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Email morandisco@gmail.com, but not read very often.
Moranbong Band Discography 2012.07.06 - 
김설미kim sol mi has been 3 time to china, at the 1st time she acted as an drama actress in chinese classical opera “red house dream”《红楼梦》in 2010, then she has traveled several chinese major cities with the team.
That’s interesting. Where did you find this information?
from both chinese search engine”baidu”and “baidu forum”.
– from baidu, serach sth like “korean 红楼梦 china show” at images form, many relative images found included several young kim solmi’s.
– from baidu forum, there is an “金雪美吧，kim solmi forum”.
김유경 kim Yu Gyong looks 통통해, wonder whether she is married…
Yes, a little bit of something is gathering around her waist. This is what happens to most of us over the years. It is already nearly 7 years since they started. I would expect all of them, or at least most of them, to be married by now.
NK celebrates New Year’s Eve with dazzling firework display in Pyongyang.
What is surprising in this are the pictures of zodiac animals in the sky. Year 2018 was the year of the dog (戌), and this year in Chinese culture is the year of the wild boar (猪), though what one usually sees in pictures is a shiny pink fat pig (豚). One would have expected the celebration to proceed from the picture of a dog to a picture of either a boar or a pig, but no, they presented the picture of a raccoon dog (狸), which is not a traditional zodiac animal.
Maybe someone high there does not like pigs? Or pig meat? Eating too much of it is not good for your health and easily makes you fat. This is a remarkable departure from the Chinese cultural cycle. The form is there, but the content is different.
This is very interesting, because nobody caught it. Why is the image of a raccoon dog there? I checked out NK various websites but couldn’t find any hints regarding animals in the Chinese zodiac. NK celebrates Lunar New Year(Seol or Seollal, 설 or 설날), but definitely unfamiliar with the Chinese zodiac. According to English Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac and its variations remain popular in many Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal,
Bhutan, and Thailand. But, not in North Korea.
What’s your Chinese zodiac sign? (무슨 띠에요?) This is a common question in South Korea that people often ask someone to find out someone’s age without directly asking about age. However defectors from NK didn’t understand this question. ( https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%8B%AD%EC%9D%B4%EC%A7%80 )
‘Clever Raccoon Dog'(령리한 너구리) is a famous NK animation so NK people are very familiar with a raccoon dog. I guess that’s why they presented an image of a raccoon dog instead of a pig. In Korea, pig is synonymous with negative attributes, especially greed, gluttony, and uncleanliness.
it said kim yu kyong had been staying in yanji university 옌지 태학 in china for 3 months as exchange student in 2011.
Very interesting. Quite often those artists with foreign studies experience advance well in their careers. That also explains why she belongs to the category of “China hands.”
Actually, who said, where and when that Kim Yu-kyong did student exchange at Yanji?
The Samjiyon Orchestra has performed a joint concert for Lunar New Year at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, along with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Wangjaesan Art Troupe and the Mansudae Art Troupe.
Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) — A music and dance performance was given at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Lunar New Year’s Day, which delighted Pyongyangites.
After hearing about the performance of the artistes of the famous art organizations including the Samjiyon Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Wangjaesan Art Troupe and the Mansudae Art Troupe, Pyongyangites thronged to the stadium that day.
When the solemn melody of overture “The Glorious Country” resounded, the audience keenly felt the pride of being citizens of the great country, looking back upon the glorious history of the DPRK which has always emerged victorious on the road of building a powerful socialist state while creating epoch-making miracles and changes.
Numbers including female solo “Snowflakes Falling in the Night Sky”, orchestra “Song Presented to the Mother Party” and orchestra and chorus “We Will Go along Road of Loyalty” were put on the stage to lead the audience to the world of deep emotion.
Female chorus “We Love Our Country” and female solo “O My Motherland Full of Hope” reflecting the feelings of ardent love for the country which is the best in the world revved up the atmosphere of the performance.
The performance, which showed the desire of the Korean people to create a happy and highly civilized life and the developing Juche-oriented art, ended with finale “Snow Is Falling on New Year’s Day”. -0-
Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, appreciated a performance given by the State Merited Chorus at an annex to the headquarters of the Party Central Committee together with all the commanders of the large combined units and combined units of the KPA on Feb. 8, the 71st founding anniversary of the KPA.
