World Music Festival to showcase 15 musicians in various genres

By Park Ji-won

Poster for 2021 ACC World Music Festival / Courtesy of Asia Culture Center

The state-run Asia Culture Center (ACC) will hold its three-day “12th ACC World Music Festival” in Gwangju and on online platforms from Aug. 20 to 22, featuring 15 musicians performing in various genres.

Using the four themes of “Being Asian,” “South Jeolla Province,” “Technology Convergence” and “Coexistence of Tact and Intact,” the festival aims to reinterpret the overseas market for K-pop and world music through collaborations between Korean and foreign musicians.

The “South Jeolla Province” theme will present the Korean traditional vocal style of pansori masters Kim Il-gu and Ahn Sook Sun. Pansori singer Kim Joon-soo and musician Choi Gonne will also join hands to give a collaborative performance. Kim Yul-hee, who blends Korean traditional music with reggae, and bassist Seo Young-do will also perform together.

Foreign and Korean musicians will also present joint performances. Portuguese singer Mariza will be singing in a video specially made for the festival. In an online concert, musicians from Korea and the United States will performing in real-time from each country, exchanging sounds and videos. A documentary video about Taiwan's sauljaljui and Korea's gayageum ensemble Hey String will be also streamed.

Many of the performances will be live streamed through the ACC's YouTube channel and will be free through pre-reservation or on-site registration.

Heo Yoon-jeong, artistic director of the festival said, “It is difficult for foreign musicians to participate due to the spread of COVID-19, but we will able to deliver some productions through creative collaboration. We hope virus-hit audiences will be vitalized through the festival.”