Udo Island Farmers’ Music

Nongak, or farmers' music, originally refers to music played by farmers organized into a dure, a village cooperative labour association, performed on percussion instruments such as the kkwaenggwari (small gong), jing (large gong), janggu (hourglass drum) and buk (barrel drum). Udo Island Farmers' Music of the Honam region developed centred on the western plains of Jeollanam-do, and the nongak performed in the Yeonggwang area in particular is rooted in Yeongmujang nongak. Yeongmujang nongak refers to the nongak handed down since ancient times in the Yeonggwang, Mujang (Gochang), Jangseong and Hampyeong areas, and its tradition has been carried on with the late Choi Hwa-jip, who lived in Jangseong, honoured as its first-generation sangsoe, the lead kkwaenggwari player who leads the troupe. The troupe's formation is well composed and varied: a representative banner, a farming banner inscribed 'Nongja cheonha jidaebon' (farming is the great foundation of the world), a command flag, a trumpet, a reed horn, small gongs, a large gong, hourglass drums, barrel drums, small hand drums, and a japsaek-nori, a comic masked play. The small-hand-drum dance in particular is outstanding for the variety and splendour of its movements. The japsaek performers of Yeonggwang Udo Farmers' Music are unique in the whole country in wearing wooden masks hand-carved from paulownia wood, with which they perform folk drama and entertainments. The late Jeon Gyeong-hwan was especially skilled at carving these wooden masks; when making them he would call on Mun Han-jun to work alongside him, and Mun Han-jun now holds both the skill and the tools for it. There are ten types of wooden mask in all, including Daeposu (the great hunter), Yangban (the nobleman), Chambong (a minor official), Halmi (the old woman), Jori-jung (the begging monk), Biri-soe and Hongjeoksam. In the first month of the lunar year a dangsanje, a village guardian-spirit rite, is held, followed by a gut at the communal well and a village cheollyong-gut, and a madangbapgi gut is performed from house to house, treading each yard to drive out misfortune and pray for the household's happiness; among these the sangsoe-nori and seoljanggu-nori performances are outstanding. Today the holders recognized for their skill in Udo Island Farmers' Music are Mun Han-jun for sangsoe and Kim Dong-eon for seoljanggu.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Location not stated, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Intangible Heritage · 시도무형유산