Music of North Korea
Encyclopedia
After the division of Korea
in 1951, Korea was split, into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or North
and the Republic of Korea or South Korea
. Revolutionary song-writing traditions were channeled into support for the state, eventually becoming a style of patriotic song called taejung kayo in the 1980scombining classical and Korean traditional musical forms similar to Soviet patriotic music.
In North Korea, culture, including music, is tightly controlled by the government. Listening to South Korea
n music "can be considered a crime". Foreign music is lumped into one genre which the North Korean government calls "jazz
".
Many North Korean pop songs are usually performed by a young female singer with an electric ensemble, percussionist and accompanying singers and dancers. Some North Korean pop songs such as Fiparam (Whistle) have become popular in South Korea. They are primarily influenced by Russian and Korean pop music and songs have titles like "Our Life Is Precisely a Song", "We Shall Hold Bayonets More Firmly", "The Joy of Bumper Harvest Overflows Amidst the Song of Mechanisation" and "The Dear General Uses Distance-Shrinking Magic[ Chukjibeop
]."
BBC radio DJ Andy Kershaw
noted, on a visit to North Korea, that the only recordings available were by the pop singers Jon Hye-yong, Kim Kwang-suk, Jo Kum-hwa and Ri Pun-hui, and the groups Wangjaesan Light Music Band
, the Mansudae Art Troupe
and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
, who play in a style Kershaw refers to as "light instrumental with popular vocal". There is also the State Symphony Orchestra
, the Sea of Blood Opera Company, two choruses, an orchestra and an ensemble dedicated to Isang Yun
's compositions, all in Pyongyang. The Pyongyang Film Studios also produces many instrumental songs for its films.
Civilian
, pansori
and nongak. Pansori is long vocal and percussive music played by one singer and one drummer. The lyrics tell one of five different stories, but is individualized by each performer, often with updated jokes and audience participation. Nongak is a rural form of percussion music, typically played by twenty to thirty performers. Sanjo is entirely instrumental that shifts rhythms and melodic modes during the song. Instruments include the changgo
drum set against a melodic instrument, such as the gayageum or ajaeng.
North Korean music follows the principles of Juche
(self-reliance) ideology. The characteristic marchlike, upbeat music of North Korea is carefully composed, rarely individually performed, and its lyrics and imagery have a clear socialist content. Some religious or original folk music may still exist in North Korea, but reliable sources are absent in the west.
The most common music genre is a type of patriotic song known as taejung kayo,which developed in the 1980s. The songs are generally sung by female performers or choirs accompanied by a large orchestra. The composition and performance of all music in North Korea is controlled by the state, and all lyrics are optimistic. Much music is composed for movies, and the works of the Korean composer Yun I San (1917-1995), who spent much of his life in Germany, are popular in North Korea.
In North Korea, traditional instruments have been adapted in order to allow them to compete with Western instruments. Many older forms remain and are used in both traditional performances that have been attuned to the ideas of the modern North Korean communist state and to accompany modern songs in praise of Kim ll Sung and his son and successor, Kim Jong il.
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
in 1951, Korea was split, into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or North
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and the Republic of Korea or South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Revolutionary song-writing traditions were channeled into support for the state, eventually becoming a style of patriotic song called taejung kayo in the 1980scombining classical and Korean traditional musical forms similar to Soviet patriotic music.
In North Korea, culture, including music, is tightly controlled by the government. Listening to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n music "can be considered a crime". Foreign music is lumped into one genre which the North Korean government calls "jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
".
Many North Korean pop songs are usually performed by a young female singer with an electric ensemble, percussionist and accompanying singers and dancers. Some North Korean pop songs such as Fiparam (Whistle) have become popular in South Korea. They are primarily influenced by Russian and Korean pop music and songs have titles like "Our Life Is Precisely a Song", "We Shall Hold Bayonets More Firmly", "The Joy of Bumper Harvest Overflows Amidst the Song of Mechanisation" and "The Dear General Uses Distance-Shrinking Magic
Shukuchi
The word , sometimes written or , is a Japanese-language term for various techniques of rapid movement. The characters in the word literally mean "reduced earth".-Historical use:...
]."
BBC radio DJ Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
noted, on a visit to North Korea, that the only recordings available were by the pop singers Jon Hye-yong, Kim Kwang-suk, Jo Kum-hwa and Ri Pun-hui, and the groups Wangjaesan Light Music Band
Wangjaesan Light Music Band
The Wangjaesan Light Music Band is a music group in North Korea. It was established by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on 22 July 1983.Its music is often broadcast over Korean Central Broadcasting Station channels such as Radio Pyongyang....
, the Mansudae Art Troupe
Mansudae Art Troupe
The Mansudae Art Troupe is a North Korean troupe of musicians that create operas and music, as well as dance pieces.It is the successor to the Central Art Troupe that was formed on September 27, 1969...
and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
The Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble is an orchestra from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . It is famous for its performances of revolutionary and folk songs...
