The Central Military Band of the Korean People's Army (), also sometimes known as the Korean People's Army Marching Band or DPRK Army Orchestra is a North Korean

musical group A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumen ...

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

based in

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

and is the sole

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...

of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

. The Women's Military Marching Band of the Ministry of People's Security of the DPRK is the all-female unit of the central band.

History

On February 23, 1946, the Military Band of the

Military School was created, which became the predecessor of the Band of the

. Its first performance was at the inaugural ceremony of the Pyongyang Institute founded by President

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

. In June 1950, it became the Band of the

Ministry of People's Security The Ministry of Social Security (previously known as the Ministry of People's Security from 2000 to 2020) is the interior ministry and principal law enforcement agency within North Korea. The ministry serves as the official public and internal s ...

, and later that year, the band became attached as a unit of the

Supreme Guard Command Supreme Guard Command () (also known as Unit 963, the Escort Bureau, Guard Command, Bodyguard Command, SGC, Guard Bureau and the General Guard Bureau) is the protective security unit tasked with the protection of North Korea's ruling Kim dynasty ...

's Honor Guard Battalion. By September 1954, full control of the band was given to the

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

, serving for the remainder of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

and the 1990s before being reorganized into a separate entity in June 1998 as a directly reporting unit of the

General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army The General Political Bureau (GPB) is a department of the Ministry of Defence, used by the leadership of the North Korean government to exert political control over the Korean People's Army (KPA). The GPB operates under the direction of the Centr ...

, tasked as the primary unit for the military music activities throughout the whole KPA.

Activities

The CMB-KPA, as the premier and principal band of the whole KPA, presides over all garrison and unit bands within the KPA's service branches and the

Worker-Peasant Red Guards The Worker-Peasant Red Guards (WPRG; ), also translated as Workers and Peasants' Red Militia (WPRM), is a paramilitary force in North Korea as the largest civil defense force in North Korea. Name The name ‘Worker-Peasant Red Guards’ first ...

. North Korean leader

Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...

has described the band as one that is "instilling revolutionary enthusiasm and fighting spirit into all the service personnel and people." North Korean Massed Bands

The band is similar to United States college marching bands in that they both solely specialize in military style marching, notably during ceremonial parades and public performances. The band has been known to play

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

military music A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

during many of its performances.

Parades and ceremonies

Military parades in North Korea This is a list of military parades held in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 1948. All military parades consist of troops from the Korean People's Army and the paramilitary Worker-Peasant Red Guards. ...

Party Foundation Day The Party Foundation Day () is an annual Public holidays in North Korea, public holiday in North Korea marking the 10 October 1945 foundation of the "Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea" (북조선공산당중앙� ...

(parades on jubilee years) **

Military Foundation Day Military Foundation Day () is an annual public holiday in North Korea falling on 8 February. Background North Korean historiography has two competing dates for the founding of the modern Korean People's Army (KPA): 25 April 1932 and 8 Februa ...

(parades on jubilee years) **

Day of the Foundation of the Republic Day of the Foundation of the Republic () is the Republic Day and National day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, held on 9 September. The Day of the Foundation of the Republic is one of the most important holidays of the country, al ...

(parades on jubilee years) **

Day of the Sun The Day of the Sun () is an annual public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the country, and is considered to ...

(2012, 2017, 2022 parades) * State funeral of Kim Il-sung * State funeral of Kim Jong-il

Performances

Notable concerts

* Concert for the state visit of Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

(2000) * Joint concert with the

Central Military Band of the People's Liberation Army of China The Central Military Band of People's Liberation Army of China ( zh, 中国人民解放军军乐团) is a military music unit made for state ceremonies carried out by the People's Liberation Army of China. For more than 70 years, the band has acted ...

in honor of the 60th anniversary of the

Korean Armistice The Korean Armistice Agreement (; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United States Army Lieutenant General William Harrison Jr. and ...

(2013) * Joint concert with the

Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of Russia Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, also known as the Red Army Band is a military band unit of the Russian Armed Forces. It is a branch of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia. The current head of the ba ...

(2014) * 70th anniversary concert (2016)

Festivals

The Amur Waves International Military Bands Festival The Amur Waves International Military Bands Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Khabarovsk on Komsomolskaya Square, Glory square, Erofey arena etc.. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military ...

(2012 and 2015) *

Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Moscow on Red Square. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military bands, folk groups, and honor guard units ...

(2019)

References

External links

The band marching during the celebrations of Army Day

DPRK North Korea Girl's Brass Band

Joint Performance of Military Bands of North Korea and Russia

North Korean Military Band toured Russia

North Korean Military Band marches through Pyongyang in Memory of 60th Anniversary of War Victory

North Korean army band performs at Moscow's Red Square
* {{Authority control Korean military bands Musical groups established in 1946 Military units and formations of North Korea Military units and formations established in 1946 1946 establishments in North Korea Korean People's Army

History

Activities

Parades and ceremonies

Performances

Notable concerts

Festivals

See also

References

External links