Pansori is a type of Korean music that the Korean government has designated as a National Cultural Intangible Property in order to preserve it for future generations. Pansori performances are held at Korean cultural festivals as well as being scheduled as separate events, and there are numerous recordings of such performances available for those interested in listening to or studying pansori. The Korean government considers pansori to be an important part of the country’s cultural heritage, and there is concern that the art may die out due to a lack of interest.
The gosu and the kwangdae are the two performers in a pansori performance. The gosu, or drummer, performs alongside the kwangdae, or singer. Several singers may perform in more modernized performances, voicing different characters in the piece to provide more color. The audience is also an important part of the pansori, as they are expected to respond to the performance with cheers and applause at various points.
The music is used to tell a traditional Korean folktale during Pansori performances, which are traditionally quite long. Because a full madang or story can take several hours to perform, modern pansori performances are frequently divided into sections to keep audiences from becoming bored. The audience can hear singing and stylized speech during the performance, as well as the sounds of the drum and chuimsae, which are made by the gosu as the singer performs. Audiences can also respond with their own chuimsae.
These epic sung folktales date back to the 1600s and were particularly popular in the 1800s. Pansori, on the other hand, had begun to fade away in Korea by the 1960s. The training required, as well as the performances themselves, is strenuous, and interest appeared to be waning. The government responded by attempting to preserve and promote this traditional art form, encouraging pansori performers to interact with the public in the hopes of enthralling the next generation.
At any given time, a number of pansori performers have a high public profile and are establishing themselves as stars in the genre, while a number of newcomers are being groomed. Pansori performers and trainees frequently receive generous government assistance, including grants to sponsor performances and other events that promote the pansori tradition, thanks to the government’s pansori protection measures.