A gugak album that embraces the essence of traditional Korean sound was released on August 1.

The National Gugak Center released “Textures of Korean Traditional Music: Flowing, Deepening and Widening” in the hopes of exposing people, both at home and abroad, to traditional Korean music.


Three musical companies affiliated with the gugak center -- the Court Music Orchestra, the Folk Music Group and the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra -- took part in the recording.

The orchestras put on one CD a wide range of gugak songs, from Jongmyojeryeak, a special kind of music written especially for the rites worshiping the kings of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and pansori, a form of traditional narrative singing, through to gagok, a traditional lyrical song, and to the traditional folk song "Arirang." All three genres and the song are designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage items.

Master singers specializing in minyo, a style of folk song, were also part of the project, singing songs representing each region of the country.

Gugak master Ahn Suk-seon, current director of the Folk Music Group, sings “Yukjabaegi,” a folk song from Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), while Yu Ji-sook, also a member of the folk group, performs “Susimga,” a seodo minyo style song. Seodo minyo refers to songs from the western and northwestern provinces, such as Hwanghae-do and Pyeongan-do. Kang Hyo-ju, a master of minyo songs from Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province), sings “Old Arirang.”


The album also presents beats and rhythms created by members of the Folk Music Group who perform samulnori, a style of percussion ensemble music, and sinawi, an instrumental ensemble. Meanwhile, Kim Byung-oh, member of the Court Music Orchestra, sings the gagok “Eollong,” while Won Wan-cheol shows off a wide range of notes playing the daegeum, a traditional bamboo flute.

“This album is a collection of carefully selected songs. It includes only the ones recognized for their current and future value,” said Director General Kim Hae-suk of the National Gugak Center. “I hope the songs can give listeners a break from their hectic routine and that, through them, we will be able to share the beauty of traditional Korean sounds with the world.”

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr