7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 1. Chapter. Sinawi. Yong-Shik Lee

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1 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 1 Chapter Sinawi Yong-Shik Lee

2 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 2

3 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 115 Sinawi 115 Sinawi Sinawi is a musical genre performed by an instrumental ensemble. The genre requires the most extensive improvisation among Korean musical genres and showcases the highly developed artistic creativity and competence of the musicians. Sinawi was designated as the Intangible Cultural Asset No. 52 by the government in 1973, but was invalidated in 1975 when the holder of the genre, Ji Yeong-hui ( ), emigrated to the United States. The instrumentation for sinawi normally consists of the geomungo (6-stringed plucked zither), gayageum (12-stringed plucked zither), ajaeng (bowed zither), haegeum (2-stringed spike fiddle), piri (cylindrical double-reed bamboo oboe), daegeum (transverse bamboo flute), janggu (hourglass-shaped drum), and jing (gong). A singer sometimes joins the ensemble singing non-lexical vocables called gueum. Sinawi was originally performed by shaman-musicians during a ritual to accompany shaman s songs and dances in the southwestern province. The shaman-musicians were principally the male descendants of a shaman family whose vocation was inherited. Therefore, sinawi instrumentalists were ascribed musicians who developed virtuousic musical and improvisatory techniques from their childhood. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some of the masters developed a stage ensemble version of sinawi and a solo instrumental genre, called sanjo. Origin The term sinawi is derived from sanoe or sanae (Lee H.K. 1957: 247) of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE 935 CE). The ancient term, also recorded as hyangga ( native song ) or hyang-ak ( native music ) in the Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) and Samguk yusa (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), denotes local songs or religious folk music. It is thus believed that sinawi developed from shamanic music can be traced back to the Silla Dynasty. Another ancient term used during the Silla Kingdom is related to contemporary shamanic culture. The military-political leaders of the time were educated in the system of hwarang, translated as flower youth. The term hwarang currently denotes the male musicians of the hereditary shaman family. In other words, the ancient terms of sinawi and hwarang bare relationship to present-day Shamanism and its music.

4 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` SANJO Sinawi was also called simbanggok or sinbanggok in the earlier days. The term simbanggok is a compound word of simbang meaning shaman, 1 and gok meaning song or music. Therefore, simbanggok refers to a shaman s song (Lee B.H. 1971: 79). The term is found in the literature and musical scores of the Joseon Dynasty ( ). During the Joseon dynasty, the term also designated classical lyrical songs of the literati. For example, a 17th-century score for the geomun-go entitled Yanggeum sinbo, edited by Yang Deok-su in 1610, contains the term simbanggok along with the title of a lyrical song Jungdaeyeop, a progenitor of the present gagok songs <Figure 1>. The texts of the song are found in shamanic songs of the southern region (Lee Y.S. 2006: 101). It reads as Onari onari soseo, Maeil e onari soseo (Come, please come, come everyday). However, the musical relationship between shamanic music and the songs of the literati have not yet been explored in depth. <Figure 1> Simbanggok shown in a 17-century musical score ( NCKTPA) Sinawi and simbanggok, however, were not restricted to shamanic music. The two developed into professional instrumental genres during the last dynasty. A 19th-century anthology, entitled Geumok chongbu written by a well-known singer An Min-yeong (1816-?), recorded that simbanggok was performed by Choe Chi-hak on the gayageum and Kim

5 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 117 Sinawi 117 Gun-sik on the tungso, a long vertical bamboo flute. Some semi-professional musicians performed simbanggok or sinawi on the tungso for many occasions, including parties and festivals in the northeastern Hamgyeong-do Province (Yi J.W. 2001: 73). An early-20thcentury theorist Ham Hwa-jin (1948: 210) argued that Kim Chang-jo ( ), one of the first sanjo players, created his sanjo solo music based on the simbanggok that was performed during the late 19th century. It is thus believed that simbanggok or sinawi were not restricted to the religious music, but became a secular professional musical genre in the 19th century. Types of Sinawi Different kinds of sinawi have developed in various regions throughout Korea. Most musicologists agree that the musical characteristics of Korean folk music, which include folk and shamanic songs, have pronounced regional differences (Lee Y.S. 2006). The musical areas in Korea generally correspond to the linguistic areas of the northwest, central, southwest, east, and Jeju Island. There are four regional variants of sinawi: Gyeonggi sinawi in the central Gyeonggi-do Province, Namdo sinawi in the southwestern Jeolla-do Province, Taryeong sinawi in the northwestern Hwanghae-do Province, and Tungso sinawi in the northeastern Hamgyeong-do Province. Another version of sinawi performed by the taepyeongso (conical double-reed oboe) and percussions, thus, called taepyeongso sinawi, has evolved recently. <Figure 2> Regional variants of sinawi

6 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` SANJO Gyeonggi and Namdo sinawi are based on the shamanic music of the southwestern region where hereditary shaman-musicians have preserved shaman rituals. Thus, these forms claim closer ties to an authentic prototypes of sinawi. Gyeonggi and Namdo sinawi share the same musical idiom, called yukjabaegi tori or sinawi je, which consists of the basic scale degrees of mi, sol, la, do-ti, and re. Among the scale degrees, the three tones of mi, la, and ti (an interval of a 4th plus a 2nd) are central with la being the cadential tone and tonal center. Mi, the lowest tone, is distinguished from other tones with its dramatic vibrato in production. Also, a sliding appoggiatura from do to ti and frequently descending melodies with microtonal embellishments create a melancholic and expressive mood. But Gyeonggi and Namdo sinawi differ from one another in terms of their rhythm and instrumentation. For example, one of the most common dances that Namdo sinawi used to accompany is called salpuri, literally meaning exorcism, in a 12/8 meter, while the counterpart of Gyeonggi sinawi, called dosalpuri 2, is in a 6/4 meter (Choi T.H. 2005: 118). Namdo sinawi employs zither instruments such as the gayageum and ajaeng. Gyeonggi sinawi, however, does not include zithers and is played on samhyeon yuggak normally consisting of the piri, daegeum, haegeum, janggu and buk. The taryeong sinawi in Hwanghae-do Province is performed on samhyeon yuggak. The music was performed in shamanic rituals, mask dances and other festive occasions. Its musical idiom is called the gyeong tori and consists of the pentatonic scale of sol, la, do, re, and mi. The tungso sinawi in Hamgyeong-do Province was mainly performed on the tungso flute for entertainment. Its musical idiom is called menari tori and consists of the pentatonic scale of mi, sol, la, do, and re. Among them the three tones of mi, la, and do (an interval of a 4th plus a 3rd) are central with la being the cadential tone and tonal center. In other words, both the Taryeong sinawi and Tungso sinawi have different musical characteristics than the southern Gyeonggi and Namdo sinawi (Yi J.W. 2001: 72-73). The northern Taryeong sinawi and Tungso sinawi have practically been disappeared from the contemporary musical world due to a lack of knowledgeable practitioners who are familiar with the two forms. Only a small number of early recordings of the northern sinawi forms exist to this date. Sinawi as Stage Music Sinawi became a genre performed on stage during the first half of the 20th century. In 1928, sinawi was first recorded as a Standard Play (SP) phonograph recording by the Victor

