A group of sixteen BYU-Hawaii students were invited to perform Samul Nori, the Korean percussion song and dance, at the Waikiki Shell on Friday July 1st, for the Honolulu Centennial Celebration.
The BYU-Hawaii group, called Bu Seum Sae, played alongside Na Palapalai, The Makaha Sons, Aunty Genoa Keawe, and other local artists and cultural groups. Samul Nori is a traditional Korean percussion and dance originally performed at harvest time. Bu Seum Sae, has been recognized for their exciting mixture of traditional Korean beats with a young, contemporary style.
The group of young players was discovered by Honolulu's Korean Community last January when they performed at the 4th annual Korean Festival in Honolulu. Peter Kim, a member of the Honolulu Centennial Celebration Commission appointed by Mayor Mufi Hanneman, remembered the group and extended an invitation to play at the Centennial concert.
The idea for the group came to Jeong Hong when the PCC hosted a conference for Asian bankers in late 2001. "I was drumming for the Night Show and Canoe Pageant at the time and was asked to put together something Korean for a pre-show cultural exhibition," related Hong. "My brother and I used to play Samul Nori in Korea and decided to rent some drums and put a small group together for the event."
Soon after, Hong brought his own drums from home and began practicing and playing in small informal groups. More and more Korean students expressed interest in learning the drums until they officially organized Bu Seum Sae in the Fallof2004.
During Christmas break 2004 the group went to Waikiki to perform for the tourists on the strip. "We didn't start till 10pm so we only played for10 minutes before they made us stop," said Hong, "but in that ten minutes we earned $52 and realized the potential for earning money to buy more instruments."
Through two subsequent trips during that break they impressed some members of the local Korean community, earning them an invitation to perform at the Annual Korean Festival the next month. They also earned enough money to invest in some new drums for the group.
At the Annual Korean Festival, the Korean Community in Honolulu was shocked by the talent of the young students. "They didn't know about BYU-Hawaii or its Korean students," said Hong, "Now we are making many connections with the Korean community in Honolulu."
Jeong Hong has met personally with directors and other members of the major Korean cultural institutes in Honolulu, who are anxious to learn the youthful, energetic style of young BYU-Hawaii students, and share their knowledge and experience. Through their community connections the BYU-Hawaii students were also able to meet with Consul General Choi of the Korean Consulate who offered his resources to help the group import more instruments.
The group has played for Korean dignitaries, opened for BYU-Hawaii's culture night and is being invited to a growing number of Korean community activities including the Korean Sports Conference in September. In recognition of the increasing popularity of the group, the Samul Nori players plan to teach classes to non-Koreans this Fall through the BYUHSA Korean Cultural Club.
Their invitation to play at the Waikiki Shell comes not just as a recognition of their talent and dedication (including four hours of practice weekly),but to these Korean students, represents the recognition and embracing of Korean culture by non-Koreans and the fulfillment of the University's goal of creating peace internationally.