[Herald Interview] Art crafted by North Korean hands

In 2008, a North Korean leaflet flew under the front door of South Korean artist Ham Kyung-ah’s home. Ham never thought she would see the propaganda leaflets on her doorstep as they were not frequently seen in cities as they were in the 1970s. The propaganda leaflets instantly reminded the 49-year-old artist of her elementary school years during which schools awarded kids who brought North Korean propaganda leaflets to school as part of the anti-communist education campaign in the 1970s. “I coul

June 7, 2015

[Up & Coming] Idiotape constantly seeking fresh fun

Artists of all genres often fall into the trap of taking themselves too seriously.Electronic band Idiotape is not one of those artists.“Describe our music? It’s music for women, the grown-up kind,” joked drummer DR with a wiggle of his eyebrows as Idiotape began a conversation with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul. Perhaps a joke is the only way to answer a question about how to describe Idiotape’s unusual music. The three-member band consists of two DJs (Dguru and Zeze) and a drummer (DR), b

June 7, 2015

Overseas concerts sold out for top K-pop boy groups

Two of K-pop’s biggest acts, Big Bang and Beast, held sold-out concerts in China and Taiwan over the weekend.Big Bang hit the stage at the Beijing MasterCard Center on June 5 and 6 on their “MADE” tour. The 25-song set list included past hits like “Tonight” and “Bad Boy,” as well as “Loser” and “Bae Bae” from their “M” EP and “Bang Bang Bang” and “We Like 2 Party,” the two songs from their most recent “A” EP released a week ago. Beijing was the first city to see “Bang Bang Bang” performed live o

June 7, 2015

Eyelike: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Gloriana, The Mike + Ruthy Band

Nelson, Haggard uninspired on 4th collaborative discWillie Nelson and Merle Haggard“Django and Jimmie”(Sony Legacy)The two grand old men of country music, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, are among the last living ties to an era when giants like Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills filled honky tonks. Nelson is 82 and Haggard is 78, and while their warm voices show some mileage, their range of expression remains remarkable, and their phrasing often is impeccable.On their fourth album together, “Django and

June 5, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Rediscover your passion’

It was a dream come true for Yang Ji-hoon, a 1990s a cappella singer, producer and songwriter, to come back, produce and sing pop music for the public after almost two decades away.He now wants to share his experience of rediscovering his artistic passion with people who long for a life in arts and entertainment. Yang seeks to pass on his know-how through books and songs in what he calls the JihoonOwl’s Project, which is also the name of his independent band.“I have about 10 projects in mind I w

June 4, 2015

High culture at low cost

Tickets for a classical music concert or a ballet production in Korea can be quite expensive, particularly when they carry names of internationally renowned artists. A seat at Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall where the four-night relay concerts of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra took place in April cost as much as 380,000 won ($344).But an encounter with high arts doesn’t necessarily require breaking the bank. If you look hard enough, there are plenty of opportunities where you can enjoy a decent

June 3, 2015

Gyeonggi Philharmonic to tour Germany

The Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Sung Shi-yeon, is gearing up to embark on its first cross-country Germany tour.The Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based orchestra is slated to perform its first concert on June 9 at the Berliner Philharmonie concert hall ― home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra ― making it the first ever Korean musical ensemble to be invited to perform at the prestigious hall. The orchestra will then hold performances in Wiesbaden and Saarbrucken on June 11 and

June 2, 2015

Korean choir grabs top award at international competition

Korea’s Gracias Choir won the top prize at the 14th International Chamber Competition Marktoberdorf, one of the world’s most prestigious chamber choir competitions, last Tuesday. Helmed by choir leader Park Eun-sook and conductor Boris Abalyan, Gracias Choir competed with 10 other teams in the competition’s mixed choirs category and won first place for its performances, which included “Blessed Art Thou” by Rachmaninoff and Korean folk song “Gakseoli Taryeong.” The choir was additionally awarded

June 1, 2015

Kim Whanki’s abstract painting leads Christie’s Korean sales in Hong Kong

A painting by Kim Whanki was sold for about five times more than the highest estimate, leading the sales of Korean art at Christie’s evening sale of Asian works Saturday and Sunday in Hong Kong. Kim’s “Montagne Bleue (Blue Mountain)” was sold at HK$13.8 million ($1.8 million), more than five times its high estimate of HK$2.5 million. It was the highest sale price of the 43 works of Korean artists on offer on the weekend. Kim’s other painting “Montagne” was sold for more than double its top estim

June 1, 2015

Bobby Kim gets suspended term for inflight misdeed

Rhythm and blues singer Bobby Kim was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for two years, and fined 5 million won ($4,500), for his inflight misconduct in January that breached aviation safety law. The Korean-American celebrity came under fire earlier this year for displaying inappropriate behavior on board a Korean Air flight traveling from Incheon to San Francisco on Jan. 7. Kim, 41, while intoxicated with alcohol, yelled and created a ruckus inflight and forcibly grabbed a 27-year-old fem

June 1, 2015

Will ‘Death’ bring rebirth to Se7en?

