My favourite part of the Fringe is getting the chance to find that one unexpected show which really blows you away. There are plenty of opportunities to catch the celebrities and big names you’ve always wanted to see, but finding that small show which makes you fall in love with it completely by surprise is where the Fringe’s real value lies. For me, that act is Coreyah, and that show is ‘Whale of a Time’. While fairly popular in South Korea, Coreyah are in Edinburgh for the first time performing some of the music from their fairly lengthy record which gives the show its name.
It is through a combination of numerous musical styles including, but not limited to, traditional Korean folk, contemporary pop, and even a bit of psychedelic, that Coreyah create a incredibly complex and intensely beautiful sound unlike any I’ve heard in a long time. Many instruments I recognise are combined with a few I have never seen before (a traditional Korean string instrument called a geomungo and a traditional flute called a daegum). The result is mesmerising and wonderful, a layered sound full of distinctly separate parts.
The wide variety of percussion used in the show enhances this texture considerably. Two percussionists use a variety of drums, cymbals, and various other noise makers to create a rhythm section which is constantly changing, giving the music a sense of transience and dynamism.
What will obviously set Coreyah apart from any other folk show you’re likely to see at the Fringe is its instrumentation and almost entirely Korean lyricism. Yet there is something intensely familiar and recognisable about the show, even for those of us who do not speak Korean. A early cover of the Beatles’ ‘Norwegian Wood’ excellently blends a song familiar to the audience with Coreyah’s unfamiliar instrumentation. The result is a kind of bridge - a familiar yet unique and ethereal song serving as a reminder that music is a universal language. Ultimately, although unfamiliar to many, the band’s insistence on traditional Korean vocals and playing styles gives the stories of ‘Whale of a Time’ an excited sincerity which should be at the heart of folk music.
Although the venue is small, the sound is balanced marvelously and the lighting cues are spot on. On the whole, the performance shows that, although they are new to Edinburgh, they are veterans of the stage. Due to their relative obscurity here, anyone who attends ‘Whale of a Time’ will get an intimate performance of a highly polished show. The album itself contains more music than can fit in the allotted hour, so the audience is jokingly encouraged to come back to see a potentially different setlist. Being fortunate enough to have seen them once, I guarantee I will be back to see this wonderful group again while I have the chance.
