[KS] Korean song about the Hamhung evacuation (Noh Kwang Woo )

[Stefan Ewing]

Dear KS list members:

In reply to Richard Miller's last two questions, (1) "Kusseo^ra Ku^msun'a" 
was written by Pak Sich'un, with lyrics by Kang Sarang 
(http://musicsearch.naver.com/search.naver?where=music_popup&query=32491_000300007); 
and (2) Hyeon In was born in Gupo/Kup'o (in the Busan/Pusan area) on 14 
December 1919, and passed away on 13 April 2002 
(http://100.naver.com/100.php?id=767551).

Hyeon In seems to have had a knack for choosing especially poignant, 
haunting songs, the melodies of all the most representative of which having 
been written by Pak Sich'un:

* "Pi Naerinu^n Komoryo^ng"--with lyrics by Ho Tong-a--is a moving piece 
about a person displaced during the Japanese colonial period, pining to 
return to his/her hometown (over Komo Pass in northeastern Taegu/Daegu.  At 
number 424 on Kumyoung noraebang systems, it's my favourite kayo.)

* The hauntingly tuneful "Sillau^i Talpam"--lyrics by Yu Ho--is about the 
musings of a guest staying at Pulguksa on a moonlit night, intoxicated by 
the historicity of his surroundings.

Proof of Hyeon In's songs' enduring popularity is perhaps evident in that 
"Kusseo^ra Ku^msun'a" and "Sillau^i Talpam" have both been borrowed as the 
titles of a recent television series and movie respectively.

As for "Besame Mucho," Naver returns many results for the song's title 
combined with Hyeon In's name, but nothing more precise than "the 1960s" 
jumps out as a date for the song.

Hoping this is of help,
Yours sincerely,
Stefan Ewing

***

>From: Richard Miller <rcmiller at wisc.edu>
>Reply-To: Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>To: Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>Subject: Re: [KS] Korean song about the Hamhung evacuation (Noh Kwang Woo )
>Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:08:19 -0600
>
>Kamsahapnida, Noh-ssi! Someone else (Sung Cho) added an opening line that 
>is
>very close to what the veteran remembered (ch On the dock of Hungnam with
>the snow flurried by strong windch ). I found a recording of the song 
>with
>lyrics enclosed in my university library.
>
>Now my questions are 1) Does anyone know the composer (the disc in my
>library doesn't list one), and 2) does anyone have dates for Hyeon In? One
>newspaper story I found online suggests 1919-2002; another fails to provide
>dates but does suggest that he introduced the song "Besame mucho" to Korea
>in the early 1960s...
>
>Thank you again,
>
>Richard
>Richard Miller
>University of Wisconsin-Madison
>http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/rcmiller/web/

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