7 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 119 Sinawi 119 Recording Company of Japan. The recording was entitled Sinbanggok and featured four movements of jinyangjo jungmori salpuri jajinmori. It was performed by four musicians; Sim Sang-geon on the gayageum, Baek Nak-jun on the geomun-go, Han Seongjun on the piri, and Yi Jung-seon on the janggu. These instrumentalists were the masters of the time: Sim Sang-geon ( ) and Baek Nak-jun ( ) were the founders of their own gayageum and geomun-go sanjo schools, respectively. Han Seong-jun ( ) was a multi-talented piri musician, drum accompanist, and dancer. 3 Yi Jung-seon was a famous female entertainer, or gisaeng. <Figure 2> Sinawi performance ( NCKTPA) An analysis of the 1928 recording intimates a significant turning point in the history of sinawi music. First, the instrumentation is not typical for sinawi music derived from shaman ritual music. The inclusion of the two zithers in the 1928 recording sinawi suggests that sinawi had come to be a staged genre detached from its religious context. Second, it should be noted that the three male musicians hailed from the midwestern Chungcheong-do Province. Although ritual sinawi blossomed in the southwestern Jeonla-do and midwestern Gyeonggi-do Provinces, it was not restricted to those regions only. Many musicians from the Chungcheong-do Province were virtuosos of sinawi music, as exemplified by the three aforementioned musicians. They too created their own regional musical styles. Third, the progression from slower to faster tempos reflects a similar musical structure that is used in modern sinawi and sanjo. In short, during the early 20th century, sinawi developed into a representative staged performance genre that detached from its local religious context.

8 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` SANJO In the early 20th century, sinawi was not restricted to ensemble music but became a solo instrumental genre. In earlier times, the term sinawi actually denoted solo instrumental music according to the aforementioned 19th-century publication Geumok chongbu. Many masters recorded solo sinawi music in the early 20th century when the genre flourished. For example, Han Seong-jun recorded the piri solo sinawi with Columbia Record in Other musicians were famous for their solo sinawi on flutes; Pak Jong-gi on the daegeum, Yu Dong-cho on the tungso, and Jeon Yong-seon on the danso. During the 1930s many Gyeonggi sinawi masters made appearances on radio programs. The artist included: Ji Yong-gu (haegeum), Kim Deok-jin (haegeum), Bang Yonghyeon (daegeum), Yi Il-seon (piri), and Han Seong-jun (piri and janggu). Their repertory consisted of genres such as Yeombul, Taryeong, Sinawi, and Gutgeori. Yeombul, Taryeong, and Gutgeory are repertories of daepungryu, or bamboo instrumental music, usually performed in shamanic rituals, mask dances, and other festive occasions. In other words, the sinawi performed in the Gyeonggi-do Province was principally intermingled with daepungryu music. Since the division of the peninsula into north and south after the Korean War ( ), the term sinawi came to be restricted to just Gyeonggi and Namdo styles. It seems that sinawi in Communist North Korea was suppressed because it was not accordance with the government-approved art forms of socialist realism. In South Korea, many master musicians developed solo sinawi which eventually developed to sanjo; Ji Yeong-hui on the haegeum, Seong Geum-ryeon on the gayageum (see < Figure2 > in Chapter of this volume), and Yi Saeng-gang on the piri and daegeum, for example. Sinawi also came to be a fixed form which had formal rhythmic and modal schemes and a fixed melodic structure (Lee B.H. 2002: 890). 4 In the meantime, the salpuri chum ( exorcism dance ) which was also emerged from shamanic dances eventually became a staged dance accompanied by sinawi. Sinawi as Improvisatory Music One of the most significant musical characteristics of sinawi is its element of improvisation. As the accompanying music for the songs and dances performed by shamans, sinawi naturally resulted in improvisation. Korean shamans are not only ritual priests but also virtuoso musicians and dancers. They must know many of kinds of songs in order to

