The Future of Gugak
The fusion gugak band Goraeya (고래야) is one of the few bands that perform fusion gugak overseas, having played in 51 cities overseas in recent years. Image courtesy: Plankton Music
When asked about Korean traditional music, or 국악 (gugak) in Korean, most people would picture something similar to this, where old men and women dressed in traditional clothes play seemingly arbitrary notes on traditional instruments that seem to always be slightly off-pitch. This makes sense. Compared to music 500 years ago, the popular music of Korea today has completely changed, with the adaptation of Western instruments, chords, electronic instruments, and more. With Western musical structure imbued as the standard, the comparatively raw and harmonically simpler gugak music can seem off and unappealing. While pure gugak is still performed and heard, most see the music as traditional and antique. For the few who do listen to gugak, they mainly do it for the sake of formality and tradition, not to enjoy the actual sound.
However, in recent years, gugak has caught the attention of the public in the form of fusion gugak. This is where gugak elements are fused with contemporary music. Examples include singing popular songs in the style of pansori (판소리) or performing contemporary pieces using gugak instruments. By combining gugak elements with popular music, fusion gugak is much more accessible to perform and hear for people today. In 2021, JTBC broadcasted their audition program, 풍류대장, where competitors combined gugak with hip-pop, ballads, opera, and more. Popular artists have also incorporated gugak elements into their songs. Singer-songwriter PSY, for example, used gugak instruments in his 2006 song WE ARE THE ONE, and BTS performed their song IDOL live using both gugak instruments and dance. Gugak has also made its way to the Western orchestra, with pieces such as Frontier by Kunihiko Ryo featuring the taepyeongso (태평소), janggu (장구), and kkwaenggwari (꽹과리), among others.
With the growing popularity of fusion gugak, many have expressed their excitement about where this is leading but also their concerns. Mainly, some emphasize the importance of keeping the original form of gugak intact and that fusion gugak merely “serves as a stepping stone (for the development of gugak) in that it brings the public, who have been estranged from traditional culture, closer to gugak,” according to Kim Young-woon, 67, the head of the National Gugak Center. (Original quote: “전통문화에 소원했던 대중을 국악에 가깝게 데려오는 역할을 한다는 점에서 퓨전 국악은 (국악 발전의) 마중물 역할을 하고 있다.”)
Preserving culture and tradition is important, and gugak is no different. Tradition creates unity among a people, and gugak celebrates and appreciates the Korean identity. Then what exactly counts as gugak? Why must gugak be limited to purely Korean roots? Will there be a day when the term, gugak, encompasses both traditional and fusion styles?
To approach that question, it can help to answer a more general one: how can one define a specific genre of music? After all, music is ever-transformative. Can one say that this new form of fusion gugak is not gugak anymore? Or is the new gugak an evolved form of gugak from centuries ago? Can we call the Ship of Theseus a brand-new ship? One may compare gugak with Western classical music. And compare the composers Debussy and Gershwin with Bach and Czerny and how those composers have completely different styles despite being under the same umbrella as “Western classical music.” And while there are eras of Western classical music people have made, such as the Baroque (1600-1750) or the Late Romantic (1860-1920) periods, there are individual composers and styles within these periods that deviate from the specific style and form of each period. Beethoven, for example, combined vocals into his Ninth Symphony, expanded the symphony up to five movements (Symphony No. 6), and overall incorporated much more complex harmony into his work compared to his predecessors. If the styles of Mozart and Handel evolved into the styles of Beethoven and Mahler, can we not make the same argument that the gugak from centuries ago evolved into this fusion form popular today? Is this new style the new gugak?
But it’s not the same. While both are genres of music that have constantly evolved for centuries, the frame of each genre is completely different. While Western classical music is more about structure, form, and style, gugak is more about identity and tradition. Of course, each has both, but the focus of gugak and its purpose is to bring the Korean people together. As mentioned before, the whole point of preserving traditional gugak is to preserve the culture and traditions of Korea. Adding Western elements to gugak and vice versa can and does allow the public to more easily approach the style of gugak, but the preservation of gugak isn’t only to preserve its specific texture and sounds but also its history that allowed it to exist.
So why must we be cautious with fusion gugak? Why can’t we “evolve” gugak into the more popular form of fusion gugak? Because gugak is the identity of the Korean people, and that primary purpose must not be forgotten. This is why understanding the history of music is so important. A genre of music is not simply what instruments are used, what kind of sound is made, or its structure. Oftentimes, it is more about its history and past: country/region of origin, time period, original audience, etc. Especially for traditional music such as gugak, understanding its origins can help understand the music, as well as Korean traditions and culture.
At the same time, I believe fusion gugak should continue to be experimented with and tested to its limits. I find the textures of the traditional singing techniques and instruments really unique and touching no Western instrument can come close to emulate. I think that by itself, it has all the merit it needs to become a popular sub-genre, allowing traditional gugak and fusion gugak to perfectly coexist and build on each other. Why choose one when you can have both?