Samulnori and A Gang of Tough, Cute Jockeys

I wanted to post a few clips of the performances at Korea Folk Village last week. I love all the clanging rhythms of samulnori (I'm pretty sure it's single-handedly responsible for why I wanted to get into the pots and bang them as a kid).



I'd been here once before when I was five and remember watching this farmer's dance. The ribbons! The pompoms! The feather-duster guy in the center and the funny, squealing horn! (Sorry, but the horn-blower was out of the frame the whole time).



And check out the guy in the video above. He is so OG. An incarnation of a long-ago, living and breathing rural farmhand and b-boy, at the center of a pompom 'n' percussion cypher.


The highlight of the day were these guys on horses. They would do tricks like flipping around the horse, gymnastics-style, or standing up with no hands as the animals galloped full-speed. I loved it. All the galloping was exciting, plus the little jockeys were ADORABLE, like anime come to life. One guy repeatedly exclaimed something that sounded like, "West side!" which we still say to each other once in a while during a lull in conversation.