Donald Trump and his strange affair with North Korea, among other things to say the least, has brought the world to the edge of their seat as they wait to see how this reality star will act as aa leader of first world nation. Most recently, Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a summit in Singapore in which to track the reunification of North and South Korea as well as other subjects they may feel they need to discuss. As it seems, the media and even the music industry are leaving their mark in relation to the summit.
In acknowledgment of the “peace” summit in Singapore, the band Laibach has released an interpretation of a Korean folk-song “Arirang.”
The original sound of the “Arirang” usually remained within the realm of an anthem, as if it is a way in which the people of Korea can honor their culture and homeland. In fact, “Arirang” has been considered by the Republic of Korea as their unofficial national anthem. Due to its popularity, there are around 3600 variations of the song on top of 60 different versions. The Republic of Korea has estimated the song to be about 600 years old give or take a few years.
Laibach’s version of the esteemed folk-song, though, is much more intimate as the only instrument used is a piano. About a minute in, a deep and robust man’s voice speaks the english translation of the song before he goes into a melodic falsetto so as to sing the original Korean of the chorus. As quickly as the song starts it ends. The beautiful sad variation of this song really seems to bring in more emotion to the piece. See the whole audio below alongside its beautiful visual art.
Laibach is an avante-garde band hailing from Trbovlje, Slovenia that has been a part of the world music scene since their debut in 1980. During their North Korean tour, Laibach performed a different rendition of this song, but more true to the original form. The band is currently about to embark on a small European tour so book your tickets soon! Check the dates below.
Laibach Tour
June 22 – Murska Sobota, Slovenia – Festival Soboški dnevi
June 24 – Škofja Loka, Slovenia – Škofjeloški grad
June 29 – Celje, Slovenia – Festival Celjski grad
August 3 – Fara, Slovenia – Castle Kolpa Music Festival
August 9 – Jaromer, Czech Republic – Brutal Assault Festival (Fortress Josefov)
September 7 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Križanke (with Philharmonic Orchestra)
September 20 – Graz, Austria – Steireischer Herbst Festival (performing The Sound of Music)
October 11 – Moscow, Russia – Glav Club (performing Also Sprach Zarathustra & The Sound of Music)
October 13 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Erarata (performing Also Sprach Zarathustra & The Sound of Music)
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
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