By Honorary Reporter Pavitra Pai from India

Photos= Halima Bhaimia

What comes to mind when you hear the catchphrase "Same same but different?"

Probably the German movie or the Bollywood song, or you might hear it in the many tourist spots of Thailand. But the phrase is also the name of an amazing concert series involving the music of both India and Korea.

"Same Same But Different" is a celebrated concert series produced by the Korean new wave group Noreum Machi since 2013 to introduce its international collaborations with artists from around the globe. Season 5 of the series featured the world-renowned contemporary dance figure and choreographer Astad Deboo, who is a pioneer of modern dance in India, and Trayam, an ensemble of three critically acclaimed Indian musicians-- percussionist BC Manjunath, singer and flautist Varijashree Venugopal, and percussionist, composer and music director Praveen D. Rao. Together with Noreum Machi, these artists presented an experimental and eclectic soundscape that merged traditional Korean sounds with classical Indian music, complemented with the stillness and flow of contemporary dance. InKo Centre, in association with the Korea Foundation, Arts Council Korea and Kalakshetra Foundation, presented a unique Indo-Korean collaboration that brought together and showcased music and dance traditions from both countries.

Commissioned by InKo, this project was developed in 2016 through residencies in India and Korea and premiered to critical acclaim at the Seoul Namsan Gugakdang and the National Theater of Korea in Seoul in 2017 with support from the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the council. The Indian premiere, with performances in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai, was presented with support from the Korea Foundation, the council and partners in each city.

With Chennai being home to a Korean consulate general and InKo, the city has multiple cultural exchanges throughout the year. I arrived at the beautiful Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium to witness a much anticipated product of Indo-Korean collaboration.

Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium (Casualwalker)
The concert began with a rousing performance of janggu (Korean hour-glass-shaped drum) by the artistic director of Noreum Machi, Kim Ju-hong, as well the traditional percussionists Lee Ho-won Lee and Oh Hyun-ju. I was drawn in immediately as the tempo increased to a point where their hands were merely a blur and the speed was astounding. This was followed by a performance by the band Trayam.

I found great meaning in a piece containing the shloka (poetic form used in Sanskrit) "Om Purnamadah Purnamidam." The collaborative show, while complete, had both Indian and Korean performances that came together to make something beautiful and complete.

The gayageum (Korean zither) is my favorite Korean instrument and thus I enjoyed the performance by Oh Hye-yeong. One of my favorite moments was when the flute merged with the gayageum, and I also heard for the first time the piri (Korean double-reed flute) and the saenghwang (Korean wind instrument) in a performance by the talented Kim Gyeong-sik. I loved the jugalbandi (Indian musical duet) between Kim Ju-hong and Manjunath using a technique called konnakol in India, which is a percussionist's delight. The crème de la crème of the show was the final piece "Universe Sinawi," in which all of the artists came together on stage for a unique joint performance.

The concert was attended by many music and dance lovers around the city as well as Korean consul general Kwon Young-seup. It was so well received that the audience gave a standing ovation followed by a short encore.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean