cide, leaving an irrevocable trauma in the heart of other members. Kang Min-suk, a newly recruited member, replaced Kim on ching. In addition , Lee Kwang-soo switched to kkwaenggari and Choi Jong-sil took over puk, adding a new aspect to SamulNori. Kim Yong-bae's departure and subsequent death broke the heart of other members, but not the beautiful harmony of SamulNori. In 1993, Choi Jong-silleft Samu!Nori to belatedly attend university, and Lee Kwang-soo left to lead a new group. These developments brought an end to a legendary era in which the four maestros created a heavenly harmony not to be imitated by anyone else and ushered in a new era in which SamulNori expanded to become the Hanulim Art Corporation with a number of artists under its umbrella and backed up by expert education and systematic training. In a nutshell, SamulNori, which originally meant the playing of four things by four performers , turned into Hanulim, "a great resonance of sound." Hanulim approaches overseas concerts from a different perspective. At the initial stage, SamulNori presented its music in formats familiar to Westerners. Of course, there were some uniquely Korean rites such as drum beating signaling the appearance of artists and prayers for blessings, but its concerts basically took the form of seated performances. However, SamulNori never completely disregarded the moving performance. Moving and dancing while performing, no doubt, is d1e very essence of Korea's traditional percussion music. Rhyd1m and movement are closely related. Incessant movement from head to toe and breathing that goes wid1 the movement are the music itself, a resonance, a breathing. It is understandable that Samu!Nori started with formats familiar to Westerners and readily understood by modem-day audiences. TI1ey feel, however, it is time to return to traditional modes in search of d1ings uniquely Korean. Critics also approach SamulNori's art from a
Over the years SamulNori has joined with jazz perfonners and organized .music can1ps to introduce the Korean sound to new generations at ho.me and abroad.
new and wider perspective. While Kim Yongbae was a member of SamulNori, critics focused on its sound and skills. They were impressed by d1e magnitude of the sound and the strong feelings it created. Their music was dubbed "the sound of heartbeats," "the sound of Korea, the sound of the world," and "the sound of remote ages and the sound of the contemporary world." Recently, critics have begun to pay closer attention to the players' movements. Thomas O'Connors' critique of SamulNori's August 1992 New York performance is a good example. In an article tided "Drums of Fire" carried in the Village Voice, he writes, "Musicians who can dance are indeed a mystery." He further notes, "The four musicians of Samu!Nori create w magnified resonant sounds in their move~-- ments. In the eyes of Westerners, they were ~ fascinating and the harmonious art performance by Kim Duk-soo, Lee Kwang-soo, Kang Min-suk and Pak Pyong-jun provided ¡an opportunity to experience the mysterious pleasures of simple appreciation and profound understanding." With their music and movements, SamulNori is winning international interest and applause. By doing so, Samu!Nori is opening up a new world of understanding and sharing, linking the sound of Korea and the heartbeats of Koreans to the heartbeats of the world. However, this is not as simple as it sounds. When we think about which individuals, which groups have accomplished such an enormous task, the answer is all too simple. Sometimes they may receive support from their goverments, sometimes they may receive support from corporations but basically they have to overcome the difficulties based on their own strength and their own obsession. The Ministry of Education is establishing a school for percussionists. This educational center, to be built near Puyo, in Ch'ungch'ongnam-do will teach Korea's traditional rhyd1ffi and dance to future generations. Our SamulNori, the world's SamulNori are now dancing with this dream. +
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