Rain to return to music scene next month

K-pop star Rain (Rain Company)　Singer-actor Rain is gearing for a January return with his first album in nearly three years, according to his agency Rain Company. 　The upcoming album will be Rain’s first music release since his “Rain Effect” album in January 2014, which marked his return since completing his mandatory military service.  　The singer was initially slated to return to the stage in the latter half of this year, but his agency said that the album was not ready yet and decided to push

Dec. 13, 2016

Cellist Mun Tae-guk named new Kumho Artist in Residence

Up-and-coming cellist Mun Tae-guk has been named as next year’s Kumho Art hall Artist in Residence, which will provide an opportunity to further his musical career.Mun, 22, is currently studying at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts under famed musician Laurence Lesser. He started playing the cello at the age of 4. At 20, he won the Pablo Casals International Cello Competition in Hungary, where he played Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, op. 129 accompanied by the Hungaria

Dec. 12, 2016

Girl groups, old and new to usher in 2017

Next year’s K-pop calendar looks to be dominated by girl groups, ranging from first-generation groups to rookies.One of the earliest sensations, S.E.S. will kick off 2017 with the release of their first album in 14 years on Jan. 2. The group, formed by S.M. Entertainment in 1997, led the first wave of K-pop girl groups, alongside Fin.K.L. and Baby Vox. S.E.S. released the single “Love (Story)” in November and will be holding year-end concerts on Dec. 30 and 31, revving up activities for 2017. S.

Dec. 12, 2016

Giving ephemeral graffiti art permanence

In a nod to a form of street art that has gained traction in the contemporary art scene, graffiti, once regarded as little more than delinquent scribbles found on the walls of derelict neighborhoods, has now been brought inside the gallery.Following in the steps of pop art, graffiti has become a leading genre recording the phenomena and emotions of contemporary times, according to 53-year-old graffiti legend JonOne. “I think it represents our generation,” he said last Thursday during a press pre

Dec. 11, 2016

Stones roll back the years with chart-topping album

LONDON (AFP) -- The Rolling Stones on Friday scored their first British No. 1 album in over 20 years, a day after frontman Mick Jagger became a father for the eighth time, aged 73.“Blue & Lonesome,” a tribute to the blues legends who inspired the iconic British band, sold 106,000 copies, making it the second-highest opening-week sales for an album in 2016, behind David Bowie’s “Blackstar.”“We are absolutely delighted with the success of ‘Blue & Lonesome’ in the UK and around the world,” said the

Dec. 11, 2016

[Album Review] Childish Gambino gets immersed in the funk

Childish Gambino“Awaken, My Love!”(Glassnote Records)It’s OK not to “get” Childish Gambino’s third studio album “Awaken, My Love!” With its lush soundscapes and sparse lyrics, one can only gather that the funk-drenched latest release from the multi-talented Donald Glover is a collection that is to be felt first and understood second -- if understanding is possible at all. Outstanding first single “Me and Your Mama” and equally arresting follow-up track “Redbone” are the easiest to digest of the

Dec. 9, 2016

[Album Review] Massive Kate Bush album a concert series souvenir

Kate Bush“Before the Dawn”(Concord Records)Kate Bush gives fans an exquisite souvenir with “Before the Dawn,” a massive live album taken from her series of 22 concerts in 2014. With tantalizingly few chart hits and dominated by two conceptual collections, the triple album conjures its magic spells with Bush’s powerfully expressive voice, her captivating songs and the integrity of an artistic vision that nurtures and challenges the imagination.By all accounts, her residency at London’s Hammersmit

Dec. 9, 2016

[Album Review] Eclectic cultural influence in ‘The Hamilton Mixtape’

Various artists“The Hamilton Mixtape”(Atlantic)Long before President-elect Donald Trump took on the cultural juggernaut that is “Hamilton” and made it front-page news, creator Lin-Manuel Miranda had been looking for a way to expand the musical’s influence beyond Broadway.With “The Hamilton Mixtape” (Atlantic), which Miranda says is the first of at least two, he and a star-studded cast of collaborators ranging from The Roots to Sia and Miguel employ a variety of strategies to bring the show’s mus

