Pungmul

Pungmulis a folk tradition steeped in music, dance, theater, and pageantry.

Pungmul(Korean:풍물;Hanja:Phong cảnh;IPA:[pʰuːŋmul]) is aKorean folk musictradition that includesdrumming,dancing,andsinging.Most performances are outside, with dozens of players all in constant motion.Pungmulis rooted in thedure(collective labor)farmingculture. It was originally played as part of farm work, onrural holidays,at other village community-building events, and to accompanyshamanisticrituals, mask dance dramas, and other types ofperformance.During the late 1960s and 1970s it expanded in meaning and was activelyused in political protestduring the pro-democracy movement, although today it is most often seen as aperforming art.Based on 1980s research, this kind of music was extensively studied in Chindo Island.

Older scholars often describe this tradition asnongak(Korean:[noŋak]), a term meaning "farmers' music" whose usage arose during thecolonial era(1910–1945). TheCultural Heritage AdministrationofSouth Koreauses this term in designating the folk tradition as anImportant Intangible Cultural Property.Opposition from performers and scholars toward its usage grew in the 1980s because colonial authorities attempted to limit the activity to farmers in order to suppress its use and meaning among the colonized. It is also known by many synonymous names throughout the peninsula.

Drumming is the central element of pungmul. Each group is led by akkwaenggwari(RR- ggwaenggwari) (small handheld gong) player, and includes at least one person playingjanggu(hourglass drum), one person playingbuk(barrel drum), and one person playingjing(công).Wind instruments(taepyeongso, also known ashojeok,senap,ornalari) sometimes play along with the drummers.

Pungmul was added to theUNESCOintangible cultural heritage list as "Joseonjok Nongak" by China in 2009 and South Korea in November 2014.

Classification

Pungmulwas first recognized as anImportant Intangible Cultural Propertyin 1966 under the titlenongak sipicha(농악십이차,"twelve movements of farmers' music" ). The designation was changed to simplynongakin the 1980s in order to accommodate regional variations.TheCultural Heritage Administrationcurrently recognizes five regional styles of the tradition, each named for its center of activity, under Important Intangible Cultural Property no. 11:Jinju Samcheonponongak,fromSouth Gyeongsangprovince (designated in 1966);Pyeongtaeknongak,fromGyeonggiprovince (1985);Irinongak,fromNorth Jeollaprovince (1985);Gangneungnongak,fromGangwonprovince (1985); andImsil PilbongnongakfromNorth Jeollaprovince (1988). Each style is unique in its approach toward rhythms, costuming, instrumentation, and performance philosophy: Jinju Samcheonpo foryeongnam(영남), Pyeongtaek forutdari(웃다리), Iri forhonam udo(호남우도),Gangneungforyeongdong(영동), and Imsil Pilbong forhonam jwado(호남좌도).

Most scholarly works onpungmulfocus on the two distinct styles present in theHonamregion encompassing the two Jeolla provinces.In this region, the designationsjwado(left) for Imsil Pilbong andudo(right) for Iri are determined according togeomantic principles.Looking southward from the "center" (Seoul,the capital),udoindicates "right", andjwadoindicates "left".Comparative studies between the two styles brought about the development of stereotypes among professional groups.Honam jwadobecame known for its varying formations and rapid rhythmic patterns, whilehonam udowas generally seen as having slow but graceful rhythmic patterns.

History

Early development

Suppression and unrest

During theJoseonperiod, this folk tradition was the primary mode of musical expression for a majority of the population.Many scholars and performers today claim that the termnongak(농악;NôngNhạc) was introduced during theJapanese colonization erain order to suppress its broad use and meaning among the Korean population.

Revival

True public support forpungmulimproved little in the decade following its recognition and financial backing from the government. There was a lack of interest among Koreans who abandoned their traditional customs after moving to the cities. This phenomenon was coupled with the introduction of Western-styleconcert hallsand the growing popularity of Westernclassicalandpopular music.

Samul nori,unlike traditionalpungmul,is performed in a seated position.

