Gwangju’s Month of Music
Music and culture lovers, rejoice! Gwangju will play host to two major international music festivals in August: the Gwangju Asia A Cappella Festival and the 2014 Gwangju World Music Festival (GWMF).
On August 29th and 30th, the new Asian Culture Complex will host the 2014 GWMF. Considered a representative festival of the Asian Cultural Hub City Project, the GWMF celebrates its fifth year by opening the Asian Culture Complex’s events calendar.
First conceived in 2010, the festival brings together Korean and international musicians representing a wide range of cultures and genres. In previous years, the festival has moved around Gwangju and has been held at Chonnam University and Pungam Sports Park, among other locations. This year, despite the fact that the Asian Culture Complex is not slated for completion until October, the festival will be held outdoors in the already-completed Lawn Plaza, rooftop of the Asian Culture Creation Center.
With well-known and respected festival organizer Jae-jin returning to organize the GWMF for his second consecutive year, the event is sure to be a success. He has once again assembled quite the line-up, with artists performing on three separate stages: the main stage, the sub stage and the open stage.
Mayra Andrade, an artist considered to lead the future of world music, is one of this year’s main headliners. This Cape Verde native now lives and records in Paris. Her music, performed in four languages, is a blend of Cape Verdean rhythms, jazz and European pop with tropical influences. Andrade’s music, which reflects the many cultures that have influenced her, captures the essence of each culture she represents.
Fulfilling the festival’s goal of encouraging collaboration between Korean and international artists, the Korea-Africa Project will also be performing. This collaboration involves traditional instruments and artists from three different countries, including Korean percussionist Jang Jae-hyo.
Korean acts will include Mapukiki, a K-pop trio made up of Jo Tae-jun, Lee Dong-geol and Kim Yeong-jin who blend Hawaiian and pop elements, and Lee Sang-eun, a former Korean Idol starlet at the Riverside Song Festival who has become a top singer-songwriter. There will also be a performance by MOSAI Korea, a band that brings together shamanistic music from all over Korea and western instrumental influences to create pieces organized around the themes of heaven, earth and people.
With such a diverse selection of music from the world over, there is something for every listening preference at the GWMF.
Leading up to the GWMF, the Gwangju Asia A Cappella Festival will be held from August 13th to 17th at the Arts and Culture Centre and the Gwangju University of Education. Co-hosted by the Gwangju A Cappella Association and Vocal Asia, this festival comes complete with opportunities for the public to participate in 13 different workshops over the program’s five days.
To reach the GWMF site, take Buses 09, 36, 45, 51, 55, 59, 80, 95, 150, 151 or 9812, and get off at the Asian Culture Complex stop. Or take the subway to the Asian Culture Complex stop. For those interested in volunteering at the GWMF, application forms can be downloaded at: http://cafe.naver.com/gjworldmusic and then emailed to gjworld2014@gmail.com.
To reach the Gwangju Asia A Cappella festival site, take bus 59 to the Gwangju Park Bus Stop or take buses 12, 45 or 74 and get off at the Jungang Bridge (West) stop. For more information about the A Cappella festival, visit: http://www.vocalasia.com/column-info.
Enjoy the music this summer!