeowoorak Festival at the National Theater of Korea on July 6-7. / Courtesy of NTOK
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Yeowoorak Festival, a popular festival experimenting with the possibilities of Korean music, returns to the National Theater of Korea on Namsan Mountain from July 6-22.
The festival's title comes from an abbreviation of a Korean sentence "yeogi woori eumagi itda," meaning "here is our music." Though "our music" refers to "gugak" (Korean traditional music), Yeowoorak is open to all genres of music and encourages musicians from different backgrounds to collaborate.
Won Il, the Korean traditional music composer and conductor who serves as the festival's artistic director this year, said Yeowoorak is now more than just a one-time event that inspires Korean musicians to work with talents from other genres.
"Yeowoorak reveals the current status of Korean music. It is not boring or obvious. This festival is going to be full of imagination," Won said at a press conference.
The artistic director, who is in his second year, said Yeowoorak is becoming a major event on the Korean music scene as it provides unique opportunities and the concert spawns to other mediums such as the release of live recordings or the formation of project groups.
"When I talked with musician Hareem about his program on the phone, he said the only thing that sticks in his mind is that he has to create something unique for Yeowoorak Festival," Won said. "It is important for an artistic director to set course for the festival, but making programs exclusive to Yeowoorak is also important. Artists also know the importance of this festival and try to bring up ideas that can only be realized at Yeowoorak."
Celebrating its ninth year, the festival's novel attempts paid off through over 54,000 audience members who filled some 94 percent of the seats. It is difficult to get tickets for popular concerts and some of this year's concerts are already sold out as well.
Trustworthy
The festival consists of 11 performances and Won came up with three key words to categorize each performance -- trustworthy, new and exciting.
Trustworthy is for master performers who carry on tradition as skilled musicians.
"Hollim; Immersion" by Jangdan DNA and Ahn Sang-soo will kick off the festival on July 6-7. Jangdan DNA is a "gut" (exorcism) ensemble founded for last year's Yeowoorak Festival and they formed the group to continue performing.
The opening concert is inspired by King Sejong, Joseon's fourth king who invented the Korean alphabet Hangeul. Based on the philosophies of heaven, earth and man; yin and yang; and the five elements of the universe, the ensemble will present the king's view of the world through dynamic visual and sound.
Renowned typography designer Ahn takes part as visual director and provides projections for the concert.
Master pansori singer Ahn Sook-sun will present "Ahn Sook-sun & Jieum (intimate friends who know her sound)" on July 13-14. This is going to be an encore of "Jieum," one of her legendary stages originally performed in 1994.
She joins hands with the master performers once again to bring back the sensation, which is going to be more profound as Ahn and her friends ripened over 24 years.
"Korean music tugs at the heartstrings and there is humor within it. I am glad to perform with these important Korean musicians at Yeowoorak," Ahn Sook-sun said.
The Korean music project group Soloist Ensemble Sangsang, which was active in the early 2000s, reunites for Yeowoorak at "Karma DMZ" on July 15.
Sangsang consists of three musicians -- haegeum (fiddle-like instrument) player Gang Eun-il, geomungo (six-string zither) player Heo Yoon-jeong and cheolhyeongeum (steel-stringed zither) player Yu Kyung-hwa _ and they pursue improvisation with traditional instruments.
For this concert, Sangsang collaborated with sound artist Kim Chang-hun to incorporate sound collected from the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with their music.
Sensational Korean music ensemble Baramgot will also reunite after six years to present "Bari Sinawi" on July 21-22 as the closing event of the festival.
Baramgot is known for their unique way of composing music, led by players, not composers. Sinawi is a type of collective improvisation derived from the music of Korean shamanic rites and Baramgot paved the way for modernizing the genre through "Bari Sinawi."
In addition to their hit repertoire, Baramgot will reveal two world premiere pieces at Yeowoorak.
Korean music ensemble Baramgot will reunite after six years to present "Bari Sinawi" on July 21-22 as the closing event of the festival. / Courtesy of NTOK
New
Musician Lee A-ram, daegeum (bamboo flute) player and music director of this year's Yeowoorak Festival, will reinterpret Korean traditional music at "After Sanjo" on July 10.
Lee collaborates with seven soloists from ajaeng (seven-stringed bowed zither) player Cho Soung-jae and Korean traditional percussionist Hwang Min-wang to electronic musician Park Seung-won and accordionist Park Hye-ri, breaking down boundaries between conventional music genres.
Based on "sanjo" (Korean traditional instrumental solo music) style, Lee explores the music's originality and adds a modern twist.
Renowned world music group Jambinai will present ""Exists Everywhere but Belongs Nowhere" on July 11, unveiling new songs for their upcoming album.
The post-rock indie band combines Korean traditional music with rock, conjuring up a unique style to the band. Recently, the band performed "Time of Extinction" at the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Composer Texu Kim joins hands with conductor Choi Soo-yeoul for "Sorigil Begins" concert on July 17.
This is going to be the first in Kim's "Sorigil" series, in which the composer will play variations of Korean traditional music based on algorithms discovered by Kim.
American experimental musician Jen Shyu, Australian drummer Simon Barker and Korean daegeum player Cha Seung-min will present "Nine Doors" on July 18.
Shyu and Barker are international musicians who learned Korean music and interpret it in their own way. "Nine Doors" comes from Shyu's repertoire, but she added Cha for this festival, adding more diversity.
Korean traditional performing arts group Uhee and the nine-member ska band Kingston Rudieska will present "UHEE SKA" on July 20. / Courtesy of NTOK
Exciting
Ethnic fusion band the Second Moon will present "Paldoyuram" with sorikkun (Korean traditional singer) Song So-hee on July 7-8.
The Second Moon and Song released an album "Modern Korean Folk Songs" earlier this year, interpreting Korean folk songs from Gyeonggi region in a contemporary way.
At the concert, the band will perform newly arranged folk songs from other regions and a new piece inspired by "Daechwita" (Military Band Music).
Korean traditional performing arts group Uhee and the nine-member ska band Kingston Rudieska will present "UHEE SKA" on July 20.
Ska music and Korean traditional music seem poles apart, but the two groups worked on an elated collaboration. The highlight will be the Boating Song, arranged by Kingston Rudieska and performed on Uhee's signature "menaritori" scale, which is often used in eastern Korea.
Last but not least, singer-songwriter Hareem challenges the most familiar Korean folk song -- "Arirang."
At the "Arirang, Song of Joy and Sorrow" by Hareem and the Blue Camel Ensemble on July 21, the musicians play Korean folk songs and modern pop songs as well as music from the Middle East, central Asia and the Balkan Peninsula with exotic instruments.
Tickets cost 30,000 won. For more information, visit www.ntok.go.kr or call 02-2280-4114.