Korean Cultural Week concludes with performance by Coreyah

AMMAN — The 2015 Korean Cultural Week in Amman concluded its festivities on Wednesday at Al Hussein Cultural Centre in Ras Al Ain with a performance by traditional Korean folklore music ensemble Coreyah.

The name Coreyah is a Sino-Korean homonym referring to their inheritance of the past, while at the same time serving to draw modern people towards a musical tapestry of old music elements.

Rooted in Korean traditional music, Coreyah integrates diverse ethnic musical styles such as African, Brazilian, and Middle Eastern, and modern styles such as jazz and rock.  

The band’s upbeat style, incorporating instruments such as the Tungso bamboo flute, Geomungo zither, and Janggo drum, encouraged the audience to interact with their music and sing along.

The performance consisted of musical pieces and short theatrical skits portraying themes of work, love and entertainment. 

In “Oh, How Frustrating!” the troupe sings about the tears shed by Koreans in remembrance of difficult times.

Korean traditional folk music gave strength to the common people of Korea in the past who were suffering from hard oppressive work. It is through these common themes the group wishes to reach a world audience.

In their Amman performance, the band members included a popular Jordanian folk song, “Hatha Al Urdon Urdona”, in appreciation and admiration of Jordanian culture and music.

Addressing the audience, the band members expressed their excitement to be in Amman for the first time and their gratitude to the Korean embassy for continuing to foster a growing friendship between Jordan and Korea.  

After the show, percussionist An Sang Wook told The Jordan Times the group’s vision is to create good music in many places, and inspire the younger generation through a global music culture.

The audience was invited to a reception afterwards where they could meet-and-greet members of the band. The audience included many Jordanian students studying Korean language at university and at cultural institutes.

One of these students, Shahad Wathak, encouraged her parents to attend the event with her and it was their first exposure to Korean music. 

They told The Jordan Times of their pride in their daughter’s ambitions and dreams to travel to Korea.

Others in the audience from the Korean Cultural Centre in Jordan, located near the 7th Circle, expressed their desire for more opportunities to create friendships between Jordanians and Koreans.