Dec. 9, 2016

[Arts calendar] Musicals, exhibitions, concerts and more

Theater“Jekyll and Hyde Musical”: Inviting the original Broadway cast members, the Jekyll and Hyde Musical will be hitting stages across the country next March including Seoul, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju. The musical horror-drama is based on the internationally acclaimed novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson and is a tale of the struggles of good and evil. The upcoming production will star Kyle Dean Massey, Bradley Dean, Diana DeGarmo and Lindsey Bliven. The

Dec. 9, 2016

18th-century Buddhist painting returned to home soil

As a lover of Korean art and an avid collector, American Robert Mattielli often visited Mary’s Alley, known for its hole-in-the-wall antique shops, in Insa-dong, Seoul during his more than 30 years in Korea. On one of his regular visits to the neighborhood in the early 1970s, he discovered and purchased a Buddhist painting with notable wear and tear for a mere $10.  Unknowingly, Mattielli -- director of the arts and crafts program for the US military in Korea at the time -- had become the owner

Dec. 8, 2016

BTS’ ‘Wings’ ranked among 20 best albums of 2016 by Fuse

This has been a big year for boy band Bangtan Boys, otherwise known as BTS. After topping music charts at home and abroad upon its release in October, the group’s latest studio album “Wings” was chosen as among the top 20 albums of the year by Fuse -- a US-based music media outlet -- this week. Noting that the album encompasses “the seven different personalities that make up BTS,” Fuse said the boy band is a rare find in K-pop.  “BTS has garnered a wholly passionate fan base around the world, th

Dec. 8, 2016

‘The Underdog’ musical explores social hierarchies

In a dog-eat-dog world, “The Underdog” musical employs the life of everyday canines to expose the dark, seedy underbelly of the social class systems of humankind.Rife with political and socioeconomic references, “The Underdog” opened its curtains in the theater district of Daehangno last week as part of Uniplex’s three-year anniversary celebration. The musical follows the life of a Korean Jindo dog, an indigenous breed known for its hunting skills and loyalty, named Jin. Mistreated, abused by hi

Dec. 8, 2016

Math explored in new London gallery by Zaha Hadid

LONDON (AFP) - London's Science Museum called upon the genius of late architect Zaha Hadid for the “huge challenge” of bringing life to its new gallery dedicated to mathematics, which opens on Thursday.The Winton Gallery highlights the importance of mathematics through 120 objects, including a cash dispenser, the Enigma encryption machine, a model of a supertanker, a revolutionary aircraft and a 19th-century instrument for measuring tides.Located in a regenerated old wing of the famous museum, t

Dec. 8, 2016

Chailly avenges Puccini with original Butterfly

MILAN (AP) -- Principal conductor Riccardo Chailly has avenged Giacomo Puccini’s memory with a successful staging of the composer's original version of “Madama Butterfly” for La Scala's gala season-opener Wednesday, 112 year after its hotly contested world premiere on the same stage. The VIP crowd showered Chailly, lead singers, orchestra and chorus with a quarter hour of applause and a cascade of roses for the bold choice of reviving the opera for the first time at La Scala as Puccini originall

Dec. 8, 2016

KNCDC appoints new artistic director Ahn Sung-soo

Julliard graduate and Korea National University of Arts dance professor Ahn Sung-soo, 53, has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company. Having officially taken the position on Dec. 1, Ahn will take reins of the national dance company for the next three years. “My mission is to elevate the level of Korean dance, create more original productions and to increase the international awareness and appreciation for Korean contemporary dance,” said Ahn,

Dec. 6, 2016

Big Bang teases lead track for upcoming album

Less than a week away from the announcement of its much-anticipated album, Big Bang unveiled a teaser image for the album’s title track “Fxxk It” on Tuesday. The image reveals that two of the group members, G-Dragon and T.O.P, collaborated with YG Entertainment’s leading producer Teddy and composer R.Tree of Teddy’s latest hip-hop project, The Black Label, for the song. “‘Fxxk It’ is one of the two title tracks to be featured on the new album,” said YG Entertainment. The music videos for both of

Dec. 6, 2016

Shinhwa to release vinyl of 18th anniversary concert

First-generation K-pop boy band Shinhwa is going retro. Celebrating its 18th debut anniversary this year, the group will be releasing 8,000 vinyl copies of live recordings from its anniversary concert which was held earlier this year in March at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, according to the band’s management agency Shinhwa Company on Tuesday.Containing 10 of Shinhwa’s biggest hits, including “Once in a Life,” “Crazy,” “The Days,” “Voyage” and others, the record is currently available f

Dec. 6, 2016