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Slovenian music band becomes first Western one to give concert in DPRK

Xinhua, August 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Slovenian rock band Laibach gave a live performance Wednesday at Ponghwa Art Theater in Pyongyang, becoming the first Western band ever to play a concert in the Asian country.

Morten Traavik, artistic director of the band, said in his opening remarks that the Korean people should have every reason to be proud of their cultural heritage as he believes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a prosperous nation in respect of music and songs.

The DPRK's cultural exchanges with foreign countries and its eagerness to share knowledge and skills continue to grow under the leadership of top leader Kim Jong Un, he added.

In the 50-minute concert, the band presented some of the band's hit songs as well as world-famous songs like "Edelweiss" and "Do-Re-Mi" from the 1965 Oscar-winning musical, "The Sound of Music."

The band also jointly performed "Arirang," a typical Korean traditional folk song, with a DPRK female pianist.

Traavik explained that the band decided to perform in the country because he believed Laibach and the DPRK share certain characteristics, one of which is they are both closely associated with the energy of the masses.

Choosing well-known songs from "The Sound of Music" because the concert tried to convey a message that the sound of music is also a language of communication and can bring people together even in the most adverse circumstances, he added. Endi