With one foot in the world of tradition and another in glitzy upbeat pop, Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) is a multi-award winning group, featuring three powerhouse female folk singers and a rich repertoire inspired by Korea’s sacred, shamanic ritual music (gut) and beloved folk songs (minyo) of Hwanghae Province in the northern reaches of the peninsula.
On Saturday, June 18, Caravan World Rhythms and the Korean Cultural Centre of Canada present Korean Shamanic Folk-Pop award winners ADG7. The show takes place at Capital Ballroom (858 Yates Street) and tickets $20 in advance (caravanbc.com) or $30 at the door.
As Bob Boilen at NPR Music described it: “A most astonishing show musically and immensely entertaining—WOW!!!”
The powerful performance of ADG7 engages and immerses like no other, presenting the spiritual blessings and positive energy of traditional music in a thoroughly modern and often comical style.
ADG7 was organized in 2015, the year Korea commemorated its 70th anniversary of national liberation. By reconnecting with and reimagining shared Korean cultural roots, ADG7 expresses the true meaning of liberation and the desire for unification.
The group’s recognitions include Best Group at the 2018 KBS Korean Traditional Music Awards and the Sori Frontier Award at the 2017 Jeongju International Sori Festival, plus recent performances at WOMEX (World Music Expo) 2019 and globalFEST 2020 as an official artists.
“There’s a flowering folk-roots revival in South Korea—but no band combines virtuosity, charisma and pure energy like Ak Dan Gwang Chill,” says Songline.“You’ll believe this band can fly.”