Among the audience were KPA Vice Marshal Ri Myong Su, first vice commander of the KPA Supreme Command, KPA Army General Kim Su Gil, director of the KPA General Political Bureau, KPA Army General Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, and KPA Army General No Kwang Chol, minister of the People’s Armed Forces of the DPRK, and other commanding officers of the General Political Bureau and General Staff of the KPA and the People’s Armed Forces together with the commanders of the army corps, divisions and brigades of the KPA.
Appreciating the performance also were Choe Ryong Hae, Ri Su Yong, Kim Phyong Hae, Thae Jong Su, O Su Yong and Kim Yong Chol, vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the WPK, other leading officials of the C.C., WPK and the State Affairs Commission.
Supreme Leader of the Party, state and army Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju appeared in the auditorium.
He warmly congratulated all the KPA service personnel who mark the Day of Army Founding, 71st founding anniversary of the KPA while encouraging them.
Put on the stage that started with orchestral music “The Glorious Country” were colorful numbers including male chorus “We Wish Supreme Commander Good Health”, male solo and chorus “Cantata to Marshal Kim Il Sung” and unaccompanied chorus “The Country I Am Defending”.
The performers sang high praises of the dignity and might of our country dynamically advancing along the road of victory of socialism under the wise guidance of the WPK and made an impressive artistic presentation of the firm faith and will of the army and people to firmly trust and follow the Party and the leader only and safeguard them politically and ideologically and at the cost of their lives while invariably and persistently succeeding to the lineage of arms of Mt Paektu, the lifeline of the Korean revolution.
As Kim Jong Un requested the encore, female trio and male chorus “Our National Flag” was re-performed, being conducted by People’s Artiste Jang Ryong Sik, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, making the audience be gripped by the feelings of great excitement and leading the performance to its climax.
Kim Jong Un expressed great satisfaction over the wonderful performance of high ideological value and artistry.
He voiced the expectation and conviction that the artistes of the State Merited Chorus would as ever conduct more positive performing activities of revolutionary nature and thus creditably fulfill their honorable mission and duty as frontline soldiers in the field of literature and art.
https://www.nknews.org/2019/02/north-korea-calls-off-army-building-day-art-and-musical-performance-source-says/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Would be sad, if true of course.
These two news contradict each other. Or, a number of concerts were planned, some were held, including the main one, but one of them was cancelled? The NKNews report is not very exact. The paper occasionally has good commentaries, but it too often also publishes pieces with little informative value.
here is a video of the SMC concert for 71st anniversary of KPA founding
It seems that even Marshal Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju are now familiar with the lyrics of “Our national flag”, (6:00 in video) I think we will hear a lot of that song throughout the year. If there is a moranbong EE concert of some sort, I think this will likely be in their repertoire.
http://uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptype=centertv&no=42844
The SMC concert has been televised. KCTV is finally airing most concerts again.
North Korea and Russia signed the 2019-2020 Plan of Cultural Cooperation.
One point calls on regular art performances and exchange of artists. I think there will be a visit by a DPRK Art Troupe to Russia this year.
I was wondering if anyone knows of this music. According to its YouTube title, this clip was recorded at the NK restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sometimes they played SK music, but it’s definitely not SK music. It has pretty impressive bass lines which I like, and FYI, they are restaurant waitresses, not professional musicians.
They sound like the Wangjaesan Light Music Band. Because I am not a musician, I do not “understand” melodies; I only hear them. But you could try comparing it with ‘Play with Flowers’. I am not sure of the Korean title, because it has appeared in YouTube only with English titles. At least there is something similar: https://youtu.be/eFByj5kZHgE
They definitely look and behave like a North Korean restaurant band. They are professional musicians, probably educated in the Kim Won Gyun General University of Music, or what its name was when they were there. Maybe classmates of MBB/MEE musicians. I have discussed with interpreters with these restaurant workers in China, and they usually have university degrees. Some of them go after graduation to work at various Pyongyang ensembles, but some go, or at least used to go, to work abroad in North Korean restaurants. It is impossible to know which career gives more income, but some 4 years of working abroad certainly makes it possible for them to gather together a hefty sum, even though the state takes part of their salary. But it does not take all. Work abroad is very much sought after, but only a few are chosen, and for this reason only elite family daughters with good education are able to become performing waitresses in foreign restaurants. Many of them are very proud women. They do their work, carry food and play the songs, but they also demand respect from the restaurant customers, refusing to be played around. They have the aura of daughters of respected families from a rather poor country.