In 1977, prominent architectKim Swoo Geundesigned the Konggansarang (공간사랑), a performance hall for traditional Korean music and dance located in the capital, and invited artists and scholars to organize its events.During the performance center's first recital in February 1978, a group of four men led byKim Duk-sooand Kim Yong-bae, both descendants ofnamsadangtroupe members, performed an impromptu arrangement of Pyeongtaek (utdari)pungmulwith each of itsfour core instruments.Unlike traditionalpungmul,this performance was conducted in a seated position facing the audience and demonstrated a variety of rhythms with great flexibility. It was well received by audience members, and a second performance was soon held three months later. Folklorist Sim U-seong, who introduced both men to the Konggansarang club, named the group SamulNori (사물놀이;Bốn vật 놀이), meaning "playing of four objects".Samul norieventually came to denote an entire genre as training institutes and ensembles were established throughout South Korea and Japan.Usage of the termnongakwas retained in order to distinguish traditionalpungmulfrom this new staged and urbanized form.

Components

Instruments

The majority ofsoeplayers today hold the instrument in the left hand by suspending it either with the first finger or the thumb.

In general, 5 major instruments are used for playing Pungmul:kkwaenggwari(RR- ggwaenggwari) (small handheld gong),janggu(hourglass drum),buk(barrel drum), andjing(công) and sogo.

They all require a different style to play and have their own unique sounds.

The first person of each group to play instruments is called 'sue' or 'sang'. (like 'sang soe'(refers to the one who playskkwaenggwari),'suejanggu(same as sangjanggu),'suebuk', 'sue bukku(who play with sogo)')

Dance

In Pungmul, dance elements further deepen the artistic and aesthetic characteristics of Pungmul as an integrated genre.

Pungmul dance does not deviate from the interrelationship and balance with the elements that make up the Pungmul but also harmonizes closely with music.

The dance has a system of individual body structure, such as Witt-Noleum (윗놀음, upper performance) and Bal-Noleum(발놀음, footwork), and a system of pictorial expression in which individuals become objects to complete a group.

Divide according to the form of the dance and the composition of the personnel.

• Group dance (군무[ đàn vũ ]): Jinpuri (진풀이, a variety of formations are presented during the performance)
• Solitary dance (독무[ độc vũ ]): Sangsoe Noleum (상쇠놀음, lead small gong player's solo performance), Sangmonori (상모놀이, hat-streamer twirling performance), Suljanggu Noleum (hourglass-shaped drum performance), Sogo Noleum(소고놀음, small drum with handle performance)
• Japsaek dance (잡색[ tạp sắc, lit. mixed colors]): A member of the Pungmul troupe dressed as a certain character who acts out various skits. All expressions are the result of role-based self-analysis.

Costuming

Brightly colored cloth sashes are often attributed topungmul's roots in shamanism.

Following the drummers are dancers, who often play thesogo(a small drum without enough resonance to contribute to the soundscape significantly) and tend to have more elaborate—evenacrobatic—choreography,particularly if the sogo-wielding dancers also manipulate thesangmoribbon-hats. In some regional pungmul types,japsaek(actors) dressed ascaricaturesof traditional village roles wander around to engage spectators, blurring the boundary between performers and audience.Minyo(folksongs) and chants are sometimes included inpungmul,and audience members enthusiastically sing and dance along. Mostminyoare set to drum beats in one of a few jangdan (rhythmic patterns) that are common to pungmul,sanjo,p'ansori(RR-pansori), and other traditionalKorean musical genres.

Pungmul performers wear a variety of colorful costumes. A flowery version of theBuddhistgokkalis the most common head-dress. In an advanced troupe all performers may wearsangmo,which are hats with long ribbon attached to them that players can spin and flip in intricate patterns powered by knee bends.

Formations

Choreography of the entire ensemble seldom receives the same attention or scrutiny as manipulation of the hats.

International exposure

Pungmul is played in several international communities, especially by the Koreans living abroad.

Some dancing activities associated with pungmul performed by the ethnic Koreans living in China, known as the "farmer's dance of ethnic Korean" (조선족 농악 무;Dân tộc Triều Tiên nông vũ nhạc;Chosŏnjok nongak-mu), were submitted as a cultural heritage to UNESCO.

Pungmul also has been performed by the numerousKorean Americancommunities in the United States, includingOakland,Los Angeles,Chicago,New York City,andBaltimore.

