[Album Review] Ben Harper reunited with Innocent Criminals for new songs

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals　“Call It What It Is” 　(Stax Records)　Ben Harper is back with the best band he’s ever sung with, delivering strong new material with a group that has always known when to play hard and when to hang back.　Coming on the heels of a 2015 tour with the Innocent Criminals, Harper and the band have recorded 11 new songs that stay true to their eclectic past. They’ve done so on Stax Records, which isn’t the same outfit it was in its Memphis heyday, when Otis Redding,

April 22, 2016

[Album Review] Santana gets the band back together for ‘Santana IV’

Santana　“Santana IV” 　(Santana IV)　On “Santana IV,” Carlos Santana is reunited with the core musicians from the band’s first three albums, restoring the team concept to a name more immediately associated with his solo career since the mega-success of 1999’s “Supernatural” and its dizzying array of guest stars.　The return of guitarist Neil Schon and keyboard wiz Gregg Rolie who left in 1973 to form Journey, along with drummer Mike Shrieve and conguero Mike Carabello, gives Santana the band a natu

April 22, 2016

Kim Bum-soo collaborates for SM Station

Vocalist Kim Bum-soo and songwriter Kenzie were to release a collaboration track for SM Station at midnight on Thursday.　“Pain Poem,” the 11th song to be introduced on digital music channel Station, is a Latin pop ballad tune. It portrays the sad, love story of a man trying to let go of his lover after breaking up. Singer Kim Bum-soo (S.M. Entertainment)　Singer Kim has showcased explosive singing in hit songs such as “Promise,” “Miss You,” and “Last Love.” Songwriter Kenzie has produced hit song

April 21, 2016

Dansaekhwa in limelight in art hubs

A series of Dansaekhwa painting exhibitions are taking place at art fairs and exhibitions in the art hubs of New York, Brussels and France, solidifying the Korean monochrome art movement’s presence in the Western art scene. Paintings of two acclaimed Dansaekhwa artists -- Ha Chong-hyun and Kwon Young-woo -- will be on view at Art Brussels from April 22-24, in Belgium. Are Brussels is one of the Europe’s oldest art fairs, founded in 1968. New York-based Tina Kim Gallery will present 20 paintings

April 20, 2016

Artday to hold April auction

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding an online auction from April 22-26 presenting major artworks of modern and contemporary Korean artists. 　The art auction features 180 artworks of renowned Korean artists, including Kim Tschang-yeul, Lee U-fan, Lee Bae, Chun Kyung-ja, Kim Jong-hak and Nam June Paik. Highlights of the auction include a painting by Kim Tschang-yeul which depicts water drops against a page of an old book page written in Chinese characters, and a pencil drawing

April 20, 2016

Hallyu celebrity math book to be published abroad

What happens when K-pop and K-drama team up with Korean education? A book on easy ways to learn math.　“Kim Jeong-hoon’s Math Essay” written by singer-turned-actor Kim Jeong-hoon is slated to be published in six places in Asia -- China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia -- in their respective native languages, Kim’s agency Mars Entertainment announced Tuesday.  Cover of “Kim Jeong-hoon’s Math Essay” (Zzim Mission)　Major Chinese publisher Posts & Telecom Press has confirmed its init

April 20, 2016

‘Simple Song #3’ performed by soprano Sumi Jo wins Italian film award

A song from movie “Youth,” which was performed by Korean soprano Sumi Jo, won an Italian film award, PR company PRM said Tuesday.　The song “Simple Song #3” from Paolo Sorrentino’s movie “Youth” won the Best Original Song at the 60th David di Donatello Awards on Monday.　The Italian comedy-drama film was nominated in 14 fields of the Italian award, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Soprano Sumi Jo holds the award for Best Original Song at the David Di Donatello Awards at Rome

April 19, 2016

Twice to move on to 'Page Two'

