Party to the end

North Korea is perhaps the most closed and mysterious country of the planet. For decades, the residents of the DPRK have been living in a space isolated from the rest of the world - in the information bubble, from which sounds and voices are sometimes reported. The DPRK culture, and music in particular, is taken under the control of the state, which uses it for propaganda purposes. The best musical ensembles that perform patriotic songs in the style of “Thejun Kayo” cope with this role. This style combines classic and Korean traditional musical forms similar to the Soviet patriotic song. Military marches and hymns, as well as songs about the merits of the leaders of the Kim Il Sen dynasty and a happy life in the country, sound literally everywhere. On TV, they go instead of advertising pauses.

In most cases, the songs are performed by miniature women under the accompaniment of the choir and orchestra. The composition and execution of music in the DPRK is under the full control of the party, in connection with this, the whole lyrics are life -affirming. A lot of music is written for revolutionary films and operas that glorify the regime.

Only Tajun Kayo, only a patriotic song.

“As the great leader pointed out that the song really serves the cause of the revolution and the people, it should be popular, consonant with national emotions, modern aesthetic tastes. In other words, our song should not be created on the basis of loud Western music, but by taking our soft, lyrical folk song as a sample, making it a gentle, colorful and elegant, consonant with the emotions of our people living in the era of the labor party ” - so, according to the Internet, said the previous DPRK leader Kim Jong Ir.

Among the permitted musical performers are Jung Heyon and Ri Phunhi - two young singers performing lyrical lingering songs in Korean. Their manner of singing is somewhat reminiscent of the hybrid of Lyudmila Zykina and Valentina Tolkunova. Try to distinguish one from the other (the hint - Ri Phuunhi in a blue dress):

Among the permitted groups, orchestras prevail: the National Orchestra "Yunhasa", the Vanjesan light music team, the Mansuda troupe and the Electronic ensemble "Hatchdow" . There is also a state symphony orchestra, orchestra of the Pyongyang film studio, orchestra of central radio and television and several military orchestras.

The ensemble of electronic music "Zakhonbo" is one of the most famous pop ensembles of the DPRK. The ensemble is named after the Battle of Hatching, which occurred on July 4, 1937. The main repertoire of the ensemble: patriotic songs, as well as folk Korean compositions in modern processing. To understand what the ensemble sings about, it is enough to look at the names of the songs: “That's thanks to the Leader's Care ” , “We Love You” , “We are happy , “ I shall be your Son forever ” and so on. The team often performs Soviet songs, such as “Million Scarlet Roses”, “Three Tankers”, “Smuckle”. On Last . The FM ensemble "Zakhonbo" was marked by the tags " Synthpop Propaganda" and "North Korea Best Korea" . Currently, “Frequelbo” has more than 150 albums and more than a thousand songs.

In 2013, the world media reprinted the news about the execution of the Boconbo vocalist Hyun Sleep Vol, who was also the lover of Kim Jong -un. Together with her, according to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo , they also shot other musicians of the orchestra, as well as dancers and performers from the Vanjesan group. Later, the special delegate of the DPRK Committee on Cultural Relations with foreign countries said that it was a lie and provocation, and Hyun’s dream will act on September 9, 2013, on the day of the founding of the republic, but no evidence that this concert took place.

Hyun Sleep will sings in Russian:

Another popular ensemble "Moranbon Bend" consists completely of women-this is the first Gerls-Bend in North Korea. The group was formed in 2012, according to the personal instructions of Kim Jong -un, “in accordance with the requirements of the new century and the grandiose plan: to achieve a sharp turn in art.” It is believed that this revolutionary turn is associated with the shaft of South Korean pop music, smuggling entering the DPRK, and the need to create a domestic competitive product. Perhaps that is why girls from Moranbon perform in short dresses and in high heels. A group involving violins, drums, synthesizers, electrihitars and smuggles, clearly like a young leader - a year ago they performed at the New Year's concert “Party to the end” immediately after the leader’s congratulatory words:

In addition to the stage in the musical world, the DPRK has the right to exist modern classical music, which is represented by the genre of revolutionary opera, which arose in the early 1970s, by opera productions on patriotic themes. One of the most popular revolutionary operas - the “sea of ​​blood” tells about the mass murder of Koreans during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The authorship of the libretto and even music is attributed to the great leader Kim Jong Ira. The "sea of ​​blood" is performed at the Pyongyansky Bolshoi Theater three to four times a week.

Symphony "Sea of ​​Blood" in three parts:

As a rule, the DPRK musicians are prohibited from touring for other countries, but there are exceptions. The Mansude Art Truppa visited more than 50 countries of the world to "contribute to friendship with progressive peoples." The troupe represents dance numbers, as well as choral and solo performances.

Officially, the DPRK has neither rock music, nor jazz, nor rap-nor other genres of popular music common in the world. Only Tajun Kayo, only a patriotic song. But on the Internet you can find the North Korean group Red War (붉은전쟁), playing Death Metal . By 2010, the group recorded three tracks: “ War with U.​ S.​ A. " , " Stop Imperialism and Painful​ Hate Until Death " . This is all information about the team that is available on the network. It is a Red War fake or not is unknown.

According to Reuters , in North Korea, listening to the music of neighbors-South Korea, whose show business has now caught up and somewhat overthrow the American, is regarded as a crime. Western music is actively condemned by government propaganda, which calls all the alien music “jazz”. However, not so long ago, the journalist Roman Super writes in the DPRK that they are abundantly and illegally imported foreign music on compact disks, and in public libraries from under the floor they listen to the Beatles . In other words, the cultural blockade cracked-Western music and pop culture poured into the country. Kim Jong -un regime is threatened?