Inspirings Songs From North Korea

With the tour of the performance of the New York Philharmonic in North Korea, you might think that this is the first time orchestral music has been heard in Pyongyang. But that's apparently not the case. According to an article published February 20 on the Korean Central News Agency website, "works of orchestral music of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are enthusiastically acclaimed by the audience for their versatile and unique themes and techniques of performance."

Symphonies such as

• The Sea of Blood
• The Flower Girl
• The Fate of a Self-Defence Corps Man
• Long Journey for Songun Leadership

tug at the heartstrings of the people and illustrate Juche philosophy and convey the profound ideological and thematic message on the struggle of the popular masses for independence.

And it's not just orchestral music. Another article notes that the Korean people have emerged victorious, loudly singing revolutionary songs.

These songs include

• Star of Korea
• The Song of the Anti-Japanese War
• Nostalgia
• On the Road to Decisive Battle
• Song of Defending Homeland
• My Song in Trench
• Song Devoted to Marshal Kim Il Sung
• We'll Travel One Road Forever
• Song of Comradeship

and are militant revolutionary hymns of the anti-Japanese guerillas and from when "the soldiers and people of Korea mowed down the U.S. Imperialist aggressors during the years of the hard-fought Korean war, and of the postwar period which "opened up an era of prosperity...in the days of socialist construction."

Other powerful songs, such as

• Arduous March
• Our Leader Will Always Be with Us
• Let Us Hold High the Red Flag

are songs of faith. "The Korean revolution, which started and has advanced with songs, will certainly win victory under the great music politics."

According to these articles, "the development and efflorescence of Juche-oriented musical art which has reached a high plane is unthinkable apart from the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il."

I shudder to think of what plane of musical art might be achieved under the leadership of George W. Bush.

Leave your suggestions of songs or symphonies that might be composed under his leadership in your comments.