K-Music 2021

LONDON’S FESTIVAL OF KOREAN MUSIC

06 OCTOBER — 17 NOVEMBER 2021

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K-MUSIC 2021 WED. 6 OCT. – WED. 17 NOV.

London’s Festival of Korean Music returns to the live stage, bringing incredible talents from Korea, and presenting outstanding performances in prestigious venues across London.

Internationally renowned band ADG7 open the festival on Wednesday 6 October at Kings Place. With the explosions of a pop rock cabaret and the shamanic folk song from western North Korea, ADG7 bring fun, charm, and energy to their performance.

The K-Music Festival always tries to bring together Korea and the UK in a way never seen before. This year we are pleased to introduce to you a new collaboration between Kyungso and Soona Park two gayageum masters rooted in South and North Korea, alongside Angharad Jenkins, a Welsh fiddler and singer in a unique encounter of Eastern and Western stringed music. The Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room will not only host this exciting new collaboration but will also welcome two further shows in the festival.

In a new venue for the K-Music Festival, Notting Hill’s Coronet Theatre will host Dongyang Gozupa + Sinnoi. Before heading to WOMEX in Porto, Dongyang Gozupa join the festival for a double bill with Sinnoi, a quartet led by vocalist Bora Kim, ‘her flawless voice gliding between the purest of high tones and animalistic growls’ (Songlines). An exciting night with a true mixture of the fresh sounds The award-winning Black String return to London to mark their 10th anniversary with their old friend and musical companion Nguyên Lê, one of the most versatile jazz guitarists. This is the capital’s chance to see them play together on stage performing the masterpieces from the band’s second album ‘KARMA’ at Grand Junction, Paddington.

For our first ever collaboration with the National Theatre of Korea, the K-Music Festival presents Dal:um, a duo who recently released their debut album through Glitterbeat.

One of Korea’s leading experimental drummers SooJin Suh performs with her new trio in a unique collaboration with Nigerian-born London-based saxophonist Camilla George to close the festival on Wednesday 17 November at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival.

After what has been a tremendously difficult time for musicians, performers, and venues alike we are excited to be bringing live music back to the UK, we hope that you can join us.

Jungwoo Lee Director Korean Cultural Centre UK

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

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PROGRAMME WED. 6 OCT.

19:30

ADG7

Kings Place, Hall One

SUN. 17 OCT.

KYUNGSO PARK + SOONA PARK +

19:45

ANGHARAD JENKINS

Purcell Room, Southbank Centre

FRI. 22 &

SINNOI + DONGYANG GOZUPA

19:30

SAT. 23 OCT.

The Coronet Theatre (Notting Hill)

THU. 28 OCT.

BLACK STRING + NGUYÊN LÊ

19:30

Grand Junction (Paddington)

DAL:UM SAT. 6 NOV.

19:45

Purcell Room, Southbank Centre

MON. 8 NOV.

20:00

Norwich Arts Centre

WED. 17 NOV.

19:45

SOOJIN SUH COLORIS TRIO +

CAMILLA GEORGE

Purcell Room, Southbank Centre

‘South Korea is in the midst of a cultural golden age, so it is no surprise that K-Music had a superabundance of musical riches’ Songlines

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K-MUSIC FESTIVAL OPENING SHOW:

ADG7

WED. 6 OCT.

KINGS PLACE, HALL ONE

19:30

KINGS CROSS

BOOK TICKETS

“A most astonishing show musically and immensely entertainingAk Dan Gwang Chil [ADG7] from South Korea. WOW!!!”

Bob Boilen, NPR Music

WATCH A CLIP OF ADG7

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

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ADG7 will open K-Music 2021 with hits from their debut album Ak Dan Gwang Chil, and their second album Such is Life, which was released in 2020.

ADG7 (Ak Dan Gwang Chil) made their critically acclaimed world debut in 2019 at WOMEX and GlobalFEST. With the explosions of a pop rock cabaret and the grooves of funk, the group draw on the sacred shamanic and secular ritual music and folk song of the Hwanghaedo region in western North Korea.

Their powerful and engaging performances immerse audiences into a spiritual experience with grooves to make you move

Band Members: Kim Yak Dae (Daeguem / bamboo flute) Grace Park (Ajaeng / zither) Weon Meondongmaru (Gayaguem / 12 stringed zither) Lee Man Wol (Saenghwang / free reed mouth organ) Chun Gung Dal, Sunwoo Barabarabarabam (Percussions) Hong Ok, Myeong Wol, Yoo Wol (Vocals) Jaehyun Chun (Director) Sanghee Bae (Producer) Saerom Jung (Sound Engineer)

“There’s a flowering folk-roots revival in South Korea but no band combines virtuosity, charisma, and pure energy like Ak Dan Gwang Chil” WFMU

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KYUNGSO PARK + SOONA PARK + ANGHARAD JENKINS SUN. 17 OCT.

