SsingSsing

SsingSsing (Hangul: 씽씽) was a South Korean band that fuses Korean folk music with genres including glam rock, disco, and psychedelic rock.[1] The band formed in 2010,[2] and gained international attention in 2017 after performing on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and at Globalfest at Webster Hall.[3][1] The band's six members include traditional singer Lee Hee-moon and music director Jang Young-gyu.[4][5] SsingSsing ended in October, 2018 and Lee Hee-moon has said "But it is a project band that has disbanded. I loved being a part of it, but as of now, I do not have a plan to do it again."[6]

SsingSsing
Performing at The Cedar Cultural Center in August 2017
Background information
OriginSouth Korea
Genres
Years active2010–2018
Members
  • Lee Hee-moon
  • Jang Young-gyu
  • Choo Da-hye
  • Shin Seung-tae
  • Lee Chul-hee
  • Lee Tae-won

Members
  • Lee Hee-moon (vocals)
  • Jang Young-gyu (music director, bass guitar)
  • Choo Da-hye (vocals)
  • Shin Seung-tae (vocals)
  • Lee Chul-hee (drums)
  • Lee Tae-won (electric guitar)[7]

Discography

Extended plays
Title Album details
SsingSsing
  • Released: August 7, 2017
  • Labels: Leeway Music & Media, Monday Brunch
  • Format: CD, digital download
Track listing
  1. 사시랭이소리
  2. 청춘가
  3. 노랫가락
  4. 산염불

Artistry

Visual presentation

The band describes their style as “authentic Korean traditional vocals with rock band music, combined with an extravagant visual style and stage manners.” [7]

SsingSsing’s performances often feature elaborate costuming and accessories. The singers dress in drag to reinterpret old Korean traditions,[7] in what The New York Times describes as an “irreverent but intriguing hybrid.”[1] Music critics Anastasia Tsioulcas and Bob Boilen in NPR’s All Songs Considered describe SsingSsing as “very glam, very rock and roll and very ready to play with the concept of gender. Because male shamans in Korean traditional art need to channel male and female spirits, the men in the band cross-dress.”[8]

In 2017

Vocalist Hee-moon Lee has elaborated on SsingSsing's trademark appearance, noting that the drag elements are more than just cosmetic styling:

“In Korean traditional art, male shamans, called baksu, have the body of a male. But as mediums, they need more than a single sexual identity, because they're channeling both male and female spirits. When I act a female character and sing, I have to overcome the fact of my being a male sorikkun (singer), and try my utmost to bring a more neutral, unisex feeling to the performance".[9][7]

Musical style

One of the folk styles that SsingSsing incorporates into their sound includes Gyeonggi Sori, which originates from the central province around Seoul. Gyeonggi Sori is recognized as one of the important Intangible Cultural Assets of Korea (Asset #57).[10] Other styles present in their music are Seodo Sori (which originates from the northwest provinces of North Korea), Hwanghae/Pyeongan folk songs, and the shamanistic-ritual based Seoul Gut.[11][12]

Heewon Kim calls attention to the rural elements of SsingSsing's use of folk Minyo style: “we can try to define the band’s genre as alternative Minyo rock. Minyo, which refers to Korean folk music, is characterized by its emphasis on strong vocal lines and lyrics that sing about peasant lives.”[7]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea notes that “in a fast-growing society where people tend to stray away from traditional rituals, SsingSsing brings them back in touch with the cultural roots of Korea through a very playful style, accessible for 21st century urban citizens.”[10][12] SsingSsing has also received accolades for bringing a different style of Korean music to global audiences beyond the typical K-Pop exports.[13][14]

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References
  1. Pareles, Jon (2017). "Review: At Globalfest, a World of Cultural Keepsakes With a Dance Beat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  2. "씽씽(SsingSsing) 소개" [SsingSsing Profile]. Mnet (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  3. Elder, Duncan (2017-10-25). "Cross-dressing, shamanism influenced rock band 'Ssing Ssing' gaining attention after NPR Tiny Desk performance". The Jeju Weekly. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  4. Park, Jin-hai (2017-12-25). "Band SsingSsing hits US with 'minyo rock'". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  5. "JANG Young-gyu". Korean Film Biz Zone. Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  6. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2019/07/690_271682.html
  7. Kim, Heewon (2017-10-24). "Ssing Ssing Sings Mash-Up of Korean Folk Music and Rock". The Korea Daily. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  8. "Our Top Discoveries From globalFEST 2017". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  9. "SsingSsing: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  10. Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of. "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". bel.mofa.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  11. "SsingSsing @ globalFEST 2017". Korean Cultural Center New York. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  12. "Notice: SsingSsing at the Joe's Pub". Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 30 Oct 2017.
  13. "The Korean Kontingent". sounds magazine. 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  14. "The best international music you've never heard of". New York Post. 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
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