Korean Cultural Center New York presents "Memories of Jindo: Korean folk songs from the hometown of gugak" featuring the Jindo National Gugak Center

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY), a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Jindo National Gugak Center, and the Korean Performing Arts Center are proud to present Memories of Jindo: Korean folk songs from the hometown of gugak, an exciting curation of Korean traditional music (gugak) and dance at Symphony Space on Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 at 7:30 pm.

The master performers of Jindo National Gugak Center, one of the foremost Korean traditional performing arts groups of Korea, will be performing in New York for the first time. Established in 2004 to promote gugak (traditional Korean music, literally "the music of a country") and to further develop education programs and performances, the Jindo National Gugak Center was founded in South Jeolla Province, where Jindo is located.

Along with the New York Korean Performing Arts Center (NYKPAC), the evening's performance is curated to highlight the robust and dynamic characteristics of the region. At present, Jindo is considered to be the "homeland of Korean music." The program includes pieces such as the iconic "Sarangga (Love Song)" of the pansori repertoire, a style of musical storytelling that has been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property by UNESCO, and the "Beokkuchum," a colorful and dynamic dance rooted in farming culture that highlights the energy and inventiveness of the genre.

The Jindo National Gugak Center and the New York Korean Performing Arts Center have a special history: Since 2006, NYKPAC has travelled to the Jindo National Gugak Center for their annual "Summer Trip to Korea: A Cultural and Performing Arts Experience." Designed specially for second generation Korean-Americans, Korean adoptees, and their families, the trip members experience intensive Korean traditional music, dance, and samulnori instruction under the direction of master instructors through performance workshops. The evening will feature a reunion performance with students and masters in New York, and aims to be a platform of meaningful cultural exchange as well as an important platform for the ongoing growth of Korean traditional music in the US.

Sounds of Korea, a dance troupe of the NYKPAC, will also join and present elegant court dance pieces such as Honam Geommu (Sword Dance), known as one of the oldest Korean traditional dances, and "Seungmu" (Korean Monk's Dance) from the southern region as a contrast to the folk tradition. Audience will have the chance to experience the original folk music and dance pieces that present the powerful energy and deeply established traditions of the southern provinces.

www.koreanculture.org.

For press inquiries, contact Mickey Hyun
[email protected], 212-759-9550 (ext. 212)

SOURCE Korean Cultural Center New York

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