Kim Yuna effect in music world

Kim Yuna poses with her Platinum-selling records to be hung on the wall of Universal Music Korea’s Hall of Fame. (Universal Music)It looks like Queen Kim Yuna can sell just about everything in Korea. The iconic athlete who ended her trailblazing figure skating career earlier this year models for virtually all sorts of products ― from beer to detergents and air conditioners, to fueling stations for LPG-powered cars. Her mighty marketing power doesn’t stop there. Even Yuna’s music is a hit, too. A

July 3, 2014

Gugak center chief to play gayageum at German fest

A poster for Kim Hae-sook’s concerts in Germany. (National Gugak Center)Kim Hae-sook, chief of the National Gugak Center and master of the Korean zither-like string instrument the gayageum, will perform at a German world music festival, the state-run center said. Kim will give two recitals and a workshop as part of the TFF Rudolstadt, a German folk, roots and world music festival from July 5-6. The String Quartet of the Liszt School of Music Weimar will collaborate with her, while other masters

July 2, 2014

Berliners here to show beauty of wind quintet

Adding extra colors to the season’s chamber music lineup, five veteran members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra are holding a five-city tour of Korea as a wind ensemble, starting Thursday in Busan. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet said the upcoming concerts will be a chance for Korean music aficionados to discover a hidden gem in the world of chamber music which is, both locally and globally, heavily dominated by string instruments. “

July 2, 2014

Kang Sue-jin as emotionally spiraling geisha of ‘Madama Butterfly’

John Luther Long’s 19th century tale “Madame Butterfly” is not a narrative that can be personally related to by the masses. While most women cannot even begin to empathize with the fictional story of Cho-Cho-San, or Madame Butterfly ― a geisha trapped in a whirlwind of blind love, deception and gut-wrenching betrayal, and pushed to the very brink of suicide ― renowned dancer Kang Sue-jin has taken on the arduous task of reliving her forbearance and suffering on the stage for the first time ever

July 2, 2014

Girl group KARA welcomes new member

K-pop girl group KARA will become a four-member group after it introduces the winner of a TV audition program, the group’s management agency said Wednesday.The group has been working as a three-member group since the departure in January of two of its original five members ― Kang Ji-young and Nicole.According to DSP Media, Heo Young-ji, 20, became a new member of the group, beating out three competitors in the final round of MBC Music’s “KARA project-KARA The Beginning,” which was aired on Tuesd

July 2, 2014

Exhibitions delve into anxiety, social problems that weigh on us

Anxiety sometimes drives us to raise our standards and meet them, but when anxiety arises from complex societal problems, it tends to be more of a burden.Artist Yoon Dong-chun conducted a simple experiment to figure out what troubled young people of today the most. He displayed dozens of bottles of “Hope Pills” in his solo exhibition and let young viewers buy them for 3,000 won ($3) each. Pills that the artist said would help realize the dream of getting a job were the first to sell out. Other k

July 1, 2014

Madonna donating to hometown of Detroit

Madonna performs at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Nov. 8, 2012. (AP)DETROIT (AP) ― Madonna, who was “inspired” during a recent visit to Detroit, is donating money toward the construction of a new youth boxing gym and buying iPods, iPads and other supplies for students at a charter school in her hometown, according to a news release issued by the music icon’s publicist Monday. The statement said Madonna’s donations to three Detroit organizations represent “the first phase of a long-term commi

July 1, 2014

Summer festivals bring art closer to audience

An artist paints on the wall at the Handmade Korea Fair last year. (Handmade Korea)The Seoul art calendar for this summer abounds in festivals inviting audiences to late-night exhibitions, programs to draw and create sculptures, affordable artwork sales and other activities.The door to the festive art summer was opened by the 10th Gwanghwamun International Art Festival in early June. The festival, which features art exhibitions and a children’s painting contest, ends on July 8 with a sculpture e

June 30, 2014

[Herald Review] Don Quixote, the romantic comedy of the ballet world

Standing at a towering 195 cm, Korean National Ballet principal dancer Lee Jae-woo took rein of his masculine stature and gave a domineering edge to his role as the barber Basilio in the classic ballet retelling of one of the 17th century’s most beloved tales of humor and heroism ― “Don Quixote.”After four centuries, Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ whimsical tale of the fictional character Don Quixote and his trusty sword-bearing sidekick Sancho Panza still continues to bring laughter and am

June 30, 2014

Foreigners learn traditional Korean music

Participants perform “pansori” at this year’s International Gugak Workshop on Friday. (National Gugak Center)Inside a classroom at the National Gugak Center in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on Friday, a group of people sit upright and cross-legged on the hardwood floor, bringing out melodies with traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum and haegeum. In another room, people passionately learn how to bellow out “pansori,” a type of sung Korean folk narrative, while snapping open and shut traditio

