Korean Folk Music

[Anchor Lead]

Moscow, Russia was the site of a recent Korean folk music contest. It featured samulnori master Kim Duk-soo, marking the 40th anniversary of samulnori.

[Pkg]

An exciting Korean traditional melody resonates at a Korean school in Moscow. It is performed by a samulnori band using traditional instruments. The dancers' refined movements are performed impeccably to the rhythm, mesmerizing the audience. Marking the 40th anniversary of samulnori, a Korean percussion music genre, some 100 people from eight countries including Russia and Central Asia took part in the event.

[Soundbite] Eleonora(Participant) : "I have practiced hard. We have prepared two performances for the group and individual categories each."

Prior to the contest, samulnori master Kim Duk-soo and his students taught the audience about the theory and practice of samulnori. Since founding samulnori in 1978, master Kim Duk-soo has taken the art form to 150 cities in 50 countries. But it's his first time holding a musical contest in Moscow.

[Soundbite] Kim Duk-soo(Art Director, SamulNori Hanullim) : "5, 6 years olds who receive training here will create new cultural content for their home countries and Korean culture."

Master Kim Duk-soo says his ultimate goal is to spread the beauty and spirit of Korean traditional music all over the world in the decades to come.