Korean 'gukak' fusion, jazz, classical music to fill Madrid this fall

The Korean Cultural Center in Spain will showcase Korean "gukak" fusion, jazz and classical music in Madrid next month through two back-to-back music festivals, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. The center will host the 2026 Korea Sound Festival and the 2026 Korean Classical Music Festival to introduce Spanish audiences to Korean genres beyond K-pop. Held under the theme “New Rhythms of Korean Music,” the Korea Sound Festival will feature fusion “gugak” (Korean traditional music) group Jena at Sala Villanos on Nov. 1, and jazz group Kim Oki Trio with Ara at Teatros Luchana on Nov. 13. Jena combines the sounds of traditional Korean instruments, such as the “haegeum,” a two-stringed fiddle, and the “daegeum,” a large bamboo flute, with a modern band to perform music that crosses over gugak, tango and jazz. Saxophonist Kim Oki, a prominent figure on the Korean indie music scene, will perform with vocalist Ara and his project group. Kim, who won Musician of the Year at the 2020 Korean Music Awards, is known for genre-defying, free-form music, and will