What is pungmul?
Pungmul (풍물) is a Korean tradition of folk percussion that includes drumming, dancing, and singing. Rooted in farming culture, pungmul was originally performed as part of farm work, at harvest festivals, and to accompany shamanistic rituals or mask dances. Villagers would come together to play and dance to the rhythms, expressing solidarity and relieving the hardships of their daily lives.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, pungmul expanded in meaning and was used actively in political protests during the pro-democracy movement in Korea, although today it is most often seen as a performing art. Pungmul, or also known as “nongak” (farmer’s music), was recognized as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Korea in 1966.
Throughout the history of the Korean people, pungmul has been a symbol of unity. The basic rhythms and instruments of pungmul are not difficult to learn because pungmul is inherently participatory music. Its fundamental philosophy is to encourage, entertain, and unify communities by speaking to the hearts of people. Some may even compare the music of pungmul to the sound of heartbeats.
Then, In the 1970s, a new style of pungmul called samulnori (사물놀이) came to life, created by master drummer Kim Duk Soo, who brought the outdoor tradition into concert halls. Whereas pungmul often features dozens of people with various roles, samulnori is performed with only four percussion instruments, each of which symbolizes an element of nature:
- Kkwaenggari (꽹과리), a small, handheld gong representing thunder
- Jing (징), a large gong representing the wind
- Janggu (장구), an hourglass shaped drum representing the rain
- Buk (북), a barrel drum representing the clouds
By modernizing pungmul for indoor audiences, samulnori surprised the international music community. Musicians are now experimenting with it by fusing the traditional music of pungmul with different genres, such as rock, jazz, or classical music.