Se7en, a K-pop star whose fortunes seem to have faded recently, hopes to turn things around when he makes a debut in a stage musical production later this month. Using his real name Choi Dong-wook for the first time since his debut as a singer in 2003, the 30-year-old will star in a highly anticipated rerun of “Elisabeth,” slated to open on June 13 at Blue Square in Itaewon, Seoul. Choi’s role, Der Tod, or Death, is not a lead character, but its sexy, mysterious appeal, rock numbers and powerful

June 1, 2015

Violinist Lim Ji-young wins Queen Elisabeth competition

A young Korean violinist with no overseas training has won top honors at a prestigious music competition in Belgium, largely regarded as a launchpad for an international career. Lim Ji-young, 20, took home the grand prize of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, which comes with a cash prize of 25,000 euros ($27,300) and a four-year loan of the “Huggins” Stradivarius violin, made in 1708 by the master craftsman Antonio Stradivari, the organizers said Saturday. A student at the Korea Nation

May 31, 2015

‘Music is energy’

For Lee Sae-rom, the lead clarinetist of the Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra, music equals energy. “My definition of music is that it equals energy,” said Lee, 30, in an interview. “Playing the clarinet has given me the energy. It can also give the audience ― the listeners ― the energy and the comfort they need.”This is what the young artist constantly keeps in mind when planning for her recitals or practicing and performing with the Incheon Philharmonic. Music ― whether classical or non-classica

May 31, 2015

‘A room of her own’

The high-ceilinged studio of artist Yun Suk-nam is filled with images of women. Her signature paintings of women painted on wood blocks occupy one side of her spacious studio in a scenic, rural village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. “I’m making new pieces for a very nice exhibit at Baengnyeonsa Temple in Haenam,” the 76-year-old artist said enthusiastically. “I’m going to surround the walls of the temple with these wood paintings.” Yun Suk-nam (Yoon Byung-chan/The Korea Herald)Yun is a pioneer

May 29, 2015

Eyelike: Whitesnake, Chris Connelly, Boosie Badazz

Whitesnake delves deep into Purple past on new albumWhitesnake“The Purple Album”(Frontiers)Who says you can‘t go home?David Coverdale delves deep into his Deep Purple background on the new Whitesnake album, which redoes songs from his tenure fronting the legendary classic rock outfit.“The Purple Album” begins with a more bottom-heavy version of the classic rock anthem “Burn,” on which Coverdale previously shared lead vocals with Glenn Hughes on the original track. And while the remake misses Hug

May 29, 2015

Korean dance production ‘Les Noces-Mae’ to premiere in Austria

Local choreographer Lee Hye-kyung and composer Choi Myung-hoon’s upcoming contemporary Korean dance production “Les Noces-Mae” will premier this month at the historic Landestheater Linz in Linz, Austria.“Les Noces-Mae,” which was also directed by Taiwanese artist Lin Mei-hong ― widely praised as one of the world’s top contemporary choreographers ― will have its first showing on May 30, marking the first time a Korean contemporary dance program has ever been slated to feature as part of a Europea

May 28, 2015

Everything from opera, folk, jazz to classical with Herald Philharmonic

Rhythmical orchestral tunes reverberated throughout the Seoul Arts Center concert hall Wednesday evening as the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra delivered a dynamic performance ― featuring everything from Russian opera, staple Korean folk songs and classical string symphonies to a jazz-infused New York rhapsody ― in celebration of May, the month of family.Filled with cheerful melodies, theatrical entertainment and informative narrations in between pieces, the concert provided a night of lighthearte

May 28, 2015

Jung Joon-young goes back to musical roots with new band

Singer Jung Joon-young, known for his rise to widespread fame through the audition program “Superstar K” and his more recent work as an MC and actor, is returning to the stage as the frontman for the new quartet Jung Joon-young Band.“When I first signed with my company, it was agreed that I would eventually work with a band,” Jung said at a media showcase held at the MUV Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. “Since I started music with a band, it was actually hard for me to bring out my true style

May 28, 2015

[Herald Interview] Gugak-pop fusion band SOREA looks to be new face of hallyu

In a world where the international mainstream hip-hop beats of Flo Rida meet the old-fashioned sounds of “janggu,” a Korean traditional drum, local fusion pop band SOREA is striving to take its amalgamation of traditional Korean instrumentation and modern music to new heights. Founded on a musical base of “gugak” (Korean traditional music), SOREA takes traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum (a zither-like string instrument) and the daegeum (bamboo flute) and mashes them together wit

May 27, 2015