K-Pop Academy [Week 8 - Homework]

The focus of this weeks class was traditional Korean music. Since I've heard Arirang (아리랑) a couple of times before, I decided to research about it for this weeks homework.

When I first read the lyrics, I thought it was a simply sad song about a woman losing her love but the more I researched about it, understood the true meaning of the song. This song is used to express the feeling of Korean sorrow and oppression (한) as well as bringing people together and trying to lift the spirits of the nation.

Therefore, I attempted to do a storyboard about Arirang.  It was pretty big so it took a while to stick up but here's the finished product. (It's surprising how much time I spent on this when I'm meant to studying for my last year uni exams. Yikes~!)

Story board about Arirang

Posing with the big storyboard

Additionally, I was fascinated by the Korean fusion songs I heard in class so I attempted to make one myself by combining the traditional Arirang song with Poison Gas (독기) by LeeSsang (리쌍). As the lyrics of Poison Gas also express the feeling of hardship and trying to overcome difficult obstacles in life, I thought it would go well with the meaning of Arirang.

The English translation of the song is:

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo

Arirang over the hill we go

(from Arirang)

I get up from this life that is like a ditch

I live by achieving what I want

I go up more more more, go up

(from Poison Gas)

I used the storyboard in the video to illustrate the story told in the Arirang song. This is my first ever attempt at mixing a song so I hope you guys like it~! ^^

-Tamanna