South Korea hosted its first Street Jazz Festival over the weekend of June 17-19 in the city of Jeonju. Several New Orleans musicians performed at the event in Hanok Village, accompanied by Alana Harris, deputy director of arts and culture within the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy.
“I am proud of our artists and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy for working to create this lasting partnership with Jeonju, South Korea,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “My administration has been proactive in starting and reigniting international relationships and exchanges, which allow New Orleans to enjoy its place as a truly international cultural and economic center. Our culture—with its strong historical roots, lively presence, and hopeful future—only benefits from being shared and learning from cultures around the world. I look forward to a long and productive relationship with Jeonju.”
The Street Jazz Festival was headlined by James Andrews & the Crescent City All-Stars. Several Korean jazz bands also performed, including the Brassonit Big Band, considered one of South Korea’s best big bands, the Lee-Kun-hee quintet, Lim In-gun band, and BMK, a leading figure in the Korean soul genre. Additional artists included Kim Seung-su, Kim Ju-hwan, and DK Hwang.
“It is an honor for the City of New Orleans and its musicians to participate in Jeonju’s inaugural Jazz Festival,” said Lisa Alexis, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy. “This opportunity to share the richness and uniqueness of New Orleans culture with our friends and city partners in South Korea is invaluable for New Orleans as a city and for our artists, who will gain international exposure and experience. We hope that this will be the start of a new tradition between our two cities and are looking forward to continuing to benefit each other through imparting our cultural gifts.”
According to Victor M. K. Kaye, jazz first arrived on the Korean peninsula in 1926 with the Korean Jazz Band. The music, writes Kaye, “wouldn’t be regarded as a pure form of jazz but at that time in Korea, “jazz” also referred to different styles of Western music: swing, jazz, blues and music performed by big bands.” South Korea’s first jazz club opened in 1976: “Chinese-American Myeong-Deok Ma opened the jazz club, All That Jazz, in the Itaewon area in Seoul. In the club, he played music from high-quality jazz albums he had brought from the US. He also gave performers opportunities to play traditional bebop jazz.” There are now an estimated 40 jazz clubs across the nation.
