In March, the Korea Foundation organized performances in Seattle, U.S., and Havana, Cuba, which presented a fusion of jazz and traditional Korean music. Performers included sorikkun, or traditional Korean folk singer, Lee Hee-moon, the members of the Korean jazz band “Prelude” – Ko Hee-an, Choi Jin-bae, Richard Rho and Han Woong-won – as well as Shin Seung-tae and Jo Won-seok of the electrifying minyo (Korean folk song) duo “Nom Nom.”

The performance in Seattle on March 17 was co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, while that in Havana on March 21 and 22 was put on stage at the invitation of the sixth Havana World Music Festival.

The performances attracted a great turnout both in Seattle, where Korean cultural performances are staged somewhat less often than in other U.S. cities, and in Havana, where traditional Korean performances are staged more frequently, although K-pop is particularly popular with locals.

The audiences responded enthusiastically to the exhilarating “Korean Men” performances, which lasted about 60 minutes and featured Gyeonggi and Seodo folk songs adapted as jazz tunes. An excited spectator, who introduced herself as a student of the Hangeul School in Havana, gave a thumbs-up after the concert, saying “Kkul Jaem” (meaning “great fun” in Korean).