June 29, 2014

Eyelike: Jung revives rock spirit on new EP

Jung Joon-young revives rock spirit on new EPJung Joon-young“Teenager”(CJ E&M)Singer Jung Joon-young is bringing back rock ’n’ roll spirit to the local music scene inundated by mainstream pop music with his new EP “Teenager.”With the new release, Jung boldly declares a return to his roots as a hardcore rocker, showcasing six tracks infused with electric hard rock sounds and his signature, soaring vocals that made him a top contestant on the 2012 audition program “Superstar K4.” The new EP defini

June 27, 2014

Sun as Glastonbury gates open but mud likely later

Festival goers arrive ahead of Glastonbury music festival, England, Wednesday. (AP-Yonhap)London (AFP) ― Sunshine greeted Glastonbury revellers on Wednesday as Worthy Farm threw open its gates for the music festival but rain forecast in coming days means the traditional mud is set to return at the weekend. “There’s a steady flow of arrivals. Spirits are high,” said the @GlastoLive Twitter feed. Headline acts scheduled to perform at this year’s musical extravaganza range from Metallica, Kasabian

June 26, 2014

Finding the joy in work

This is the sixth in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.Chances are you have heard Kelly Frances’ voice at one point or another ― whether listening to the radio, pulling money from an ATM or playing a video game. Her roles as a voice actress are wide and varied.Regardless of what she is voicing, Frances said being a voice actor and working in media had given her opportunities that she would have never expected. A

June 26, 2014

YG artists to stage joint concert in China

Psy. (YG Entertainment)Rapper Psy and several other artists managed by YG Entertainment, a leading entertainment agency in South Korea, will hold a joint concert in China in August, the agency said Wednesday.The concert titled “YG Family 2014 Galaxy Tour: Power in Shanghai” will kick off on Aug. 30 in Shanghai, the company said in a statement.The agency said Shanghai would be the first stop of the artists’ concert tour to other Chinese cities and Southeast Asian countries but that schedule for t

June 25, 2014

Humorous take on Korean elegance

Koreans have certain stereotypical expectations toward those dressed in traditional clothes. In old Korean paintings, those wearing traditional hanbok are usually sitting calmly, sipping tea and appreciating beautiful mountain views. Artist Kim Hyun-jung subverts such conventional perceptions of Korean painting. Her paintings show women in beautiful, elegant hanbok dresses playing pool, going rock climbing and doing sit-ups. “My paintings seek to break the images associated with the Korean tradi

June 23, 2014

Pop icon Sting says his kids won’t get trust funds

Sting performs at the 25th Anniversary Rainforest Fund benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 17. (AP)LONDON (AP) ― Pop icon Sting says his children won’t be getting trust funds from his vast fortune, assuming there’s any money left in it The 16-time Grammy Award winner and former frontman of The Police told The Mail on Sunday that the vast wealth would be “albatrosses” around the necks of his six children. The singer-songwriter, who grew up in a shipbuilding community in northeas

June 23, 2014

Incheon Asian Games official album released

“17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 Official Album” (Universal Music)The official album for the upcoming 2014 Incheon Asian Games was released by Universal Music on Friday.The “17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 Official Album” is the first of its kind to commemorate the international sports event, said Universal Music Korea. In line with the global event’s official slogan of “Diversity Shines Here,” the album features popular hits by diverse international artists filled with messages of support, passion

June 23, 2014

Bob Dylan lyrics to headline $3m-$5m New York music auction

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Handwritten song lyrics from legendary singer Bob Dylan go under the hammer in New York Tuesday, the most treasured possessions in a collection of rock memorabilia valued at $3 milion-$5 million. Auction house Sotheby’s says other highlights include a peacock jumpsuit worn by Elvis Presley worth $200,000 to $300,000 and a John Lennon piano also played by Lou Reed.Richard Austin, head of Tuesday’s two-part sale at Sotheby’s, said the auction celebrates various rock performers who

June 22, 2014

Michael Jackson remains a provider 5 years after death

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― It’s been five years since Michael Jackson died, yet his career is more alive than it has been in decades. Just last month, the singer moonwalked across a Las Vegas stage in a nationally televised hologram performance. A new album recently debuted at No. 2 on music charts. And a traveling Cirque du Soleil show based on Jackson’s songs has logged nearly 500 performances worldwide. The result has been an estate that has earned more than $600 million since the King of Pop’s untim

June 22, 2014