Samul nori

Samul nori is a Korean traditional musical performance, which is performed with four percussion instruments: Jing, Janggu, Buk (the drum in Korean), Kkwaenggwari. The performance includes dancing. Specifically, in Samul, sa means "four", and mul means "object" in Korean, and nori means "to play". Considering the meaning of Samul nori, this is one kind of playful and casual art performance done in public. In the past, Korean people usually play Samul nori when they work in agricultural area to relax after working.

Nowadays, some Korean people who play Korean traditional music try to boost Samul nori. Famous samul-nori performances are Kim duk soo Samul nori and Namsadang nori. Namsadang Nori was chosen as a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In addition, some Koreans are trying to transform Samul nori to modern styles by mixing this with other modern performances. For example, there were TV shows where Samul nori performers were dancing with pop singers or DJs. 

Furthermore, other than mixing Samul nori with modern performances, some Korean people try to create new performance inspired by Samul nori. For example, Nanta, a performance of sounds made by hitting everyday objects, is inspired by Samul nori. Also, there is Nori dan, social enterprise in Korea, which play recycled garbage as musical instruments by hitting them.

Category:Korean music