Koreans Bring Antidote to the Vuvuzela

A Korean musical to be performed in London at the end of August will demonstrate just how peaceful and harmonious world music can be in a year when the nation’s ears have been assaulted by the vuvuzela.

 

Traditional Korean wind instruments like the daegeum and the sogeum provide the musical backing as part of a full orchestral accompaniment to Another Sun – a Korean musical that fuses Eastern and Western cultures.

 

The show is being performed by the Hyundai Theatre Company in London on August 27 and 28 when the mellow sound of the flute-like daegum and sogeum will help to create a unique peaceful atmosphere.

 

The show’s conductor Joseph A Baker, who first worked on Broadway with David Cassidy in Blood Brothers, and whose Broadway credits include Wicked, Lion King and Starlight Express, said he fell in love with the sound of traditional musical instruments while working on the project.

 

He said: “The emotions the instruments created seemed perfect for using in a historical type musical. These are wind instruments but that is where their similarity with the vuvuzela ends.

 

“I think the fact that Another Sun is based on Korean history made it easier for me, because here was something very uniquely Korean that I could add to, not have to build from scratch! I was able to learn more about traditional Korean music, and to give it a slight, very slight conversion to something that was about the characters in the play. So they could express their strong emotions through music, but not sound too western or “modern”.

 

“Actually being mythical makes it possible to combine several musical styles. Since the musical style at the moment can be the one that fits the best. That’s why I can use Mr. Hahm Choon-Ho’s driving rock guitar in a war scene, or Strings in a romantic pop style ballad.”

 

“Another Sun” is based on the Korean national mythology of Dangun, the mythic human son born of Heaven God and a bear-woman Earth Mother, who became the originator of the five thousand year-old Korean nation, and its peace-loving humanitarian ideal.

 

The Hyundai Theatre Company has hired Sadler’s Wells Theatre for a two-day limited performance on Aug 27-28, 2010, with a matinee performance on Saturday August 28.

 

The London performance is sponsored by the Korean Government so tickets are free of charge. Just e-mail anothersun07@gmail.com or call

0781 7797 521 with number of tickets required for which performance.

 

A Facebook group has been set up for the performance and a video showreel can be viewed at: www.anothersun-korea.com.