E2024-G166

The Voice of Tradition: Im Bang-ul and Namdo Pansori

Narrative

Im Bang-ul (1904-1961) was a renowned pansori singer born in Gwangju. Im was a nephew of Kim Chang-hwan, a master pansori singer. From the age of 12, he began training in pansori under his uncle. To improve his voice, he trained in a cave on Jirisan Mountain from the age of 17. This resulted in a hoarse voice suited to sad songs. He debuted in 1929 at 25 years old with the song Ssukdaemori and went on to achieve great success, selling 1.2 million albums. His work greatly influenced Namdo Pansori refers to the pansori tradition in Jeollanam-do Province. Gwangju hosts several events to commemorate Im Bang-ul, such as the Im Bang-ul Gugak Festival. The city also features Im's birthplace, an exhibition hall, a training center, as well as a statue.