K-pop girl group Twice has unveiled the teaser video and image for its second mini album “Page Two,” the group‘s agency JYP Entertainment announced Monday.　In the teaser image, all the members appear in mint-colored cheerleader’s outfits. Teaser image of K-pop girl group Twice’s second mini album “Page Two” (JYP Entertainment)　The nine-member international girl group -- five Koreans, three Japanese and one Taiwanese member -- debuted with “The Story Begins” in October last year. The group will p

April 19, 2016

Lee Hi releases ‘My Star’

Singer Lee Hi released a teaser video and poster for her upcoming song “My Star” on Monday.　Uploaded on YG Entertainment’s official blog www.yg-life.com, the poster and video features rapper One as the singer’s romantic partner. One was a contestant on Mnet’s hip-hop competition show “Show Me the Money 4” last year, and signed with the agency in September. Promotional image of Lee Hi’s “My Star” (YG Entertainment)　Lee Hi, who bagged second prize in season one of SBS audition show “K-pop Star,” d

April 19, 2016

AOA to drop fourth single in Japan

K-pop girl group AOA’s fourth Japanese single will hit record stores in Japan on April 20, the group’s agency FNC Entertainment announced Sunday.　“Give Me the Love” was released on Recochoku, one of the biggest music websites in Japan, in advance, and immediately topped the K-pop weekly chart. A short version of the music video also topped the Japanese video website Gyao, said the agency. K-pop girl group AOA‘s fourth Japanese single “Give Me the Love” (FNC Entertainment)　Besides AOA, the song a

April 18, 2016

Female photographers explore femininity

Photographs that explore women and femininity are on view at exhibitions held as part of the 2016 Woman Photo Festival. 　Some 22 professional female photographers, who are members of the Korean Women Photographers’ Association, are showcasing their works at touring exhibitions in Seoul and Paju, Gyeonggi Province.  “Three Generations” by J. Ahn (Courtesy of the artist)　“The KWPA has held exhibitions annually since it was founded in 1998 to foster and introduce female photographers. Starting this

April 18, 2016

Beyonce unveils ‘Lemonade’ amid album speculation

NEW YORK (AFP) - Pop superstar Beyonce on Saturday announced a televised project entitled “Lemonade” for next week, fueling speculation that she will release a “film-album.”　Beyonce posted on Instagram a short video with the title “Lemonade,” which it billed as a “world premiere event” to air on cable network HBO on April 23.　The rest of the video is cryptic, with a faint whispering as a person -- presumably Beyonce -- slowly rises with dreaded hair and a fur jacket, but without any glance at th

April 17, 2016

Dylan, McCartney, Stones lined up for mega-concert: report

INDIO, California (AFP) -- The most legendary names in rock including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan are being lined up for a historic mega-festival, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.　The newspaper said organizers of Coachella, the lucrative rock festival that opened Friday, were making arrangements for the massive event to take place at the same venue in the California desert on Oct. 7-9.　A representative from Coachella's Los Angeles-based promoter Golden Voice did not re

April 17, 2016

Psy and iKON win awards at China Music Awards

Psy and iKON were picked as Asia’s most influential artists at the 20th China Music Awards at Cotai Arena in Macau on April 15, the artists’ agency YG Entertainment announced Saturday.　Psy received the Most Influential Popular Global Artist Award for his worldwide hit songs “Gangnam Style” and “Daddy” that secured his spot as a world star.Singer-songwriter Psy (YG Entertainment)　K-pop band iKON received Asia’s Most Influential Popular Artist Award, despite it being only a year since the group de

April 17, 2016

More Western art on shopping list for Chinese tycoon Liu

HONG KONG (AFP) -- He first stunned the auction world by snapping up hugely expensive Chinese antiquities, but now taxi driver turned tycoon Liu Yiqian is targeting Western masterpieces, saying it is his “social responsibility” to show them to China's younger generation.　Liu has become China’s highest profile art collector, hitting headlines with record-breaking buys and an irreverent approach.　His acquisitions have mainly been of Chinese heritage, most famously the tiny Ming Dynasty “Chicken Cu

April 17, 2016