The Korean Cultural Center in Brazil, in collaboration with the Oswald de Andrade Cultural Complex, successfully hosted a Korean Traditional Music Workshop that drew enthusiastic crowds over two days in November. The workshop featured talented artists from Hammer, a musical ensemble composed of musicians from the prestigious Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), who brought authentic Korean traditional music to Brazilian audiences.
The two-session workshop took place on November 17 and 18, with the first session held at the Oswald de Andrade Cultural Complex in the Bom Retiro neighborhood. The second session was conducted at the Korean Cultural Center on the renowned Avenida Paulista. Both venues witnessed exceptional attendance, with large numbers of Brazilian participants eager to explore and learn about Korea's rich musical heritage.
Throughout the interactive workshop sessions, participants gained comprehensive knowledge about both the historical background and theoretical foundations of traditional Korean instruments. The hands-on experience allowed attendees to personally try out various instruments under expert guidance. The workshop showcased an impressive array of traditional Korean instruments, including the janggu, a distinctive hourglass-shaped drum played with two specialized sticks; the jing, a large resonant metal gong; the kkwaenggwari, a small but high-pitched gong; the buk, a versatile two-sided drum; and the geomungo, an elegant six-string instrument that bears resemblance to the more widely known gayageum.
A substantial portion of the workshop was dedicated to samulnori, a captivating traditional Korean percussion genre that prominently features four specific instruments and is renowned for its dynamic rhythms and sophisticated techniques. The Hammer group delivered outstanding live performances during each session, demonstrating the remarkable energy and precision that characterize traditional Korean music. These performances provided participants with an authentic experience of how these ancient musical traditions come to life through skilled artistry.
The workshop's impact on participants was evident through their enthusiastic feedback. One attendee from the November 18 session expressed their appreciation, stating, "I had already heard about the geomungo and really wanted to learn how to play it, but there are no teachers or accessible courses in Brazil. Opportunities like this are excellent for learning more about the instrument and about traditional Korean music." This sentiment reflected the broader appreciation among Brazilian participants for having access to such rare educational opportunities.
This workshop marked the conclusion of the Hammer group's cultural mission in Brazil. Following their successful engagement with São Paulo audiences, the talented artists continued their international cultural exchange project by traveling to Argentina to share Korean traditional music with new audiences there.
