On November 17 and 18, the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil, in partnership with the Oswald de Andrade Cultural Complex, held the Korean Traditional Music Workshop with artists from the group Hammer, composed of musicians from the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts).

The first session took place on November 17 at the Oswald de Andrade Cultural Complex in the Bom Retiro neighborhood. The second session was held on November 18 at the Korean Cultural Center on Avenida Paulista. Both workshops were well attended and attracted a large Brazilian audience interested in learning more about Korea’s traditional music.

Throughout the activities, participants learned about the historical and theoretical aspects of traditional instruments and also had the chance to try them out themselves. Instruments presented included the janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum played with two sticks; the jing, a large metal gong; the kkwaenggwari, a small, high-pitched gong; the buk, a two-sided drum; and the geomungo, a six-string instrument with a shape similar to the gayageum.

A significant portion of the workshop focused on samulnori, a traditional Korean percussion genre that features four instruments and is known for its vibrant rhythms and intricate techniques. The Hammer group also performed in each session, showcasing the energy and precision that define traditional Korean music.

A participant from the November 18 workshop shared, “I had already heard about the geomungo and really wanted to learn how to play it, but there are no teachers or accessible courses in Brazil. Opportunities like this are excellent for learning more about the instrument and about traditional Korean music.”

This was the group’s final activity in Brazil. After their visit to São Paulo, the artists continued their trip to Argentina to carry on with their ongoing project.