South Korean Students Are Touched To Receive A Warm Welcome At Traditional Music Collaboration Stages

Seoul National University students after appearing in Indonesia (doc. KCCI)

JAKARTA - The collaboration between traditional South Korean and Indonesian music was held recently in commemoration of 50 years of cooperation between the two countries. The performance was held in two places, Surakarta on July 26 and Jakarta on July 28.

Ten South Korean students with the background of the Seoul National University Traditional Music Department students were presented and appeared independently and also collaborated with students of the Ethnomusicology Institute of Indonesian Arts Surakarta.

Kim Yeo Jin, one of the performers from South Korea, was surprised by the response from the audience. He did not expect that traditional South Korean music would not get a very good appreciation in Indonesia.

His first experience performing abroad this time he called it a valuable experience. He hopes to return to visit Indonesia in the future.

This is my first time performing abroad. I had a very valuable experience when performing here. Of course I am touched to be able to appear in Indonesia, and I hope to come back here again," said Kim Yeo Jin to VOI recently.

"We are touched to get a speech like this. I feel very touched. I hope that in the future there will be more collaborations like this," said Kim Yeo Jin.

Meanwhile, Park Jeong Eun, one of the styleum players (Traditional South Korean Dawai music tools), said that collaboration with Indonesian students had encountered communication problems, but the hospitality she felt made the performances a success.

"Of course there are difficulties in communicating because of language differences, but through music we can overcome it. I am very grateful for the friendliness of Indonesian friends who are very good at accepting our arrival. I hope there can be similar collaborations in the future," said Park Jeong Eun. The second show at Taman Ismail Marzuki is also an unforgettable stage for Kim Min Ji, one of the dancers from South Korea. In the middle of appearance, Kim Min Ji cried and went backstage, before finally returning and completing the collaboration show.

"This show makes me very happy, and this show is fun," said Kim Min Ji.

Meanwhile, one of the appearances of South Korean students who was quite different occurred in the fifth repertoar. Three styleum players, Park Jeong Eun, Kim Ha Yeon and Kim Bo Kyung performed a work entitled Dokkaebi.

The work performed is contemporary music written by Donald Reid Womack and arranged by Lee Jae Jun. Unlike other performers, the styleum players are not wearing hanbok (traditional South Korean clothing).

"We don't use hanbok because what we bring is modern music based on tradition. The concept we bring is a trio styleum," said Kim Ha Yeon.

The following are ten South Korean students who appeared to collaborate with ISI Surakarta students, Park Jeong Eun (gaggeum), Kim Ha Yeon (gaggeum), Kim Bo Kyung (gaggeum), Choi Eun Ji (Haegeum), Jeong Jae Yeon (haegeum), Kim Yeo Jin (piano/haeeum), Lee Jung Eun (aageng), Park Su Bin (daegeum), Kim Ju Ho (janggu) and Kim Min Ji (tari).