National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea When mogabi (leader of a group of singers) leads with his part of the song, the others follow him with their part of the song, playing the sogo (small drums) and making gestures with their hands and feet. The name Santaryeong (Folk Song of the Mountain) was attached, since the lyrics are associated with natural scenery. It starts with slow rhythms but becomes faster gradually. Today, the folk song is sung by males, but it originally stemmed from the female songs of sadangpae (itinerant performance troupe) composed of monks and Buddhist followers, who sang choruses of a prayer to Buddha and received contributions from people in return. With the decline of Buddhism during the Joseon Period, the members of the wandering troupes were replaced with males. Their prayer to Buddha was replaced with Seonsori Taryeong (songs performed in a standing position) sung by ordinary people. Seonsori Santaryeong was divided into a version of Seodo (referring to Hwanghae-do and Pyeongan-do) and a version of Gyeonggi. The latter portrays the natural scenery of places close to Seoul with singers playing sogo, whereas the former sings about the natural scenery of Pyeongyang joyfully with a fast tempo with singers making gestures and waving handkerchiefs. This piece of folk song is a precious material for those studying the music of sadangpae. It is the most joyful, gallant, and liveliest piece among the country’s traditional music pieces.

Main Puteri, also referred to as Main Teghi in the Kelantanese dialect, is one of the authentic arts found in the state of Kelantan. This performance is one of the most popular traditional healing methods of the Kelantan-Pattani Malay community since the olden days. It is admittedly difficult to separate the ‘performing art’ and ‘medical ritual’ aspects in Main Teghi due to the close ties between the two elements. There are many versions about the origin of Main Teghi as source of information. However, since there are no accurate records thus oral sources are the only ones available. In terms of performance, there are interesting elements in Main Teghi that are a combined elements of acting, singing, dancing, miming and music; apart from Islamic, magical and ritual elements. Tok Teghi, the leader of the group, acts as a medium to connect the patient with the summoned spirits. During this process Tok Teghi keeps changing characters; becoming fierce and ferocious, a senile elder, a disabled youth, speaking nasally and various other characters to portray the pain shouldered by the patient. It is believed that there are more than 50 songs in a Main Teghi performance, but now not even 10 are still being performed. Among those commonly performed are entitled Kijang Mas, Mengulit, Pendekar, Cik Muda, Cik Kojo, Menora and Abe. Main Puteri was recognised as a National Heritage in 2012.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Sanjo refers to the playing of an instrument solo to the accompaniment of janggo (hourglass-shaped drum), moving from slow to fast rhythm, in four to six movements. Gayageum Sanjo is Korean instrumental folk music played solo with gayageum (twelve-stringed zither). Gayageum Byeongchang refers to the singing and playing of gayageum at the same time. All Sanjo start with slow rhythm and gradually changes to faster rhythm, making listeners feel tense and increasingly delighted. Gayamgeum Sanjo is made up of four to six rhythms: jinyangjo (slow), jungmori (moderate), jungjungmori (moderately fast), jajinmori (fast), and hwimori (fastest). Compared to other instrument-based Sanjo, Gayageum Sanjo masters could form diverse schools thanks to the unique characteristics of gayageum. A singer engaging in Gayageum Byeongchang sings a part of danga or pansori to the accompaniment of his/her own gayageum playing. Gayageum Byeongchang used to be sung by Gayageum Sanjo masters, but the current tendency is for the separation between players of Sanjo and Byeongchang. A song sung as Byeongchang creates its own atmosphere due to the unique melody of gayageum. The following are well-known parts of Gayageum Byeongchang: Jebinojeonggi (Route of the Swallow's Trip) of Pansori Heungboga (Song of Heungbo), Sarangga (Song of Love) of Chunhyangga (Song of Chunhyang), Gogocheonbyeon (Brightness of the Sunshine in the Sky) of Sugungga (Song of the Rabbit and the Turtle), and “Sim Cheong’s Father on His Way to Hwangseong” of Simcheongga (Song of Sim Cheong).

Inscribed in 2011 (6.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Jultagi, or tightrope walking, is a traditional Korean performing art. Tightrope walking refers to the art of not only walking, but singing, dancing or performing acrobatics, while narrating funny stories, on a single thin rope suspended between two points. Tightrope walking, however, is not a one-man show. The rope walker, called jul gwangdae, obviously is the centre of attention but he needs other artists collaborating on the ground, such as the musicians to accompany his acrobatic feats and funny narratives, and a clown to retort to his remarks or answer questions as a dialogue companion. Today, tightrope walking performers are frequently invited to local festivals that take place throughout the country particularly in spring and autumn. It is a good way to get people excited and laughing in festivals. Since almost all the local festivals host tightrope walking performance, it became one of the traditional performing arts the general public can readily access and feel familiar with. As a full-scale show lasts the whole afternoon, it has to be carefully organized with acrobatics, narratives and music to maintain the audience’s interest and stifle yawns. The tightrope walker starts with simpler feats, gradually moving to more difficult acrobatics such as bouncing up and down from the rope, tumbling and somersaulting, and sitting on the rope with his legs crossed. He displays some 40 different rope techniques. Between his feats he cracks jokes and sings songs while the audience catches its breath from the nail-biting manoeuvres. Tightrope walking, in this regard, is not a simple presentation of rope techniques but an age-old form of integrated performing arts and entertainment. The Korean traditional tightrope walking is distinguished from similar arts of other countries in that it is not all about demonstrating a series of rope techniques but proceeds with dialogue between the rope walker and the clown, who constantly interact with the audience. In other words, the Korean tightrope show is not a unilateral presentation of fun and thrill but two-way communication between the performers and spectators, where the participants can adjust the routine to the atmosphere of the show. The show is for the enjoyment of both the performers and spectators. And this is what makes Korean tightrope walking unique and significant.

South Korea 2011