Pansori is an ancient form of storytelling performed by artists who train their vocal cords over decades to accomplish the full range of emotions and vibrations the human voice can possibly achieve. This complete Korean p’ansori concert by master vocalist Il-Dong Bae and percussionist Dong-Won Kim was a once-in-a-lifetime experience of artistic accomplishment that few have ever attained.
Il-Dong Bae is highly regarded as one of Korea’s finest pansori singers. He has performed numerous concerts both internationally and within Korea, and his extraordinary life story is featured in Emma Franz’s documentary feature, Intangible Asset Number 82 (2009).
Traditionally, in order to master the various elements of pansori, singers would spend long periods (100 days) in isolation, singing into waterfalls in order to “break” the voice and reveal the “true” tone. Il-Dong, a performer steeped in the eastern school (tongp’yŏnje) of pansori, is one of the few contemporary singers to follow this harsh tradition. While still a student, he traveled to Mount Chiri on the southern end of the Sobaek Mountain Range and spent seven years living by a waterfall, practicing up to 18 hours a day in order to reveal his voices.
“If volcanoes could sing, then they would sound like Il-Dong Bae. The Korean’s voice has such breadth that it not only fills physical space like a lava flow, but seems to stretch back across time.”
— John Shand, ABC Jazz
Dong-Won Kim is a percussionist, pedagogue, vocalist, composer, and improviser. He has studied various forms of traditional music from great Korean music masters. By participating in many intercultural projects, he has been devoted to sharing the profound beauty of Korean traditional culture and music with the world. He has performed in Europe, the USA, Japan, and many other countries, especially as a member of The Silk Road Ensemble, led by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Kim currently teaches music online as a professor of Wonkwang Digital University, Korea. He has also written a fairy tale known as Story of Samulnori (2001) and was also featured in the documentary, Intangible Asset Number 82.
“Every pore of [Dong-Won Kim’s] being is devoted to expressing the deep emotion he feels for traditional Korean culture. Its philosophy, physicality and spirituality are organic to Dong-Won’s art. It is an inspiration to make music with him.”
— Yo-Yo Ma
These talented artists were working in Canada as part of the Improviser-in-Residence program, a collaborative partnership between Musagetes and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) that brings improvising musicians into meaningful, sustained contact with local residents of all ages and musical persuasions in Guelph, Ontario and the surrounding areas.
About Pansori
Emerging during the mid-Chosŏn era (1392–1910), pansori is a style of epic story singing performed by a vocalist and drummer (kosu). The vocalist narrates long dramatic tales through speech, song, and action, while the drummer accompanies the singer and gives calls of encouragement (ch’ŭimsae) such as ŏlssigu (right-on!) at the end of vocal phrases. Il-Dong Bae’s renowned interpretation of the epic song Shimch’ŏngga (The Story of Sim Cheong), featuring Dong-Won Kim, has been documented in a unique outdoor performance setting and was released as a Super Audio CD in late 2010. His work as a contemporary improviser can be heard in his performances with the collaborative ensemble Daorum and more recently in the work of Chiri.
