- THE THREE SOUND OF REVOLUTION / RING SOUND / MIDDLE SOUND / INDEX SOUND
Bela
(South Korea)
Bio:
bela is a musician and performance artist who presents extreme singing techniques and Korean traditional folk rhythms in a queer and class-conscious perspective. Coming from an underground club and experimental background, they rebuild pungmul into a dramatic performance akin to a modern gothic ritual that tells stories of the marginalized. Their latest release on Subtext and Unsound, Noise and Cries(2024), mixes and re-contextualizes autobiography and cultural critiques to embody many Korean youths who live through the pressurized realities in the South Korean capitalist dystopia.
CONCEPT
I chose 사계 (Four Seasons, 1989), a folk song that all South Koreans have likely heard at least once. Originally a worker’s union anthem, it has been covered multiple times by popular musicians and is taught in schools, especially by teachers who are union members. The lyrics describe the harsh realities of sewing labor and poor working conditions, released 19 years after Jeon Tae-il, a sewing worker and activist, tragically self-immolated in front of Pyeonghwa Market in protest. The song emerged at a time when South Korea’s neoliberal society was built on exploitative labor laws that forced young girls, often from rural areas, into grueling factory work to support their families.
In recent news, you might have seen South Koreans waving K-pop glow sticks in front of the National Assembly, chanting “impeachment.” President Yoon has faced criticism for his conservative stance on labor laws, including remarks about extending the current 52-hour work week to 120 hours. Given these issues, it seems like an apt time to revive class consciousness, infused with dance rhythms to help fight the cold of a harsh Korean winter—or to march at a pride parade.
The Swedish band The Knife, a favorite of mine since high school, could provide the perfect twist on this classic. I always thought this band made timeless beats, so this is a great combination in my mind. Expect a whimsical, energizing remix that connects the song’s historical context with today's issues, using both sound and movement to inspire solidarity and action.
Lyric
KOREAN
title: 사계 (노래를 찾는 사람들, 1989)
빨간 꽃 노란 꽃 꽃밭 가득 피어도
하얀 나비 꽃나비 담장 위에 날아도
따스한 봄바람이 불고 또 불어도
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
흰 구름 솜구름 탐스러운 애기 구름
짧은 샤스 짧은치마 뜨거운 여름
소금땀 비지땀 흐르고 또 흘러도
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
저 하늘엔 별들이 밤새 빛나고
찬바람 소슬바람 산너머 부는 바람
간밤에 편지 한 장 적어 실어 보내고
낙엽은 떨어지고 쌓이고 또 쌓여도
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
흰눈이 온 세상에 소복소복 쌓이면
하얀 공장 하얀 불빛 새하얀 얼굴들
우리네 청춘이 저물고 저물도록
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
공장엔 작업등이 밤새 비추고
빨간 꽃 노란 꽃 꽃밭 가득 피어도
하얀 나비 꽃나비 담장 위에 날아도
따스한 봄바람이 불고 또 불어도
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
ENGLISH
title: Four Seasons (People Seeking Songs, 1989)
Red flowers and yellow flowers bloom in the field,
And white butterflies, flower butterflies, fly over the fence,
Even if the warm spring breeze blows and blows,
The sewing machine keeps running, spinning away
Fluffy white clouds, charming baby clouds,
Short shirts and short skirts in the hot summer,
Salt sweat and perspiration flow and flow,
Yet the sewing machine keeps running, spinning away
Stars shine bright in the sky all night long
The chilly wind, the cold wind blows from over the hills,
I wrote a letter last night and sent it off,
Yet the fallen leaves fall, pile up, and keep piling up,
Still, the sewing machine keeps running, spinning away.
When the white snow covers the world,
The white factory, white lights, and the pure white faces,
Our youth fades and fades away,
But the sewing machine keeps running, spinning away.
The work light shine at the factory all night long
Even if red flowers and yellow flowers bloom abundantly in the field,
And white butterflies, flower butterflies, fly over the fence,
Even if the warm spring breeze blows and blows,
The sewing machine keeps running, spinning away
The sewing machine keeps running, spinning away
