Samulnori king fetes 55 years on stage

Leading traditional percussionist Kim Duk-soo, right, teaches officials of the culture ministry how to play “janggu” or an hourglass-shaped drum during a lunchtime lesson on Oct. 11 at the National Theater Company of Korea in Seoul. Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik, second from right, joined the lesson. Choe recently appointed Kim an honorary mentor for a traditional music club formed of culture ministry officials. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism

Aside from K-pop, “samulnori,” traditional Korean percussion music, is a genre from Korea that has received global attention.

The gripping excitement that pulsates throughout a samulnori performance is one of the country’s most unique cultural experiences. Kim Duk-soo is the foremost samulnori performer credited with popularizing the genre since the 1970s.

The drummer will celebrate 55 years on stage with two performances on Oct. 27 and 28 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul.

The 60-year-old master of the “janggu” or an hourglass-shaped drum has been at the forefront of spreading samulnori beyond Korea through overseas tours.

“My most important mission has been and will continue to be the globalization of samulnori,” Kim said during a press conference last week in Seoul.

Samulnori is a collection of four traditional Korean percussion instruments. The performance is rooted in small villages during harvest time, consisting not only of folk music but traditional dance as well.

With his quartet of traditional percussion players, Kim gives more than 150 concerts annually here and abroad. Since the 1990s, he has undertaken overseas tours to Canada, Japan, France and the U.S., among other countries.

“In the future, I would also like to focus on developing textbooks and training methods for nurturing the next generation of samulnori artists,” Kim said.

He was a child prodigy drummer at age five, when he was awarded a president’s citation at a nationwide traditional music competition.

Kim is not only a performing artist but also a composer, artistic director and teacher at Korea National University of Arts. He founded his percussionist group SamulNori in 1978.

For upcoming performances, he will collaborate with renowned artists like Ahn Sook-sun, a virtuoso singer of “pansori,” or Korean opera.

The diva of pansori and “gayageum” (12-string zither) and Kim have been longtime partners on stage. Ever since the two met as children at a national “gugak” (traditional music) competition in 1956, each has become irreplaceable in their respective fields.

Tickets for the Sejong Center shows range from 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call 02-02-764-4444 or visit http://www.sejongpac.or.kr. <The Korea Times/Do Je-hae>

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