Ashraf Siddiqui
Doha
‘New-Dot’, a 12-member ‘Samulnori’ performance group from the Republic of Korea, enthralled the visitors of Souq Waqif Doha with their vibrant and dynamic movements, accented rhythms, as well as various musical and traditional dance performances.
The group was in Qatar to be part of the Korean ‘Gaecheonjeol’ (meaning, the day heaven opened its doors), which symbolises the birth of the Korean nation about 4,300 years ago.
The word ‘Samul’ means four objects, while ‘nori’ means play. Samulnori performance is accompanied by four traditional Korean musical instruments. They are: Kkwaenggwari, a small gong; Jing, a larger gong; Janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum; and Buk, a barrel drum similar to the bass drum.
The cultural event was jointly hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Foundation, which promotes ‘Samulnori’, the traditional Korean percussion music and dance. The group has also performed at the official reception hosted by HE Lee Joon-Ho, ambassador of Republic of Korea, at the Hotel Ritz Carlton Doha.
HE Joon-ho Lee said on the occasion that K-pop, K-dramas and movies are gaining world-wide popularity these days. He said he was pleased that this event would give the audience a chance to experience the amazingly vibrant and energetic traditional Korean music.
He wished that the cultural event would be another catalyst to even strengthened "Korean Wave” in Qatar and eventually contribute to further deepening Korea-Qatar relations by promoting better understanding of each other’s culture.