9 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 121 Sinawi 121 usher in, entertain, and send off deities during a ritual (Lee Y.S. 2004: 227). The accompanying musicians, ascribed artists whose musical competence has been inherited from their parents, have to rely on improvisation in order to accompany various songs and dances that may be performed spontaneously during a ritual. Eventually, it is not surprising to listen to a masterful improvisatory sinawi during a shaman ritual. This type of improvisation came to be an indispensable trait of the staged version of sinawi as well. The major element that regulates sinawi during an improvisation is the jangdan or the rhythmic cycle. In most cases, the musicians agree on the sequence of jangdan before the performance. Sinawi usually begins with slow jinyangjo in a 18/8 meter and gradually processes to a moderate jungmori in a 12/4 meter. This is followed by a moderate salpuri in a 12/8 meter, and concludes with a fast jajinmori in a 12/8 meter. Within the prescribed jangdan framework and abstract modal configuration the melody flows with heterophonic and polyphonic lines. Lee Byong-won describes the improvisatory traits of sinawi as follows: The performance of sinawi depends upon the highly developed spontaneous creativity of the musicians. The prescribed rhythmic patterns and abstract modal configuration are only points of reference for extemporization in the entire duration of the performance which may last for hours. The melodic multipart juxtaposition in sinawi is highly unpredictable; the music will be different each time it is played, even if it is performed by the same musicians. In a shaman ritual or a concert situation, each player has a varied number of stock melodic motifs or phrases which rarely match the full length of the rhythmic cycle. Each motif usually consists of no more than three tones composed of intervals of perfect fourth or lower. Although sinawi musicians are unaware of the number of viable and variable stock melodies, they often create new motifs spontaneously. These motifs and phrases are freely interwined, interwoven, and juxtaposed against each other (Lee B.W. 1997: 36).

10 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` SANJO <Figure 3> A phrase of sinawi (Kim H. S. 1994: 16) Sinawi is a representative improvisational musical genre which permits individual variations and improvisation during the course of performance. The aesthetic quality of sinawi is based on how well the performers can interweave their art instantaneously with such limited models for extemporization and how well they can intensify the ecstasy of the dancer through their artistic creativity (Lee B.W. 1997: 39). Many sinawi musicians have thus performed solo sinawi music as a means to display their artistic creativity and competence. The solo sinawi music eventually developed into the instrumental solo called sanjo.

11 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` 123 Sinawi The term simbang denotes the shaman on Jeju Island. A variant form, seungbang, refers to shamans in the southern coastal area. 2 Lee Hye-gu (1957: 248) argues that the term dosalpuri was derived from one of the ancient songs of the Silla Kingdom entitled Dosolga. 3 Han Seong-jun is the choreographer of many modern Korean dances including Salpuri (exorcism dance), Hakchum (crane dance), and Taepyeongmu (peaceful dance). 4 Lee Bo-hyung (2002: 890) distinguishes the fixed sinawi from the original sinawi which accompanied shaman songs and dances, the nonritual sinawi performed as a solo or in an ensemble, and the transitional sinawi which still maintained its improvisational style but eventually developed into sanjo.

12 7_ ˆ (115_124) :19 PM ` SANJO References Choe Tae-hyeon Sinawi myeongching baegyeong gwa eumakjeok jogeon [Background and condition of sinawi], Hanguk Eumak Sahakbo [Journal of Korean Historico-Musicological Society], vol. 35. Ham Hwa-jin Joseon Eumak Tongnon [A Study of Korean Music], Seoul: Joseon Munhwa Chongseo. Kim Hae-suk Minsok eumak eui jjaimsae: sinawi reul jungsim euro [Texture of folk music: focusing on sinawi], Han-guk Eumak Yeon-gu [A Study of Korean Music], vol. 22. Lee Bo-hyung (Yi Bo-hyeong) Sinawi gwon ui musok eumak [Shaman ritual music in sinawi area], Munhwa Inryuhak [Cultural Anthropology], vol. 4. Lee Bo-hyung Sinawi, in Robert C. Provine et al eds., The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music v. 7, East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea. New York: Routledge. Lee Byeong Won Styles and Esthetics in Korean Traditional Music, Seoul: National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. Lee Hye-ku (Yi Hye-gu) Han-guk Eumak Yeon-gu [A Study of Korean Music], Seoul: Sumundang. Lee Yong-Shik Shaman Ritual Music in Korea, Seoul: Jimoondang. Lee Yong-Shik (Yi Yong-sik) Minsok, Munhwa, geurigo Eumak [Folk, Culture, and Music], Seoul: Jimoondang. Yi Jin-won Sinawi ui saeroun jeongui siron [A new perspective on the definition of sinawi], Han-guk Eumak Sahakbo [Journal of Korean Historico-Musicological Society] Vol. 27.