Definition

The music of Samulnori traces its roots to traditional music in several different contexts. In Nong-ak (farmers' music), professional bands of 24 or more performers perform. They usually include eight musicians playing instruments, eight dancers performing on hand-held drums (sogo), and eight actors who mimic various characters and the T'aep'yongso (conical oboe) players. The musicians in a Nong-ak band performed with Samul, the same four instruments (kwaengwari, jing, janggu, and buk) that Samulnori musicians use.

Buddist tradition uses two sets of objects (not strictly for entertainment purposes) that are also called Samul. One set is part of the ritual lifestyle of the temple: the Beopgo (a drum, covered with cow leather and played in front of the Buddha), the Unpan (a type of gong, placed in the kitchen and used to summon the monks to their meals), Mokeo (a hollow wooden block, made in the shape of a carp and struck when the Sutra are read), and the Beomjong (a large bell). The instruments which accompany ritual dance (Beomp'ae) are also known as Samul. These include the Cheng, Buk, T'aepyoungso, and Mokt'ak.

Samulnori, the music that managed to dominate the Korean music world in the 1980s, can be described as the transformation of Nong-ak (which is performed outdoors) into a form suitable for the modern stage. The repertoire which the group has made standard over the years also provides good evidence that the group's origins come from Nong-ak, while its stage performance form comes from Anjunban, rather than the nonstop drumming and dancing of Nong-ak.However one wishes to trace its origins, wherever its performance style takes its inspiration and no matter what terms we use to describe its inner character, the important point is that the music of Samunori has had a tremendous impaction on modern Korean music history, especially during the '80s. Kim Duk Soo's Samulnori has been responsible for an epoch with a major impact on Korean music. The impression that the group has made has been described as shocking and irresistible as the force of a sudden gust of wind. The ensemble has covered six continents in their travels. And for those whose sensibilities have become somewhat jaded, Samulnori has provided a fresh and startling impulse. Over 1,000 performances at home and abroad and the production of 16 albums have been the result of the group's global vibrations