AASSA(Korea, Burkina Faso)

AASSA(Korea, Burkina Faso)

Oct.06(Sat) 20:40 / Double stage(Norimadang)

All Free

Performance presentation

Afro Asian SSound Act(AASSA) is a newly formed band who combines two deep roots of world music: African beats with Asian melodic structure. They call it ‘Afro-Asian Electro Funk’. AASSA’s Afro-Asian Electro Funk does not hesitate to focus not only on the traditional folk music of both continents, but also on the modern African-influenced pop music such as blues, funk, soul, and hip-hop.


AASSA’s instrumental formation itself is very experimental: 3 members blend unique combinations of instruments and singing style.


Kiwan Sung, the leader, plays guitar, drum machine & synthesiser, who is strongly influenced by the great West-African blues guitarist and singer-song-writer Ali Farka Toure. As a former leader of Korean indie band ‘3rd Line Butterfly(3호선 버터플라이) and winner of Korean Music Awards ‘Song of the Year(Modern rock)’ in 2013, he composes songs which have many layers of rhythmic and harmonic elements of Afro-Asian music style.


Yorm Han(RHOMBVS), a main vocalist, sings basically in Korean traditional singing style(she studied Aesthetics and Composition/Musiocology in Seoul National University), But she also combines R&B style and sometimes even experiments with Bjork’s vocal style. As a good improviser, she sings also with ‘Gueum(구음)’ style, improvising freely with African beats.


Amidou Balani Diabate, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, plays many African instruments including Balafon(African xylofon), Ngoni(African guitar), Djembe, Calebasse & Tamani, etc. Balafon is his main instrument(Balani means 'balafon player'). Especially ‘Calebasse’, simple but very important West-African percussion, covers very wide range of sound, from heavy bass hit to high attacky beat. Born from a “Griot Family”, he studied and played music since he was 5 years old, because the Griot family, traditional African poet and musician family, teaches music from very young age. His rhythm is based on poly-rhythmic structure, so his rhythmic approaches are very complex and dynamic. He also plays ‘Ngoni’, African traditional guitar, which has a mysterious scales.


* This performance will be held in the following time.

Oct.06(Sat) 20:40 Double stage(Norimadang) / Oct.07(Sun) 11:00 Forest stage(Osong-je)