The tune of Arirang, a traditional Korean folk song, echoed across New York City on March 18.
An
Arirang-themed festival, “Arirang, Knocking on the Heart of America!,”
took place in the multi-cultural city, a global project marking not only
the first anniversary of the folk song’s registration with UNESCO as an
intangible world heritage item, but also exposing the world to, “the
sound of Korea.”
Traditional musicians collaborate
with a musical ensemble from Forest Hills High School at the LeFrak
Concert Hall at Queens College in New York City on March 18.
A
group of visiting classical musicians showcased a wide array of
traditional Korean songs, along with local musicians. Among them was
Professor Michael Phillip Mossman, one of the U.S.'s prominent jazz
masters.
There was a volley of cheers and applause from the
audience when a new version of the song, “Miryang Arirang,” resonated
across the concert hall. This time, the traditional song was melded with
Western tunes, as it was arranged by a U.S. jazz ensemble.
“No matter where you are from, these Arirang melodies will always win the hearts of those who listen, I am sure,” said Mossman.
What
the musician said proved exactly true when New Yorkers looked on,
amazed, as Lee Chun-hee, a famous traditional singer of “Gyeonggi
Minyo,” a folk song from Gyeonggi-do (Gyoeonggi Province), and other
traditional instrument virtuosos, sang and performed. Sentiment itself,
unique to the genre, struck a chord with the awed audience.
When
the traditional sounds of Arirang were mixed with those of hip hop, New
Yorkers, regardless of age or sex, got excited and began dancing to the
music.
Calligrapher Lee Sang-hyun
performs, writing the word “Arirang” with a large brush, in Times
Square, Manhattan, in New York City on March 19.
On March
19 in the heart of Times Square, calligrapher Lee Sang-hyun showed off
his calligraphy skills, a sight that caught the eyes of many passersby.
The
artist turned a sheet of large, white paper into a work of art by
writing in ink the word “Arirang” in Korean and English with a large
calligraphy brush. Following the performance came another eye-catching
scene, as
samulnori, traditional music from a percussion quartet, unfolded before a large crowd of onlookers.
The
day's street performance created a place where music brought people
together as one, even though they were all of different cultures and
nationalities.
A percussion quartet performs in the heart of New York City on March 19.
“We’ve
prepared well for this event, to make Arirang emblematic of a genre of
music that can be enjoyed by the world,” said Go Jeong-kyun, president
of the Traditional Culture and Arts Institute of Korea, host of the
festival. “This kind of effort will further draw attention to the folk
song from a wider audience from all around the world,” he hoped.
(All photos courtesy of the Traditional Culture and Arts Institute of Korea)
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr
[Source: korea.net]