College-based groups also exist at theUniversity of California(Berkeley,Los Angeles,Davis,San Diego,Santa Barbara,Irvine),University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,Stony Brook University,Columbia University,New York University,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Harvard University,Yale University,theUniversity of Chicago,theUniversity of Pennsylvania,Cornell University,California Institute of Technology,theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,University of Buffalo,Binghamton University,Syracuse University,Stanford University,The University of Toronto,Brown University,University of Oxford,etc.,Far Eastern Federal University

Development of Pungmul in America

First phase (1985–1989)

P'ungmul's history in the United States is intimately linked to the history of Korean American activism. Numerous founders of these organizations were active in or sympathized with Korean political conflicts. It is critical to note that all of these Korean expressive styles were prevalent throughout the 1970s and 1980s Minjung Munhwa movement that swept South Korean college campuses. Many of the early p'ungmul organizations either originated as a cultural division of a larger organizational (usually political) or became part of one, shortly after formation. In 1985, Binari in New York was established and Sori, formed on the University of California in Berkeley. Il-kwa-Nori of the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center in Chicago, also an affiliate of NAKASEC, formed in 1988. Shinmyŏngpae of the communal organization Uri Munhwa Chatkihwe in 1990.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a few Koreans stayed in the US for long periods of time to assist create p'ungmul organizations and spread its teachings. Kim Bong Jun, a Korean artist noted for his folk-inspired paintings and prints, was one such people. Many people were forced to reconsider their participation in the Korean-American connection due to issues like reunification and knowledge about the Kwangju Uprising.

Second phase (1990 - Present)

Yi Jong-hun, a Korean minister who visited the United States in 1990 and 1991, is another figure seen as important by many long-time p'ungmul practitioners. Yi Jong-hun paid visits to Los Angeles, New York City, and KYCC in Oakland during his tour. He was involved in the formation of the Kutkori group at Harvard. He also provided reading and teaching materials on Pungmul, Minyo, and Movement Songs.A normal college p'ungmul group has between 15 and 20 members on average, while some organizations have persisted with less than 10 and as many as 30 to 35 members. Hanoolim(University of California/Los Angeles), Karakmadang (University of Illinois), Hansori (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), NyuRi (New York University), and Loose Roots (University of Chicago) are just a few of the early 1990s groups. Other forms of special-interest clubs have emerged in the United States, bringing more variety to the community of p'ungmul students. Groups have been founded by and for Korean adoptees and activists as well as seniors, kids, Catholic Church members, and people in their mid-thirties and forties, to name just a few.

See also

• Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea
• Korean dance
• Traditional music of Korea
• Namsadang,itinerant performance troupe havingpungmulin its repertoire
• Samul nori,traditional percussion genre derived from multiplepungmulstyles
• Pung cholom,a similar dance fromManipur,India

References

Bibliography

• Bussell, Jennifer L. (2 May 1997).A Life of Sound: Korean Farming Music and its Journey to Modernity(BA essay).University of Chicago.Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2007.
• Hesselink, Nathan (1999). "Kim Inu's'P'ungmulgutand Communal Spirit':Edited and Translated with an Introduction and Commentary ".Asian Music.31(1).Society for Asian Music:1–34.doi:10.2307/834278.ISSN0044-9202.JSTOR834278.
• Hesselink, Nathan (2004). "Samul norias Traditional: Preservation and Innovation in a South Korean Contemporary Percussion Genre ".Ethnomusicology.48(3).Society for Ethnomusicology:405–439.ISSN0014-1836.JSTOR30046287.
• Hesselink, Nathan (2006).P'ungmul:South Korean Drumming and Dance.Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology. Chicago:University of Chicago Press.ISBN978-0-226-33095-2.
• Hesselink, Nathan (2007). "Taking Culture Seriously: Democratic Music and Its Transformative Potential in South Korea".The World of Music.49(3).University of Bamberg:75–106.ISSN0043-8774.JSTOR41699789.
• Hesselink, Nathan (June 2009)."'Yŏngdong Nongak': Mountains, Music, and the Samulnori Canon ".Acta Koreana.12(1). Academia Koreana: 1–26.doi:10.18399/acta.2009.12.1.001.ISSN1520-7412.S2CID193406479.
• Kwon, Donna (2001)."미국에서의 풍물: 그 뿌리와 여정"[The Roots and Routes ofP'ungmulin the United States].Eumak-gwa Munhwa음악과 문화[Music and Culture] (in Korean).5.Korean Society for World Music: 39–65.ISSN1229-5930.OCLC5588715083.
• Park, Shingil (2000).Negotiating Identities in a Performance Genre: The Case ofP'ungmulandSamulnoriin Contemporary Seoul(PhD thesis).University of Pittsburgh.ISBN978-0-599-79965-3.OCLC53209871.

External links

• P'ungmul noriat the Virtual Instrument Museum ofWesleyan University
• Poongmul,a network ofpungmulgroups in the United States
• sdpungmul.org,Pungmul school in San Diego, CA, United States
• Pungmul on YouTube,very well made video from Bucheon, Korea