ROK #4: Traditional music

Drums and gongs with the “samul nori” tempo, dominate the Korean traditional music, which we got several chances to experience.
The music is widely used as entertainment, in Buddhism and traditionally in the farmer villages to ensure a good harvest.

This is an example from the taekwon-do demonstration:

The fierce looking women demonstrated an amazing rhythm:



This drum really takes a beating at the guard change ceremony at the Gyeongbokgung palace., and judged from looking at the little boy seen behind the drummer, the sound is quite loud:

One evening we went to see the performance “Nanta”, or “Cookin’” as the play is called when they perform in Western countries. Nanta takes all the traditional rhythms and make a breathtaking show that takes place in a kitchen, where pots, pans and everything else in the kitchen is used to make the music. It was quite entertaining - but the Korean music is best enjoyed made with a drum than with kitchen knifes, pots and huge jars of Kimchi.