Various Jeonbuk-style Pangut Stages Plus Gangneung Nongak from Yeongdong Province!

Exciteful Pungmul Stages for Five Days of Sori Festival Period

Nongak (lit. farmers’ music) that has been traditionally performed to pray for the harmony, prosperity, and peacefulness of the village community became developed into Korea’s representative performing art genre. Nongak is a synthetic art from in which performers march or act while playing percussive instruments such as kkwaenggwari, jing, janggu, buk, sogo, etc.. The ensemble-format, rhythm, play style, costumes of nongak bands vary from village to village. It was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2014.

During the 2024 Jeonju International Sori Festival period, a variety of pangut (lit. field for ritual-like performance) sub-styles from Jeonbuk Province will be performed. The audience will be able to meet Honam-udo nongak (from Iri and Gochang), Jeolla-jwado nongak (from Jinan), Baekjungnori (also known as Jeonju-gijeopnori) plus Gangneung Nongak from Yeongdong Province (i.e., the eastern part of Gangwon-do region). During the five days of Sori Featival, let us experience the excitement and beauty of traditional arts through enjoying this “pungmulgut (lit. percussive music-ritual) fever” performances that symbolize harmony, unity, and enthusiasm.

Jinan Jungpyeong Gut

“Jinan Jungpyeong Gut,” listed as Jeonbuk Province’s Designated Heritage No.7-8 is transmitted at Jungpyeong village of Seongsu-myeon located at the mountainous area of eastern Jeolla province. Known for its praying aspect and artistry, its music is rough, deep and fast like a mountainous landscape and consists of many tune-chunks in it. In the energetic and powerful performance, all chibae (or jaebi, instrumentalists) members show harmonious and dynamic sangmonoreum (performance with sangmo hats). “Jungpyeong Gut Madang” is a community-based performance in which its participants “work and play,” reflecting everyday human life of working, longing, struggling, sharing, and playing. It Includes madangpan-gut, madangbalbi, geollipgut parts. The audience can encounter a world full of laughter where everyone can enjoy the musically-inscribed life stories.