Muak

Muak, or Musok Eumak, is the traditional Korean shamanistic music performed at and during a shamanistic ritual, the Gut.[1] It consists of singing, dancing and percussion music.

The traditional Korean shaman ritual, the Gut, is always in harmony with singing, dancing and performing music. It is not performed solely for spiritual rites, but also allows experiencing the archetype of traditional Korean music.

The Shaman priests, acting as intercessors between the spiritual world and human beings, inherit the right to perform the shaman rituals through bloodline. They study the rites and traditions from their parents by attending the rituals since their childhood. The important elements of the ritual, as well as technical and artistic skills, are handed down from generation to generation and have not been altered. Traditionally, the Gut shaman ritual has been performed by a priest, however today it is hardly performed for spiritual purposes anymore, but instead as a cultural asset of the arts on stage.

The rhythmic patterns of Muak have changed little in the last 500 years and remain close to their original ancestral form. Blending this with various improvisations of rhythm allows audiences an insight into mystic contemporary music in Korea. Today, there are still famous shaman priests in Korea who evoke our human creative instinct with their performances.