Hilde Bjørkum, Artistic and managing director of Førde Folk music Festival, She talks about Gong Myoung.

Unforgettable experiences….
Korean music at Førde Folk music Festival, Norway

The concert hall was packed with people – the opening concert at the sixth.  Førde Folk music Festival back in 1995 was soon to be started.  But the audience had to wait – Please, just a few more minutes, the compère asked, there are some big instruments from Korea which are delayed; they were too big for the small Twin Otter plane to Førde, so we had to bring them an alternative way, they will soon arrive.  More minutes waiting….

- NOW they are here, the compère shouted, please welcome the great Korean ensemble Samulnori! 

A loud drum sound filled the air, so loud that three of the youngest festival attendants immediately started to compete the drums with even louder sounds; long and frightened screams!  I worried as I saw the parents and their 2-3 year’s old children escaping the concert hall – ”Oh, what did we do, will these people ever attend a Førde Festival concert again….?”  After the ”blowing away” opening, the Samulnori ensemble continued with a  most fascinating performance. With high energy, beautiful gracefulness and impressing precision, they gave us an unforgettable and for many of us, new experience, with qualities that I ever since have associated and experienced with music and musicians from Korea.
And when I saw again the small children and their parents who had escaped from the opening concert, it was as they were following and enthusiastic applauding Samulnori as they where playing and dancing in the big festival street parade!  And I understood that the Korean music and musicians are so fascinating and strong that they manage to get even the most frightened audience as their most loyal fans!

Over the years, the Førde festival grew both in program volume and number of audience. In 2006, the Dulsori ensemble excited the big Sports Hall audience during their main concert at the festival.  The audience was thrilled by their strong emanation and excellent playing, exciting choreography and visual effects.  After the concert, many people were literally running after me to express their great enthusiasm for the group.  And at their last performance at the festival that year, they gathered a big audience of three generations of festival attendants; old grand ma’s, young parents and small children were together enjoying Dulsori’s lively performance.  And it seemed like the artists and audience were really inspiring each other, it was like the whole culture house and everybody inside it was a huge smile that day!

Gong Myoung, who visited the Førde Festival this year, is a different group with another kind, but equal strong expression.  I decided already when I saw them at  the offWomex program in Seville last year, that I had to try getting them to Førde!  I was immediately struck by their versatile skills, their innovative style and their capability of communicating with the audience.  Their performances in Førde was a big success; you might feel their power if you take a look at the short film from this year’s Førde Festival on our website www.fordefestival.no

When programming a festival, you always try to find new expressions, new music and traditions to present.  However, you also get your darlings...  I am quite sure that this year will not be the last of presenting the exciting music and musicians from Korea at Førde Folk music Festival.

Hilde Bjørkum
Artistic and managing director
Førde Folk music Festival