As Korea has developed and modernized, music has come to play a
central role as a symbol of national identity. Nationalism has been
stage managed by scholars, journalists and, from the beginning of
the 1960s, by the state, as music genres have been documented,
preserved and promoted as 'Intangible Cultural Properties'.
Practitioners have been appointed 'holders' or, in everyday speech,
'Human Cultural Properties', to maintain, perform and teach
exemplary versions of tradition. Over the last few years, the
Korean preservation system has become a model for UNESCO's 'Living
Human Treasures' and 'Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Mankind'. In this volume, Keith Howard provides the
first comprehensive analysis in English of the system. He documents
court music and dance, Confucian and shaman ritual music,
folksongs, the professional folk-art genres of p'ansori ('epic
storytelling through song') and sanjo ('scattered melodies'), and
more, as well as instrument making, food preparation and liquor
distilling - a good performance, after all, requires wine to flow.
The extensive documentation reflects considerable fieldwork,
discussion and questioning carried out over a 25-year period, and
blends the voices of scholars, government officials, performers,
craftsmen and the general public. By interrogating both
contemporary and historical data, Howard negotiates the debates and
critiques that surround this remarkable attempt to protect local
and national music and other performance arts and crafts. An
accompanying downloadable resource illustrates many of the music
genres considered, featuring many master musicians including some
who have now died. The preservation of music and other performance
arts and crafts is part of the contemporary zeitgeist, yet occupies
contested territory. This is particularly true when the concept of
'tradition' is invoked. Within Korea, the recognition of the
fragility of indigenous music inherited from earlier times is
balanced by an awareness of the need to maintain identity as
lifestyles change in response to modernization and globalization.
Howard argues that Korea, and the world, is a better place when the
richness of indigenous music is preserved and promoted.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
