THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The music of the Royal Palace was instilled in South Korean artist Kyung Hwa Yu when she was only four years old. So, when she learned that the ‘chulhyungeum’ instrument, used in the ancient days, was losing its importance, the Seoul beauty took it upon herself to revive it. This instrument bears a certain resemblance to the guitar, only that it is played with both hands using a plectrum and a pick.
The artist, who was in the city to perform at the Rajagiri College, along with her band E-Do, is also an exponent of the janggu, which is an hour-glass drum played delicately by expert movement of the fingers.
Kyung made her first visit to India in 2011, when she decided to learn the tabla. According to her, the rhythms of the tabla could be very easily incorporated to the janggu which was mostly played in the palaces of the kings in the past. “I was extremely fascinated with the rhythms of the tabla. Our cultures are extremely different, but we are so inter-connected with our music, which is very beautiful,” she gushes.
Kyung, who is also an art director at the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Traditional Music Orchestra, goes on to say that it is no mean feat to keep up the spirit of the traditional music with a hip-hop loving young generation, who are now accustomed to Gajnam style music.
“Gajnam music is very easy and simple and funny. This is what the youth love to hear and dance to, in the 21st century. As musicians, it is our responsibility to keep intact our culture. However, in order to capture the youngsters’ attention, we should also learn to adapt to their kind of music. This is what our band E-Do does,” she says, and goes on to add that the kind of music they do is a fusion of traditional and the modern.
Interaction through music
Kyung believes in ‘Yeomanrock’, which is loosely translated as a ‘music interaction’. “There has to be mutual enjoyment. Our band’s name, ‘E-Do’, has been been inspired from the name of Sejong the Great, Korea’s much-loved monarch,” she says. “He had advocated making music which can be enjoyed by all.” Kyung has performed with her band at Chennai, Ahemedabad and Bengaluru. “It has been so refreshing to come to Kerala. The students stood up to give us a standing ovation, which was overwhelming,” she adds.