Samulnori Lights up Hollywood at Christmas Time

On November 12th, the auditorium of a middle school in Los Angles rang with the sound of traditional Korean samulnori.

Advertisement

The students remain tense and focused throughout the performance, and the audience watches with held breath. That's because this performance is just a dress rehearsal for another, bigger performance.

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Eric Garcetti, President Los Angeles City Council] " It almost brought tears to my eyes, it made me so happy. To picture this group going to Hollywood Boulevard, the most famous street, and the most famous neighborhood anywhere in the world. We will have people who will love this. And you're right, anybody who thinks they're going to doze off, the moment the drums come, they will not only get a great jolt, but they will see the beauty. The beauty of the costumes, the beauty of the music, the beauty of the struggle that everyone has done, the practice that has gone into this must be hundreds of thousands of hours. So I'm very, very excited. I can't wait".

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Judith Auderson-Hernandez, Principal Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies] " It's wonderful. I think their costuming is beautiful. The drumbeat is universal, and everyone can relate to that.. I think seeing students participate like this is a wonderful way to extend the culture beyond your community".

Over 180 Korean-American students came together in one place. They were there for their weekly meeting, hoping to raise awareness about Korean culture. What have they been planning[Interview : Jane S Kim, Student
Laces High School] "It's the first time that something like this has ever happened. It's a big representation of the Korean community, with a lot of people. No one's really done samulnori on this really big scale, and for the first time, we're going out in this Hollywood parade. And then nextin 2013 we're also going to go out to the Rose Parade, and that's, like, the first time that's ever happened in Korean community history".

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Kim Chi-young, Student North Hollywood High School] "This gives us a good chance to show the world what Korean culture really is, and it also gives all of us a good lifetime experience, that we can all say we were part of this Hollywood parade. And I think besides just telling people this is Korean culture, I think it also means a lot individually".

The students have been practicing once a week since July. They will be performing alongside over 20 marching bands, and so they have worked hard to maximize the Korean beauty of their performances.

[SOV]
[Interview : Kim Min-jung, General Art Director PAVA] "We combined traditional Korean dance, the instruments used in samulnori, and instruments like the trumpet used in the "chuitadae" orquestra to create a new kind of samulnori that fits the American marching band formation".

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "You have to maintain the intervals so the lines don't get too far apart".

The participants, who were born and raised in the United States, are unfamiliar with Korean culture, but they continue to march on to become ambassadors for their native heritage.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Right, left, right, left, keep moving, don't stop".

[SOV]
[Interview : Kang Dae-seung, Art Director PAVA] " At first, it was hard to teach the kids, but now that they're having fun and they're appreciating Korean culture, I'm so grateful. A lot of these kids didn't speak Korean, but we taught them Korean because that was the only way they would really understand the culture. Now, they are eager to learn and are really serious about this project. It's great".

It's finally the day of the Hollywood Christmas parade! All of the participating teams are ready to go.

The Korean students who have spent the last 4 months practicing are also ready to show off their skills.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "PAVA, PAVA Fighting!"

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Park Jae-hun, Student Yorba Linda High School] "I'm pretty excited because this is the first time, like Koreans going into this Hollywood band thing, and well, we've worked, like, a long time for this, even though we haven't practiced years like the other bands, but I'm pretty sure we'll do good, and I'm excited".

[SOV]
[Interview : Kristine Park, Student Valencia High School] "I'm really proud that we get to, like, eventually come out and show, like, everyone, like, what Korea is and the Korean culture, and I'm excited how we're like the first people to like, the first Korean and Korean-Americans to participate in the parade".

It's showtime!

The Hollywood Christmas parade, which began in 1928, is one of the largest end-of-year parades in the world. Celebrities and characters that lit up Hollywood over the year come join the parade, and about 100,000 people turn up to see the show each year.

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Shiran Leon, Audience] "It's been a lot of years, since I've, you know, been to a parade. I used to watch it on TV, but this is the first time she invited me to come down to experience it. It's better than watching it on TV".

[ENG]
[ SOV]
[Interview : Judda Stolle, Audience] "Oh, we like it very much. It's our first time here in LA with the Christmas parade. We don't have that in Germany, so it's very exciting for us, and we enjoy it".

The highlight of the parade begins with the entrance of the mayor. It's time for the marching bands!

Even among the various colorful marching bands, the Korean samulnori performance catches everyone's eye. All of the performers are Korean-American!

It's the first time that samulnori was featured in the Hollywood Christmas parade,

and the first time that many Americans experienced Korean traditional music.

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Richard Goldsmith, Audience] "That was one of the best orchestras, or marching bands, in the whole parade. Very impressive".

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Ruth Brennan, Audience] "I really liked the instruments, the different instruments. Some of those I'd never heard together before. That was really cool".

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Chin Soo-ean, Student Palisades Charter High School] "I'm really proud of us, and I'm really glad that we can show off the Korean culture to its full extent".

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : Irene H. Kim, Student Yorba Linda High Student] "I'm glad that we can spread our culture around so that more people can learn about Korea and be more educated and learn more about us".

The samulnori performance in the Hollywood Christmas Parade ended in great success! This will be another step forward for the Korean community, who will continue to promote Korean culture all over the world.

[STUDIO]

Wow. That's certainly a twist on the bright lights of Hollywood.
I wish I could be under some palm trees now.

Picture from http://seoulmania.blogspot.com/2010/05/korean-traditional-music-samul-nori.html