Korean Cultural Festival in Mexico (Part 1)

Hello everyone!

Master of Ceremony

This past March 10th 2012, the Korean Cultural Festival took place in the City Theater (http://www.cultura.df.gob.mx/index.php/tcm), Luckily for me I got an
Invitiation from a friend (Thank you Younhee!!!), I was supossed to bring someone with me, but the only person interested was my sister but she couldn't make it :( so I decided to go alone (I know... Foreveralone, right??). I usually don't like going places alone, specialy if I know it's going to be crowded, anyway after I decided to go on my own a storm came and I thought it was a sign of god telling me not to go... When it was time to leave the house the rain was almost gone so I took a cab and guess what!, the streets were closed... was that another sign??
I was about to quit when I decided to walk...and I'm glad I did because the Festival was WAY more than what I was exptecting to be and I met Laura, soon we started to talk about Korea and turns out she had an invitation for the openning of the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico, she invited me to go with her and I gladly accepted her invitation.

It was 7 o'clock when the lights went off and we heard music comming from the outside of the Theater... Drums, people yelling, music, samulnori outfits

When everything started I obviously started taking pictures.... turns out... I wasn't allowed to do it so I was asked to stop :( ... I couldn't just NOT take pictures...I hate posting without pictures... so I enjoyed the 1st time of the show but I was sort of nervous because I couldn't take pictures, so when I sawthe "No pictures!!" girl I asked if there was something I could do or someone I could ask for permission to take pictures and she send me to the Press balcony YAY!!! *so much win!*, I waitied until the end of Part II and then I hurried back to the Press balcony the only downside to it was... I had to stand for the rest of the 1 1/2hr show (Remember I was holding a big/heavy camera, my bag, an umbrella, another jacket, etc).

Part I

Sori/Sounds

SKYBULLS, a composition by Shin Chang-Ryul

This openning act was in charge of Kang Eun-il & Haegum Plus

Part II

Harmony between Tradition and modernity

LIBERTANGO
An adapted piece between Argentinian Tango and a russian popular song

NEW AH-MI

This was interpreted by Oh Ah-Mi, an Electric cello  pioneer from a new gendercalled "Electronic Cassic", her performances combine music and a startling performance. I must say, Oh Ah-Mi was incredible, she has so much energy and charisma, she can dance with the cello (An electric cello is supposed to stay still on the ground) and everything is very energetic. You can see a video of that day HERE

Oh Ah-mi - Han's Dancers - Oh Ah-mi

HAEGUM RAPSODY (By Peter Schindler)

It is a musical work that includes classic repetition of phrases. Is influenced by European style chords, jazz and Asian music

THE CHASE

This piece expresses the run of a fugitive and its chaser, this piece was performed by Kang Eun-il & Haegum Plus witch is a group of people making hybrid music, it was created in 1999 and is one of the most representatives of Korea.

WOLFGANG'S TUNE

Interpreted by the Haegum trio, Electric cello and piano.

BELLE AND EMERALD (Notre Dame de Paris)

Interpreted by BOS (Bridge of Soul) Popera male trio, that fuses classical music with popular music. This was accompanied by the Han's Dance Company.

Bridge of Soul

Since I don't want this post to be super long, this will be it for today, but wait for Part 2 of the Korean Cultural Festival with B-boys, Samulnori, the Jing Dance, K-Tigers (Taekwondo), Namsadang, Bésame mucho and ARIRANG!

-Gisela V.

Buzz Korea