London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

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Selected publications

  • Booklist: World Music (8 titles)
    • Another girl gugak band

      Are there any male Gugak players? Sorea, Sookmyung Kayageum Orchestra, now Miji, the latest gugak girl band. The eight-member all-female ensemble hopes to become known as “the Girls’ Generation of traditional Korean music.” Their debut album, The Challenge, hits the stores this month. Source: JoongAng Daily. # [Read More]

      Music, film and ancient maps in Nottingham

      Nottingham Trent University has been developing an increasing range of collaborative activities with Korean government organisations. As a consequence of this, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre UK, NTU are hosting in November 2009 an exhibition of Korean art (2nd – 22nd of November 2009), together with Broadway Cinema (Nottingham), a Korean Film festival … [Read More]

      Concert notes: Gong Myoung at the Chichester Festival Theatre — Korean Musicians Win English Hearts

      Jennifer Barclay, author of Meeting Mr Kim, reviews Gong Myoung at the Chichester Festival Theatre, 12 October 2009 He enters the stage wearing an oversized orange hat and sunglasses, carrying a toolbox and a walking stick. From the toolbox he takes out a saw and a drill, saws off the end of the walking stick, … [Read More]

      Korea’s 21st Century Music: There and Now

      Notice of a concert of traditional and fusion music at the British Museum on 30 October: Korea’s 21st Century Music: There and Now The British museum, BP Lecture Theatre Tickets: £5 – Concessions £3 Friday 30th October 2009: 19.00~20.30 Booking Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.britishmuseum.org As a part of this autumn’s programme of traditional … [Read More]

      Gong Myoung tours the South-east

      Gong Myoung (공명) are an incredible Korean percussion quartet with a passion for music. While they hold great respect for traditional Korean music, they have never been bound by it. They aim to create Korean music for all to enjoy, regardless of their nationality. They interweave genres and cultures playing more than 30 musical instruments, … [Read More]

      Some of my favourite gugak fusion videos

      A lazy post with a link to a performance of a number entitled “Seoul in panic” by the gugak fusion band Sorea. Modern music performed on traditional instruments, with dancing both traditional and modern. It could be taken straight from a Korea, Sparkling promotional video. It works rather well: The b-boys are from Extreme Crew. … [Read More]

      Musical intermission

      We apologise for the disruption in service. Normal service will resume as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, here’s Jeon Sung-min (Guitar) and Jung Ji-eun (Kayageum): http://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/audio/Track05.mp3 Sung-min and Ji-eun will also be playing at the Anglo-Korean Society event on 10 April. Book your tickets now. [Read More]

      Two more 2007 album choices

      As an appendix to the recommendations by the three critics who know Korean pop, rock and indie music much better than me, here are two further choices. I can’t help but sympathise with Jenny when she comments that 2007 was not an outstanding year. My own purchases of Korean music are somewhat random. When I’m … [Read More]

      Does hybrid music work?

      I looked in briefly at St John’s Smith Square on Sunday for the Thames Philharmonia concert. Hee-jo Kim’s Kayagum Concerto in A minor was the first item on the programme. Here is an extract from the programme notes, written by John Morrison: This concerto is based on the most traditional sanjoh with its classic and … [Read More]

      Kayagum Concerto at St Johns

      Byung-yun Yu conducts the Thames Philharmonia at St John’s Smith Square, 7pm, on Sunday 11 March. Mi-sun Gwon is the soloist in Hee-jo Kim’s Concerto for Sanjo Kayagum and Orchestra. Marialena Fernandes is soloist in Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto, and the programme is completed by Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony Tickets £12, £10 and £8 from the … [Read More]

      A Scent of Eastern wind: music at St James’s Piccadilly

      At very short notice I head of a Korean classical music fusion concert entitled “Scent of Eastern Wind” at St James’s Piccadilly on 6 April 2006. I approached the concert with some trepidation, being nervous about the blending of eastern and western instruments, particularly in playing western music. I was partly right. The least successful … [Read More]