Arirang Concert

Not many pictures that I took during the Concert last month, March 21 since it was prohibited to take any pictures during the show. It was during an intermission. 

Got some invitation for as many as 30 of my friends. We went to the National Gugak Center of Korea to watch the Arirang: The Soul of Korea Concert. 

Hosted by Senior Public Diplomacy Group, MOFA, this concert was to cater the need of Korean people and foreigners alike in embracing 'Arirang'.

Thanks to our friend, Nong, who were kind enough to share the pictures she took on the encore or the last performance. 

What I like most about the show...?  

how all of the artists mingled and took turns to either sing or play the instruments-which was quite impressive. They sure had some high-energy pumped up.

Pansori 판소리: A New Twisted Pansori (part 1)

Twisted Pansori? Yup, that's how I describe the Pansori I just watched earlier today.
I got this invitation--in fact as many as my 90 other friends or so, also got this invitation--to see the premiere of the so-called Pansori: Wearing Rain Boot(?) 판소리 레인부츠를 신다 (Geez: I have to admist that I got no idea what it meant).
Anyway...the point was that...I was so ecstatic when our sonsaengnim told us about this invitation to see and experience Pansori--wait for it: not the one that would dooze people away just simply by hearing the word 'pansori', especially for any foreigners who are not that accustomed to what this is all about. Some of you may have seen it, might have heard  of it from TV, friends, or even saw it on YouTube or even live show before.

As for me, I did see Pansori about twice and most of them were relatively palatable--that's what I could say about this. For those who are not that yet accustomed to or better yet...not being able to grasp Korean language---(just like me--giggle)^^, Pansori would only make one to wonder as to how to enjoy this seemingly intricate singing-genre authentic only and solely in Korea.
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BUT......the one that I just saw today...INDEED juggernautingly changed the way I would perceive Pansori for once more.
I've been liked.....wham.....slapped on my face as to how creative these young kids from Hanyang University of Music Department were. They did bring in and open up our eyes...to the new level of Pansori ......unlike any other shows I've seen so far.

Ulsori: The Spiritual Music Ritual

한충은의 첫 솔로 엘범 'morning'

This is a name of a musical performance conducted by the HUFS students' club on Korean traditional music. I got a chance to be there since my friend, Min Seonhee invited me to see her perform. She has been practicing gayageum for months and it was her time to show her ability in playing the gayageum.

The show started ad 6 pm on Sept. 3 at BRICs hall at the graduate school.

쇼스타코비치의 Waltz No.

Ok. let me just just down what I saw during the show. I may not put the pictures in accordance to the captions or explanations about what I saw, simply because the whole thing was new for me. I know nothing about this traditional instrument, let alone explain something about it.

Anyway..the show was divided into two acts. First: traditional Korean musical instruments; the second one was a kind of fusion between Korean musical instruments and Modern ones. Here are the list of shows:

수연장지곡

1. suyeonjangjigok (수연장지곡). Judging from what I saw, it was similar like that of Javanese gamelan orchestra in a way that a group of people were playing several instruments in a coordinated ensemble and rhythm. The players were wearing red robes and traditional Korean black hats that I have seen in many drama or movies portraying the Joseon Dinasty era.

단소 (?)

2. Then, there was a danso (단소), 캐논 3중주, 출강, 염불 도드리, 터령....(????) so many foreign names that I never know for sure if they have any meanings at all. I presume they do. But judging from the fact that they are all accompanied by their Hanja characters, they must have had difficult meaning to comprehend:)

3..and the rest are arrays of simply Korean traditional percussion or any other instruments that I am not familiar with, even with their names.



So...I might as well jot down the names of the instruments so as to make me remember what I saw:

janggu (장구); gayageum (가야금) which includes 고음 가야금, 중음 가야금, & 저음 가야금; geomungo (거문고); haegeum (해금); piri (피리); danso (단소); sogeum (소금) and of course...there were piano, drum, cello, and guitar.
I do not think I have to explain what they are....because they are all googleable :) .....I had a fun time there.