Muak (무악(巫樂)), or Musok Eumak (무속 음악(巫俗音樂)), is the traditional

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

shamanistic Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...

music performed at and during a shamanistic ritual, the

Gut Gut or guts may refer to: Anatomy * Abdomen or belly, the region of a vertebrate between the chest and pelvis * Abdominal obesity or "a gut", a large deposit of belly fat * Gastrointestinal tract or gut, the system of digestive organs * Ins ...

. It consists of

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung accompaniment, wi ...

dancing Dance is a performing art art form, form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolism (arts), symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its chor ...

and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

music. The traditional Korean shaman ritual, the Gut, is always in harmony with singing, dancing and performing music. It is not performed solely for spiritual rites, but also allows experiencing the

archetype The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...

of traditional Korean music.

Overview

The Shaman priests, acting as intercessors between the spiritual world and human beings, inherit the right to perform the shaman rituals through bloodline. They study the rites and traditions from their parents by attending the rituals since their childhood. The important elements of the ritual, as well as technical and artistic skills, are handed down from generation to generation and have not been altered. Traditionally, the Gut shaman ritual has been performed by a priest, however today it is hardly performed for spiritual purposes anymore, but instead as a cultural asset of the arts on stage. The rhythmic patterns of Muak have changed little in the last 500 years and remain close to their original ancestral form. Blending this with various

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

s of rhythm allows audiences an insight into mystic contemporary music in Korea. Today, there are still famous shaman priests in Korea who evoke our human creative instinct with their performances.

Muak group

The modern Muak ensemble has 4 performers, who belong to the Donghaean Byeolsin Gut troupe, and represent a Gut (shaman ritual) from the eastern coast (''Donghaean'') region of Korea. The current musical director, Kim Yong-taek, holds the title of an important intangible cultural asset for the Donghaean Byeolsin Gut. Another prominent member is Kim Jeong-Hee who is a percussionist in Korea. The ensemble is completed by two performers of the younger generation: Jo Jung-Hun and Park Beom-Tae. The performers and their instruments: *Kim Yong-taek (Director) -

Janggu The ''janggu'' (, also transliterated as ''janggo'' or ''changgo'') or sometimes called ''seyogo'' (slim waist drum) is the most representative drum in traditional Korean music. It is available in most kinds, and consists of an hourglass-shaped ...

, Vocal *Kim Jeong-hee (Assistant Director) - 1st

Kkwaenggwari The ''kkwaenggwari'' () is a small flat gong used primarily in the folk music of Korea. It is made of brass and is played with a hard stick. It produces a distinctively high-pitched, metallic tone that breaks into a cymbal-like crashing timbr ...

Vocal *Jo Jong-hun - 2nd Kkwaenggwari *Park Beom-tae – Jing & Taepyeongso

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muak Korean traditional music Muism

Overview

Muak group

See also

References