For exanple, the daughter of Peoples Actress Choe Sam-suk, Ri Un-kyong was also part of the group of restaurant workers that defected to south korea in 2016.
http://english.chosun.com/m/svc/article.html?contid=2016053001675&utm_source=undefined&utm_medium=unknown&utm_campaign=english
The song is “혁명을 위하여” or “For the Revolution”, it was most recently performed as a solo by a guitarist of Kim Won-Gyun University in a small concert in December. I am unsure of the songs background.
Wow, I didn’t know they are professional musicians. At least in this video, they are better than kpop girl bands who none of them plays an instrument. The melody of “Play with Flowers” is almost same with this video. But the interesting thing is, that I can barely recognize the song lyrics while hearing it. Sometimes when I’m listening to kpop songs and don’t know what they’re saying even though I’m a native speaker. The same thing happens when I hear a song “Play with Flowers”.
It seems like that it was the song “혁명을 위하여”(For the Revolution).
http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptype=music&no=559
The right hand of the keyboard player playing exactly the same vocal melody, I mean main melody. NK restaurant musicians usually do not sing the propaganda song, so I think they are just playing the instruments without singing. A couple of years ago, some NK restaurants refused SK customers due to abduction of their waitresses. Now SK travelers make up the largest demographic of spenders at the NK restaurants, visitors say the restaurants easily run out of Pyongyang Soju, Taedonggang beer.
UO performed the same piece ‘혁명을 위하여'(For the Revolution) in Paris concert, 03/14/2012. The Unhasu Orchestra Discography site described that it was “신아우” (Sinau), a traditional folk music transmitted through oral tradition. I also found “신아우” (Sinau) on NK website. It originated from traditional folk music in Hamgyong Province, the northernmost province of North Korea, but has now arranged into ‘혁명을 위하여'(For the Revolution) and developed into other new music. http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptype=commonsense&no=1707
The NK website also said ‘Sinau’ Tungso(a traditional Korean musical instrument) solo is the typical music of ‘Sinau’, and here is Tungso solo: https://youtu.be/PQrzSZd0DsE?t=332
Song Yong 송영 of the CBB and SO has risen to an important position among NKorean singers. She performs many solos, visited SKorea a year ago, visited Peking for a week in late January, and performed also in the role of announcer. She seems to come from a musically distinguished family. Her father is Merited Artiste Song Gwang 송광 宋光, one of the guitarists of Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble (though I am not sure which one). Her mother is Merited Artiste Jo Kum Hua 조금화 趙錦花, one of the singers of PEE. You can see here her solo concert in 1993: https://youtu.be/x_ZmLZMTeys
Source of information: a small meeting of koreanologists in Kyoto; the family info originating from the NKorea related Korea University in Tokyo 조선대학교 朝鮮大学校.
After the ending of PEE around 2010, the father moved to the SMC, and from there to a teacher’s position at the Venus Middle School No.2, which in 2015 was attached to the Kim Won Gyun General University of Music. The mother became the chief professor of the section of popular singing in the same university.
Source of info: Japanese Wikipedia page on PEE: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/普天堡電子楽団#主な演奏家
Music as a profession seems to be often inherited in NKorea, though the phenomenon certainly exists also in the rest of the world. It is of course logical, when children grow up in the middle of music related life.
This would help you with identifying PEE musicians.
A very useful video. Thanks for you, and for others who also have offered good advice. I am wrapping up my work at Kyoto University and have not had time to do anything about this site for a while, but before long again.
This is quite interesting, as Kim Chang-son visited the Hanoi Opera-house a few days ago.
I counted about 10 cars in the KJU train. It is a long one, and can house a good sized orchestra. Musical diplomacy is a stable element in NK foreign policy toolkit, and I would not be surprised about a concert, who ever will then be the performers. Probably not for Trump, who might not be interested, but for a Vietnamese audience.
KJU visited Vietnam in addition to his meeting with Trump, as well as being eligible for a state visit.It seems a little strange for a state guest to perform.But we don’t know what’s going to happen.Who’s this time?Seoul member? or Beijing member?
Music video for 언제나 그이곁에 (Always Beside Him).
Music video for 아 자애로운 어버이 (Oh, Benevolent Parent).