PURCELL ROOM

19:45

SOUTHBANK CENTRE

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‘She [Kyungso Park] treated a rapt crowd to a wide swath of music, both cutting-edge original compositions and traditional numbers. As serious and meticulous a composer and player as she is, she’s also a very funny, engaging performer’ New York Daily

WATCH A CLIP OF KYUNGSO PARK

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

WATCH A CLIP OF SOONA PARK

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KYUNGSO PARK

SOONA PARK

Pushing musical boundaries through her many ground-breaking collaborations with artists from around the world, Kyungso Park returns to the festival, this time with Welsh fiddler Angharad Jenkins, and Gayageum player Soona Park - a unique experience of North and South Korean, and Welsh sounds as one.

Gayageum performer Soona Park studied the art of traditional music masters in North Korea at the prestigious Pyongyang National University of Music and Dance. Her cultural background informs her colourful musical identity from Japan, North and South Korea. The strange yet overwhelming technique that stands out in her performance makes us measure the musical territory she has constantly expanded, touching the hearts of listeners, and is drawing attention for its outstanding performance.

At K-Music 2016 she premiered an exquisite collaboration with British saxophonist Andy Sheppard in ‘an engrossing improvisational encounter’ (The Guardian). She also performed in K-Music 2018, and again in 2019 with her jazz group SB Circle.

‘The familiar but unfamiliar sound stimulates the curiosity of the audience. Above all, her performance is based on a fast and dynamic sound, and is characterised by flamboyant techniques such as piano playing’ (Korea Art TV)

ANGHARAD JENKINS

Angharad Jenkins is a fiddle player and composer from the seaside town of Mumbles near Swansea. She is a founding member of the celebrated Welsh folk group Calan, who have toured extensively around the UK, Europe and North America. Her innovative and experimental approach has also led her to work with poets and artists, as well as on theatre productions.

WATCH A CLIP OF ANGHARAD JENKINS

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SINNOI + DONGYANG GOZUPA FRI. 22 & SAT. 23 OCT.

THE CORONET THEATRE

19:30

NOTTING HILL

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‘You won’t believe that they are only three on stage, with the bass and percussion blending and creating an experience that is intense, powerful, beautiful and colourful’ WOMEX

WATCH A CLIP OF DONGYANG GOZUPA

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

WATCH A CLIP OF SINNOI

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DONGYANG GOZUPA

SINNOI

Dongyang Gozupa have been selected in WOMEX for the second consecutive year thanks to their outstanding performances.

Ahead of this show, they come to K-Music to perform a double bill with Sinnoi at the Coronet Theatre, Notting Hill.

A unique presence on the jazz scene, Sinnoi has recently teamed up with new members - the legendary geomungo player Jeong-seok Lee from Geomungo Factory who stormed the first edition of the K-Music Festival, and Go Dam; an electronic ambient sound artist and producer.

In a hard-hitting combination of progressive, post-rock and the psychedelic possibilities of the yanggeum (Korean metal-stringed zither), the name Dongyang Gozupa translates as ‘eastern high frequency’, providing a clue to their music – a trail-blazing, percussion-driven sound with the yanggeum at its centre.

Pursuing a minimalist composition with rich, deep musical interplay of improvised and delicate exchanges, the band delivers new styles that transcend genres and musical ages.

Pansori, jazz, and modern electronic forces combine to create a truly outstanding and original sound.

Sinnoi’s London performance is a part of their first ever European tour followed by performances in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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BLACK STRING + NGUYEN LE THU. 28 OCT.

GRAND JUNCTION

19:30

PADDINGTON

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‘There are tricky time signatures, a nod of thanks to Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Woman for a guitar solo, and constant tonal shifts from the geomungo itself. Elegant and accomplished’ «««« Karma 2019, Guardian

WATCH A CLIP OF BLACK STRING

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

WATCH A CLIP OF NGUYÊN LÊ

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BLACK STRING

NGUYÊN LÊ

To mark the band’s 10th anniversary, Black String return to the K-Music Festival with their old friend, musical companion, and one of the most versatile jazz guitarists Nguyên Lê. This is an extremely rare opportunity to watch them perform together presenting the masterpieces from Karma, their collaborative work.

