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Pungmul Troupe Molgae Performs at Gnaoua World Music Festival

It was an unforgettable experience for my troupe to perform at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival in Essaouira, Morocco.
After one performance, about 1,000 members of an enthusiastic Moroccan audience hung around to express their appreciation or look over our instruments.

Located in the northwest of Africa, and bounded by the Atlantic to the west and the Mediterranean to the north, Morocco is ruled by a constitutional monarchy, in which the king is the center of political, military, and religious power. Sunni Islam is the national religion of Morocco. The country is also the setting for the classic movie Casablanca, which ironically was actually filmed at a studio in the U.S. As compared to other Islamic countries where our group has performed, Morocco seemed to have a rather more open society. I guess this is probably because the country is situated nearby European countries, across the Mediterranean, and was formerly colonized by France and Spain.
Pungmul Troupe Molgae, comprised of 13 members, including myself, departed Korea and arrived in Casablanca, via France. The following day, we left for Essaouira, the site of the music festival and our performance venue. Essaouira, about a five hour drive from Casablanca, is a seaside tourist city, with much more delightful scenery than what we had seen along the way. It is said that Morocco, which possesses only limited natural resources, actively promotes tourism, based on a series of festivals, as a kind of national endeavor, along with providing comprehensive support.



Gnaoua and World Music Festival
The annual Gnaoua and World Music Festival in Morocco is now in its 11th year of operation. Along with traditional Moroccan music, known as Gnaoua, the festival has emerged as a Mecca of world music and a notable music gathering with an international reputation. As a result of the festival’s global popularity these days, musical performers are invited to participate in the event only after undergoing a careful screening process by the festival’s organizing committee. Therefore, musicians take much pride in receiving an invitation to perform at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival. It was reported that several hundred musicians from all over the world gave performances on nine outdoor stages, which was attended by some 400,000 visitors during this year’s four-daylong festival.
As head of our troupe, I was indeed pleased to be part of the first Korean performing arts group invited to this festival, but I felt pressure as well, because we needed to stage impressive performances. We were scheduled to perform twice at the festival – first a joint performance with Baalil, a popular Gnaoua music group, at the opening of the festival, and a second solo performance, of one hour and ten minutes.
While our two groups practiced together for three days for the joint performance, the members of Baalil said they were intrigued by the dynamic rhythm of our Korean music. After sharing and enjoying each other’s music, the day of the opening performance was here. The joint performance was staged before an audience of about 2,000 from various countries, including high-ranking officials and distinguished guests from Morocco. Televised by a Moroccan broadcast firm, the performance was well received, as indicated by the audience’s hearty applause for both of our groups. I could clearly sense the enthusiastic response to our performance while being interviewed by various media concerns and the interest expressed by the festival officials and participating musical performers.

Touched by Audience’s Exuberance
I was overwhelmed by the raucous cheering of the 1,000 festival-goers at the conclusion of our solo performance, the day after our opening performance. I often wish that other people could experience the exhilaration that a performer enjoys when a large audience applauds your efforts. After the performance, Mr. Pobino Darton, who introduced himself as a professor of politics and economics at a French university, said to us: “I practically cried with joy to have an opportunity like this and personally experience such a fantastic and wonderful music performance.”
After performing at the festival in Essaouira, we were invited by the Korean Embassy in Morocco to stage a presentation in Casablanca. Although it was extremely hot at the performance venue, this did not dampen the spirits of the Moroccan audience who hung around after the performance to express their appreciation or to look over our instruments. Many had a look of excitement in their eyes, like the children we saw in the marketplace of the city. I can still enjoy the gratification of this moment, even if the imagery might be somewhat blurred.



Global Promotion of Korean Culture
It might be a cliché by now, but what invariably comes to my mind when performing abroad, like at this festival, is that “the most Korean thing is also the most international.” In this sense, I believe that the programs of the Korea Foundation, to make the “Korea Brand” better known worldwide, are more important than our conventional foreign policy initiatives. Finally, I would like to conclude by letting people know that they can view videos of our performances at the festival on Utube. You view video clips filmed by a Moroccan TV broadcaster (musique Gnawa et troupe coréennes au féstival d' Essaouira) and a British tourist, who recorded our solo performance (Essaouira 2008-Samulnori Molgae-Finale). Also available is a video that shows a foreign youth dancing spontaneously to our music (Bourééé).

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