KF뉴스레터-Reason to be Happy in Korea

Reason to be Happy in Korea

‘Samulnori Performance’ was well attended and highlighted by cooperation, friendship, participation, and a lasting impact on everyone. Even today, I still can recall the wonderful sounds of “Arirang,” which brings a smile to my face.

There are many reasons for which people come to Korea, such as work training program and joining a spouse. Some people come to Seoul on vacation, while others are here for study. There are a few who are here on cultural exchange, just as some come for business. But for me, my determination to conduct field research in Korea, as an economist, was sparked by what we all know as the “Miracle on the Han River.” There was no way that I could have come to Korea except through the grant assistance provided by the Korea Foundation’s Fellowship for Field Research program. This award was instrumental in turning my dream into reality, which I am extremely grateful for. Whatever the reason and regardless of the duration of a stay, however, sooner or later after that dream of coming to Korea is fulfilled, nostalgia sets in for family, friends, work, and the things that you would ordinarily have taken for granted in your home country.

Korean Society
Everyones best friend is their own family; accordingly, foreigners who are accompanied by their spouses in Korea may be better off than those of us who are here on our own. An obvious difficulty of many foreigners, as you quickly notice, is the lack of knowledge of the Korean language. The soothing of this worry sometimes comes from kind people in the streets who assist a foreigner, especially when you get lost on a subway and need help.
My first experience outside the language classroom and my research activity was an opportunity to participate in a Taekwondo event, which was organized by the Foundation’s Volunteers just a couple of weeks after my arrival in Seoul. The atmosphere during the Taekwondo event was noticeably cordial and this was a great opportunity to meet many people and make new friends. After my first experience with Taekwondo, I decided to participate in all the future volunteer network programs. The next program was a Samulnori performance scheduled for the third Saturday of March, at the Nambu area of Seoul. The Nambu area is known for being the home of the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. I attended a presentation by the “SamulNori” group, which included eight women performers and a male who doubled as a director and leader.

Korean Percussion Instruments
For all good reasons though, the day’s activities began with a morning session when the “SamulNori” troupe was introduced to us. The group was formed in 1978, and they have performed successfully at home and abroad as well. They have been acclaimed around the world during their visits to Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. I wish to say that in my native country of Ghana, percussion instruments are commonplace and have some similarities with those found in Korea. We make wooden drums by hallowing out medium to large-size trunks of hardwood trees, and then a special leather covering is used for the top and bottom of a drum.

Samulnori Performance
There was an introduction of the group members and the instruments that they play. We were then treated to about an hour of delightful music and dance by performers from the Gyeonggi-do area, who created wonderful scenes with colorful folding fans, while dancing and singing to the accompaniment of the four percussion instruments.
The women performers were dressed in elegant costumes, hanbok, which they changed several times to match the various dances. The multitalented ability of the group was evident from their masterful choreography, melodious singing, and the lively rhythms of the percussion instruments. The morning session concluded with a piri (traditional Korean double reed instrument) recital.
During the afternoon session, participants formed four groups, with each group having a Korea Foundation volunteer as its leader. Two of the groups practiced with the janggu or buk drum. I had never learned how to play a drum before coming to Korea. The lesson was another rewarding experience of my stay in Seoul as a Korea Foundation Field Research Fellow. I also got to know how the sounds of Korean percussion drums are so unique and versatile that they could be used to play any kind music perfectly. This was demonstrated when we requested songs to be played by the group that included jazz, hiphop, rock, soul, and rhythm and blues.
We later practiced playing the drums to the tune of the popular Korean traditional folk song, “Arirang,” for about an hour. The occasion eventually turned into a celebration, reaching a climax when I was called up to dance on stage with some members of the group. Everyone in the room later joined in and we all danced merrily about in a winding circle.
The program was well attended and highlighted by cooperation, friendship, participation, and a lasting impact on everyone. A few of the participants mentioned to me that they hoped to have another chance to play the drums, and how they enjoyed the dancing so much. Even today, I still can recall the wonderful sounds of “Arirang,” which brings a smile to my face.

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Reason to be Happy in Korea

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