, who play in a style Kershaw refers to as "light instrumental with popular vocal". There is also the State Symphony Orchestra
State Symphony Orchestra of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The State Symphony Orchestra of DPRK is the only large orchestra of Western style in North Korea and was the first arts group to be established there.-History:...
, the Sea of Blood Opera Company, two choruses, an orchestra and an ensemble dedicated to Isang Yun
Isang Yun
Isang Yun was a Korean-German composer originally from Korea. According to his official publisher's Boosey & Hawkes biography of him, he was granted political asylum by West Germany, eventually becoming a naturalised German citizen, following his abduction and torture in 1967 by the South Korean...
's compositions, all in Pyongyang. The Pyongyang Film Studios also produces many instrumental songs for its films.
Active Musical groups and ensembles
Military- Song and Dance Ensemble of the Korean People's ArmyKorean People's ArmyThe Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
- Korean People's Army State Merited Chorus and Ensemble
- Song and Dance Ensemble of the Korean People's NavyKorean People's NavyThe Korean People's Army Naval Force is the navy of North Korea. The Korean People's Army is made up of the Ground Force, the North Korean Air Force, and the Navy. It was established on June 5, 1946. The navy strength in the 1990s was about 40,000 to 60,000; current strength is at about 46,000...
- Song and Dance Ensemble of the Korean People's Air Force
- Song and Dance Ensemble of the Department of Public Security of the DPRK
- Central Military Band of the Department of the People's Armed Forces of the DPRK
Civilian
- Unhasu National Orchestra
- State Symphony Orchestra of the Democratic People's Republic of KoreaState Symphony Orchestra of the Democratic People's Republic of KoreaThe State Symphony Orchestra of DPRK is the only large orchestra of Western style in North Korea and was the first arts group to be established there.-History:...
- Isang Yun Symphony Orchestra
- Pochonbo Electronic EnsemblePochonbo Electronic EnsembleThe Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble is an orchestra from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . It is famous for its performances of revolutionary and folk songs...
- Wangjaesan Light Music BandWangjaesan Light Music BandThe Wangjaesan Light Music Band is a music group in North Korea. It was established by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on 22 July 1983.Its music is often broadcast over Korean Central Broadcasting Station channels such as Radio Pyongyang....
- Musical groups under the Mansudae Art TroupeMansudae Art TroupeThe Mansudae Art Troupe is a North Korean troupe of musicians that create operas and music, as well as dance pieces.It is the successor to the Central Art Troupe that was formed on September 27, 1969...
- MAT Merited Women's Instrumental Ensmeble
- MAT Samjiyon Band
- Central Radio and Television Orchestra
History
North Korean music, like any general Korean music, includes kinds of both folk and classical, courtly music, including genres like sanjoSanjo (music)
Sanjo, literally meaning 'scattered melodies' and is a style of traditional Korean music, involving an instrumental solo accompanied by drumming on the janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum...
, pansori
Pansori
Pansori is a genre of Korean traditional music. It is a vocal and percussional music performed by one sorikkun and one gosu . The term pansori is derived from pan , and sori .- Overview :...
and nongak. Pansori is long vocal and percussive music played by one singer and one drummer. The lyrics tell one of five different stories, but is individualized by each performer, often with updated jokes and audience participation. Nongak is a rural form of percussion music, typically played by twenty to thirty performers. Sanjo is entirely instrumental that shifts rhythms and melodic modes during the song. Instruments include the changgo
Janggu
The janggu or sometimes called seyogo is the most widely used drum used in the traditional music of Korea. It is available in most kinds, and consists of an hourglass-shaped body with two heads made from animal skin...
drum set against a melodic instrument, such as the gayageum or ajaeng.
North Korean music follows the principles of Juche
Juche
Juche or Chuch'e is a Korean word usually translated as "self-reliance." In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , "Juche" refers specifically to a political thesis of Kim Il-sung, the Juche Idea, that identifies the Korean masses as the masters of the country's development...
(self-reliance) ideology. The characteristic marchlike, upbeat music of North Korea is carefully composed, rarely individually performed, and its lyrics and imagery have a clear socialist content. Some religious or original folk music may still exist in North Korea, but reliable sources are absent in the west.
The most common music genre is a type of patriotic song known as taejung kayo,which developed in the 1980s. The songs are generally sung by female performers or choirs accompanied by a large orchestra. The composition and performance of all music in North Korea is controlled by the state, and all lyrics are optimistic. Much music is composed for movies, and the works of the Korean composer Yun I San (1917-1995), who spent much of his life in Germany, are popular in North Korea.
In North Korea, traditional instruments have been adapted in order to allow them to compete with Western instruments. Many older forms remain and are used in both traditional performances that have been attuned to the ideas of the modern North Korean communist state and to accompany modern songs in praise of Kim ll Sung and his son and successor, Kim Jong il.
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (75 minutes): Kershaw in North Korea, part 1. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (90 minutes): Kershaw in North Korea, part 2. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- The Pyongyang Metro Music (with mp3 downloads)
- Kim Jong-il Janggunui Norae - example of North Korean Music, with lyrics (in KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
) and mp3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
recordings: (External; licensed for non-commercial use.)