From Irish ethnic tunes to Jamaican ska, world music will fill the air of the Hanbit Park outdoor stage in central Seoul June 1-2 as part of “KF Festival 2013 ― The Music of the World.”

The festival, hosted by the Korea Foundation, aims to bridge Korea and the world and will focus on showcasing all kinds of music and performances on the stage. 

The Banana Choir, composed of children from an Indian slum, will open the event on Saturday evening. Their performance is part of a fund-raising project to redevelop and establish an educational institution in their home country.

Irish ethnic band Bard will follow with piano, accordion, flute and Irish whistle to create authentic Irish tunes with a Korean touch. Kingston Rudieska will close out the day’s performances with Jamaican-style ska.

On Sunday, Raoul & The Xpats, a rock band of foreigners in Korea, will perform Latin and rock music followed by crossover jazz band La Ventana presenting Argentinean tango. The finale of the festival will be Joohong Kim with Noreummachi playing Korean traditional percussion music.

All performances are free of charge. To get to Hanbit outdoor stage, exit from Euljiro-1-ga Station and walk toward Cheonggyecheon Stream, next to Shinhan Bank.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)