Ranin Elbalimbo, a traditional theater troupe from Sudan, is featured in the 10th Arab Cultural Festival scheduled for the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Aug. 30.
By Kim Young Deok and Yoon Sojung
Photos = Korea-Arab Society
The 10th Arab Cultural Festival will be held at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Aug. 30 and at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju on Sept. 2.
The festival offers visitors a chance to see both traditional and modern theater, arts and music from a wide range of Arab countries.
The Korea-Arab Society has been hosting the festival since 2008 in order to boost cultural exchanges between Korea and the Arab world. Last year’s festival introduced Arab clothing and cuisine.
For this year, the festival is promoting Arab performers from Sudan, Iraq and Tunisia who will play traditional musical instruments.
One of the groups is Ranin Elbalimbo, a traditional theater troupe from Sudan. The Ranin Elbalimbo performers will play the tanbor, a long-necked stringed instrument used for folk music in Iran, Turkey and India.
Ahmad Shamma plays the oud, an Iraqi traditional musical instrument, introducing traditional Arab folk songs to visitors at the 10th Arab Culture Festival.
Iraqi musician Ahmad Shamma will play the oud, a stringed instrument, as he presents traditional Arab folk songs. Tunisian violinist Yasmine Azaiez will perform with a violin and a darbuka, a traditional musical instrument used widely across the Middle East.
The festival is free and more information is available at its website.
http://www.arabfestival.or.kr
kyd1991@korea.kr
