Zvuky Prahy / Sounds of Prague

Korean Ensamble playing thungo at the Prague Folk festival. The tungso is a vertical flute made of thick, aged bamboo. Until the mid-Joseon Era, tungso had been used mainly in court music, but by the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century, it became a more widely used instrument. Today, it is played in accompaniment to masked dances like the Bukcheong Sajanoreum. Regarding the instrument's name, tong means “hole” and so refers to the notched end-blown vertical bamboo flute.