Nguyên Lê is a masterful, inventive player who has cultivated a wholly unique voice on the instrument, he ranks right up there with Frisell, John Scofield, Mike Stern & Allan Holdsworth in the post Hendrix world of jazz guitar (Jazztimes)

ACT artists Black String burst on to the London scene in 2011, their rise to the top saw them close K-Music 2019 to a rapturous crowd within the EFG London Jazz Festival. Their storming international debut Mask Dance earned them a 2018 Songlines Music Award, their award ceremony performance being a true representation of ‘borderless contemporary Korean music’.

Award-winning guitarist Nguyên Lê has written movie scores, and performed with John McLaughlin, Ornette Coleman, Dhafer Youssef, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, and Korean singer Youn Sun Nah. His collaborative albums include a personal version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, as well as the award-winning Karma with Black String.

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DAL:UM SAT. 6 NOV. 19:45

MON. 8 NOV. 20:00

SOUTHBANK CENTRE

NORWICH ARTS CENTRE

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“Extracting intricate and experimental compositions from stringed folk instruments the gayageum and geomungo.”

The Guardian

WATCH A CLIP OF DAL:UM

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

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For the first time, the K-Music Festival presents a live performance by Dal:um commissioned by the Yeowoorak Festival, the National Theatre of Korea. The two festivals have joined forces and will continue to work together to present the very best of Korean talent.

Dal:um is a Seoul-based musical duo who challenges the sonic possibilities of Korea’s most well-known traditional string instruments: the gayageum (played by Ha Suyean) and geomungo (played by Hwang Hyeyoung).

Ethereal and otherworldly, Dal:um creates a compelling soundworld that treasures subtle dynamics and the space between the notes.

Despite their apparent similarity, the gayageum and geomungo are surprisingly different from each other in structure, playing techniques and tone. Dal:um show how innovative interpretations create a harmony of strong energy and beautiful voices of the two instruments.

Dal:um’s beautifully balanced and expansive music is defined by inspired dialogue and creative paradox. They recently released the first album ‘Similar and different on Glitterbeat’s label imprint tak:til.

“An astonishing performance.”

Uncut

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K-MUSIC FESTIVAL CLOSING SHOW:

SOOJIN SUH COLORIS TRIO + CAMILLA GEORGE WED. 17 NOV.

PURCELL ROOM

19:45

SOUTHBANK

BOOK TICKETS

‘Soojin Suh launches a barrage from behind the kit’ Downbeat

WATCH A CLIP OF SOOJIN SUH COLORIS

K-MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021

WATCH A CLIP OF CAMILLA GEORGE

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SOOJIN SUH

CAMILLA GEORGE

A unique collaboration of Korean sounds and London jazz, performing within the EFG London Jazz Festival. Following her K-Music 2020 collaboration with fellow ECM artist Kit Downes, this year SooJin joins with London-based saxophone player, composer and improviser Camilla George for a truly unforgettable evening of sounds from across the globe.

MOBO-nominated Nigerian-born saxophonist Camilla George fuses African and Western sounds to achieve a beautiful blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz. A star of the renowned Jazz Jamaica, George has since gone on to produce two albums of critical acclaim in ‘Isang’ and ‘The People Could Fly’.

SooJin Suh is one of Korea’s leading experimental drummers, she began studying music from the age of 5 and is a graduate of the City College of New York. SooJin has released four records (The Moon in Your Hand, Strange Liberation, Colorist, and Embrace) along with the new album “Roots To Branches” in April of this year.

Camilla’s music is warm yet authoritative, relaxed yet imaginative, as she’s described by the Evening Standard as “The Golden Girl of Jazz”.

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A FESTIVAL OF KOREAN DANCE 2021 FRI 17 - FRI 24 SEP

EARLY BIRD OFFER

TICKETS £12 / £8*CONCS WHEN YOU BOOK BEFORE 25 AUG *USUAL PRICE £17 / £13 CONCS

theplace.org.uk/koreanfest21 The Place, 17 Duke’s Road, London WC1H 9PY

In partnership with

K-MUSIC 2021 VENUES KINGS PLACE

YOUR VISIT

90 YORK WAY, N1 9AG KINGSPLACE.CO.UK, 020 7520 1490 GRAND JUNCTION ROWINGTON CLOSE, W2 5TF

YOUR VISIT

GRANDJUNCTION.ORG.UK, 020 7266 8258 NORWICH ARTS CENTRE ST. BENEDICT’S STREET, NR2 4PG

YOUR VISIT

NORWICHARTSCENTRE.CO.UK, 01603 660352 THE CORONET THEATRE 103 NOTTING HILL GATE, W11 3LB

YOUR VISIT

THECORONETTHEATRE.COM, 020 3642 6606 THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE BELVEDERE ROAD, SE1 8XX

YOUR VISIT

SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.UK, 020 3879 9555 SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

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06 OCTOBER — 17 NOVEMBER 2021

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