Gugak Band Sangjaru Debuts in New York

Sangjaru, an unprecedented gugak trio that creates a unique sound by blending traditional Korean music with contemporary trends, held their debut at the Flushing Town Hall, in New York, on February 21. The debut stage was part of Sangjaru’s first US tour, which showcased the fresh aspects of Korean traditional music to the New York audience.

Describing themselves as “Korean gypsies,” Sangjaru is a hip gugak group paving new paths in the genre. The group’s name, “Sangjaru” is a combination of two words: “sangja” (box) and “jaru” (sack). Sangjaru aspires to add “sacks” of new creativity into the “box” of Korean musical traditions by integrating gugak’s invigorating energy with rhythms from gypsy swing, punk, rock, or improvised music to create a distinctive sound. Today, Sangjaru is recognized as one of Korea’s most ingenious bands.

Formed in 2014, the members of Sangjaru are alumni of Gugak National High School and K-Arts. The trio includes guitarist Cho Sungyoon, janggu (hour-glass drum) and kkwaenggwari (small gong) performer Kwon Hyochang, and ajaeng (bowed zither) performer Nam Seonghun. Their dynamic interpretation of music that bridges traditions and modernity has garnered international attention.

They rose to prominence after winning the Sori Frontier Program at the 2019 Jeonju International Sori Festival. Since then, they have continued experimenting with reinterpreting gugak in contemporary contexts on various stages. That same year, at the Edinburgh Festival, the group earned the Darkchat Awards for Best Music and Best Show. They leave a strong impression on the audience, particularly with their blend of resonant traditional instruments and punk rock energy.

As their New York concert marked Sangjaru’s US debut, they prepared a special repertoire to highlight the depth of Korean traditional music infused with contemporary elements. The Guardian, the British daily newspaper, praised the trio highly, “[T]hunderous, sawed traditional instruments mix with spry Talking Heads-style bass-funk.”