'Baebaengigut' singer dies at 97
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Lee Eun-gwan
By Kwon Ji-youn
Korean traditional singer Lee Eun-gwan died Wednesday. He was 97.
His funeral will take place today and he will be laid to rest in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Lee, a performer of baebaengigut, an intangible cultural asset, was born in 1917 in Gangwon Province and began learning the seodosori, a song that originated in Pyeongan Province and Hwanghae Province, and baebaengigut at the age of 17.
Baebaengigut is a monodramatic performance in which one singer takes on multiple roles, singing to a janggu, or a traditional drum. It tells the story of Baebaengi, a girl who died at the age of 18 from an unknown illness. Baebaengi’s parents asked a shaman to relieve their dead daughter of sorrows, but the shaman performed a fake exorcism and fled with their wealth.
Lee performed with several troupes until 1957, when baebaengigut was made into a film, in which Lee appeared as the shaman. From then on, Lee worked to foster young talent.
In 1984, Lee was named a performer of baebaengigut, and in 1990, he received the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit. He later performed in Seattle in celebration of the 80th anniversary of baebaengigut.