22 for ‘22

Happy New Year, fair readers and listeners! The past year has been another very strong one in new music from both the old pros and the young upstarts, but you know, there’s just too much of it out there. Thankfully for you, I do this full-time so you don’t have to listen to the latest amateur outfit’s “epic” debut (I’d have added another word to that description most of the time), or that old band you love making an incredible return to form with their 348th career LP (which sucked, let’s face it… we still love ‘em but c’mon).

Gwangju Punk Band Dirty Rockhon: Seeking Out Happiness in a Dirty World

The band describes its music in online bios as “seomin punk,” with seomin meaning “the commoner class or ordinary people.” But it’s not to be confused with working-class pride, a common theme among many other punk bands.

The First Buskers World Cup in Gwangju

Once again establishing itself as a city of the arts, Gwangju is going to hold the very first Buskers World Cup in October 2022. Artists and musicians from all over the world have applied, and we expect a huge turnout at the event. We at the Gwangju News wonder how this event is being organized and about its backstory. So, we tracked down the people at Gwangju’s Dong-gu District Office – the main organizer of the event – to get more information. Below is our interview.

“Waves”: A Dedication to the Sewol Ferry Victims

Eight years have passed since that day. Every year on April 16, the nation solemnly remembers what happened. For most, life goes on, but for many families of the victims, every day is difficult.
Two years after the Sewol ferry disaster, I wrote an energetic and emotional composition on the piano titled “Waves.”

The Story of Chunhyang: Through the Melodious Medium of Pansori  

Pansori is probably one of the most well-known “traditional” Korean art forms outside of Korea, commonly referred to as “Korean opera.” Traditionally, the singer would recount a tale from the twelve-work repertoire (madang), such as The Song of Chunhyang.

Top of The Drop

Each month, Daniel Springer of the Gwangju Foreign Language Network (GFN) picks his favorite newly released tunes that you may not have heard yet, along with some upcoming albums and EPs that you might want to keep on your radar.

The Group 4: Art is Dead

“Art in all its forms is also a means of education while addressing the social issues our society faces today.”

Top 21 Albums for ’21: Danno Picks His Top Albums of 2021

Danno Picks His Top Albums of 2021