Asia, Land of Light and Sound
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This section introduces reproduced contents of the booklet and CD for exhibition, 'Kim, Soo-Nam & Choi, Sang-il - Asia, Land of Light and Sound (6 to 29 July 2005, Seoul, Republic of Korea)'. Kim, Soo-Nam, documentary photographer representing the Republic of Korea, has started his profession as a photo journalist in Dong-A Ilbo and contributed to introduce the beauty of shamanistic and traditional culture of ethnic minorities by traveling everywhere in Asia. He never let the camera out of his hands till his last day in Chiang Rai in Thailand in 2006, next year of the exhibition. His enormous works still pass down Asia’s value to the world. Choi, Sang-il, who believes that ‘folk songs everywhere contain the unembellished thoughts and sentiments of their people’, has shown various broadcast programs, music albums, and books on folk song and music in Korean and Asia since his join to Munhwa Broadcating Company (MBC). Until now, he continues his contributions including recording diverse intangible cultural heritage and promoting it through excellent broadcast program such as ‘In Search of Our Sounds’. In recent, he received commendation from the president and Award for Professional Achievement in Producing. We express our gratitude to the families of the late Kim, Soo-Nam, and MBC producer Choi, Sang-il for allowing to make these precious collections available online, so that the beauty of living heritages in the Asia-Pacific will be better known to the world.
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ri Lanka is a state comprised of several ethnic groups with different languages, religions and histories. 11 million of its 15 million people are Sinhalese. Sinha means lion while la means blood. Thus ‘Sinhala’ means ‘descendants of lions’. The Sinhalese strictly observe religious rituals and festivals. The Perahera is the grandest of such religious festivals. The word ‘perahera’ means procession and is carried out by temples in every village. The most famous Perahera is the Kandy Perahera. The city of Kandy was the capital of an ancient kingdom and the center of Sri Lankan culture. It still acts as the center of traditional music, dance, and arts in Sri Lanka. While the music and dance of Kandy forms the core of the Perahera, the music and dance of low-lying coastal regions are central to rituals. Both of these musical traditions place special emphasis on the drum. Ritual celebrations begin with the invocation of the gods. “Please join us on earth. Enjoy our offerings, music and dance. Bestow upon us health and prosperity.” The song “Magul Bera,” seeks the blessing of the gods. The drummers beat their drums vigorously. The sound of the drums shake the earth and call upon the gods while the villagers stay up all night, intoxicated by the rhythm.
