Mansudae Art Troupe

The Mansudae Art Troupe is a North Korean troupe of musicians that create light-classical operas and music, as well as dance pieces. History The Mansudae Art Troupe is the successor to the Central Art Troupe that was formed on 27 September 1969. According to the KCNA however "Its predecessor was the Pyongyang Art Troupe founded in Juche 35 (1946)". In the 1970s, Kim Jong Il, before he became leader, made sure the Mansudae Art Troupe portrayed his father Kim Il Sung as a revolutionary genius who liberated Korea from the Japanese occupation, portrayed the history of the Kim family favourably and eulogising North Korean revolutionaries. The Mansudae Art Troupe has performed over 700 times in over 50 countries to "promote the friendship with the progressive peoples of the world." It played a key role in producing the revolutionary opera The Flower Girl (1972) a tragic story about North Korea under Japanese occupation during the 1930s and said to have been written by Kim Il Sung. The Troupe is said to have performed Flower Girl 1,300 times and Hong Yong-hee an actress from the film of the opera, is on the North Korean one-Won bank note. The Mansudae Art Troupe also performed the "Song of Paradise" (1976) over 340 times.