By Kim Ju-young
Staff Reporter
A new traditional music band, The Lim, makes music as clear as crystal. The group's seven members know exactly how to engage listeners with music that's the equivalent of the calm and fresh state that the beginning of the day might offer. Also, it seems that their intention is to make traditional music easy to listen to.
The eight songs on ``Morning Scenery,'' out now on the Yedang label, feature many traditional instruments, including the ``kayagum'' (12-stringed zither), ``haegum'' (two-stringed fiddle), ``tanso'' (a small flute similar to a tin whistle), ``sogum'' (short flute) and such percussion instruments as the ``ching'' (large gong), ``puk'' (barrel-shaped drum) and ``chango'' (hourglass-shaped drum). The sound of instruments from Africa and Latin America also contributes in most of the songs to boost the overall mood.
The band's name, which literally means ``a forest,'' was arrived at when the members happened to be on stage and were asked to present a name for the band.
All its members studied ``kukak,'' traditional music, at universities, and performed in other traditional groups before uniting to promote their passion and belief in this disappearing musical genre.
On the whole, the songs have a bright and light sound, which band leader Shin Chang-yuel said was an attempt to break the typical conception of traditional music as boring and out of fashion.
The first piece, ``One Day I Saw the Milky Way,'' opens with haegum and pipe playing to convey the feeling deep inside of one's heart while looking at the sky. The album's title song is a bit darker in the introduction, but it picks up with the sounds of the kayagum and piano later on.
``Bellflower'' is more lively and faster than these, with the group's dazzling playing certain to lure listeners, much as the scent of the flower in its title does. Following this, the composition ``Deja vu'' is more traditional, starting with the sorrowful sound of the tanso backed up by the kayagum and haegum. ``A Flying Chestnut Tree'' rounds out the album with a musical allusion to the childhood dream of being able to fly, only here imagining taking wing on the string instruments used to perform it.
Shin, who plays an acoustic guitar and several percussion instruments, said he wanted to introduce The Lim to the world music scene by performing with groups from other countries that have a similar style.
Kim Kwang-seok, ``Kim Kwang-seok Collection: My Way''
Three CDs filled with folk singer Kim Kwang-seok's jewel-like songs, one DVD with videos of his appearances, a tribute by poet Kim Ji-ha, a photo essay with Kim's notes and his friends' remarks about him make ``Kim Kwang-seok Collection: My Way,'' out on the With 33 Music label, the definitive statement on this popular musician.
Kim's widow put much effort into gathering all of this material, and completed the project as a birthday present for their 11-year-old daughter, who has a syndrome that affects her growth.
This compilation draws from eight albums that were released over Kim's 12-year career, and six albums released after his suicide in 1996, including ``Letter,'' ``Wind,'' ``Moon'' and ``PoongKyungSoRi'' (``The Sound of Scenery''). For his fans, it's an opportunity to have the timeless messages of his songs in one package, and for the uninitiated a good introduction to his music.
As one of the country's most beloved folk singers, Kim appealed to many with his relaxed, unpretentious voice and lyrics that touched the heart. His many hit songs include ``On the Street,'' ``I Write a Letter in the Cloudy Sky in Autumn,'' ``A Letter From a Private,'' ``Around Thirty,'' ``It's Not Love if It's Too Hard'' and ``Although I Loved You.''
The song ``A Letter From a Private'' brought back memories of Kim when it was used in the hit film ``JSA (Joint Security Area)'' in 2000.
Kim started his career as a member of the group People Looking for a Song in 1984, and was also active in student demonstrations while attending university, where he majored in business administration.
To overcome the sadness of his brother's accidental death while serving in the army, Kim geared up himself and formed another band with his former university friends, The Zoo, in which he was the main vocalist. However, he left the band shortly afterward, and made his debut as a soloist in 1989. Songs like ``Wait for Me'' and ``To You'' date from that time.
He tied the knot in 1990, and began work on his second solo album. Kim, nicknamed ``singing poet,'' performed live more than 1,000 times in small theaters around universities.
Kim shared his musical devotion on a BBS radio program he hosted, while his own songs were about philosophical and fundamental matters in life, as can be heard on this compilation.