Yukio Ninagawa, a Japanese theater director best known for his Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies, is presenting his Japanese Zen comedy-drama “Musashi” in Seoul this month. “I guess I am known as the director who interprets Shakespeare plays in a very Japanese way,” the director told reporters during a press conference in Seoul. “But with ‘Musashi,’ I wanted to do something that does not rely on Shakespeare (and his scripts).”The upcoming show is Ninagawa’s second pie

March 18, 2014

ASUNCION (AFP) ― Parents all over the world often complain about their children’s music being garbage. For one group of poor kids in Paraguay, however, who have found international fame by forming an orchestra which uses instruments built from trash, it is quite literally true. The Orchestra of Recycled Instruments of Cateura will mark another notable chapter in their history this week when they will be the opening act for U.S. heavy metal band Metallica on a six-nation South American tour. “It

March 18, 2014

Photographer J. Ahn, who has chronicled the changing scenery along the Cheonggyecheon Stream with her camera, is exhibiting her work at the Sejong Art Center’s Museum of Art starting Wednesday.Though she has photographed cities such as New York, Paris and Havana, Ahn said, she has always been fascinated by the back alleys of the belatedly redeveloped section of downtown Seoul. “The back alleys of Cheonggycheon had many beautiful and profound colors. A single color isn’t enough to depict them. I’

March 17, 2014

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ― Rapper ScHoolboy Q had a great time at his first South By Southwest a few years ago, but found himself getting angry this year as he played a series of shows at the annual music conference and festival. Everywhere he turned, his fans were standing outside venues festooned with corporate branding, unable to enter because they didn’t have a formal invite. “It’s stupid. They changed it all up. It’s corporate,” he said as he prepared for a show Saturday. “I don’t ever want to co

March 17, 2014

On a dimly-lit stage in the Baekyang Concert Hall at Yonsei University in Seoul, American singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata charmed hundreds of fans with her captivating vocals and witty jokes on Friday night.As the concert was focused on a “live acoustic” sound, the stage featured only a piano and a simple instrumental set occupied by Yamagata’s accompanying musician and one-man-band Michael Chaves.Opening with a performance by New York-based, pop-jazz artist Emi Meyer, Yamagata’s concert was

March 17, 2014

As the Korean music market is beginning to receive more international recognition, the local scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the third installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.Known for going wild and their notorious antics both on and off stage, the rock stars of Galaxy Express started from humble beginnings. They then took their garage band sound further than any of the members had ever p

March 16, 2014

Classical musicAndras Schiff recital: Virtuoso pianist, pedagogue and lecturer Andras Schiff will hold a recital on March 25 at Seoul Arts Center. Although he is known here for his interpretations of the music of Beethoven and Bach, the Hungarian-born musician’s repertoire also covers Mozart, Schubert and Schumann. At the Seoul concert, he will play works by two Romantic Era composers, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 130,000 won. For details, call (02) 541-3184.  “Shos

March 14, 2014

CN Blue shows maturity on ‘Can’t Stop’CN Blue“Can’t Stop”(CJ E&M)Equipped with a more mature and polished sound, Korean boy band CN Blue has made a strong return to the music scene with its fifth EP, “Can’t Stop.” And indeed, it is difficult to stop listening to the new album.Featuring six tracks written and composed by the group’s leader and vocalist Jung Yong-hwa and guitarist Lee Jong-hyun, “Can’t Stop” is filled with eloquent vocals and impressive instrumentals, overcoming the comparatively

March 14, 2014

New York-based singer-songwriter Diane Birch will stage a live concert in Seoul this month, returning to South Korea for the first time in four years. Birch was raised by conservative missionary parents in Zimbabwe and Australia, where she was exposed to only classical and church music. After moving to the United States at 13, Birch began listening to English rock bands such as Joy Divison, The Cure and The Beatles and preparing for a career as a musician.  The singer-songwriter was noticed by P

March 14, 2014

One of Hollywood’s most famous rock-and-roll landmarks is displaying a guitar owned by a South Korean rock musician, the artist said Thursday.Kim Se-hwang, a 42-year-old guitarist with South Korean rock band “N.E.X.T.,” said his treasured electric guitar has recently become one of the memorabilia items displayed in the flagship Guitar Center store’s front windows in the heart of Hollywood.The music store hosts Hollywood’s RockWalk, a hall of fame honoring musical artists. Kim is the first Korean

March 13, 2014

Tension and anxiety are sometimes crucial factors that drive modern individuals to deal with the increasingly competitive world. But they also leave them and society at large in great distress. An exhibition in Seoul shows artistic interpretations of such distress or “aches” that prevail in Korean society. Titled “Momsal,” or body ache in Korean, the exhibition examines modern society and how individuals respond to social phenomena in relation to the body. Curated by the museum’s five young inte

March 13, 2014

(OSEN)Girls’ Generation’s latest music video became the first K-pop video this year to hit 10 million views on YouTube.The video of “Mr. Mr.,” the title song of the group’s fourth EP of the same title, topped the 10 million viewer mark Wednesday night, 13 days after it was uploaded on the video sharing site.No other K-pop music video has surpassed the milestone this year.The track has been well received on iTunes and local online music services since it was released online on Feb. 25. “Mr. Mr.”

March 13, 2014

Three Korean women artists who spent most of their lives outside Korea have presented artistic records of their identities at a group exhibition at Seoul Museum of Art. Titled “Nobody,” the exhibition showcases installations and photographs through which the artists express their quest to define their identities as Koreans living abroad. Through some works, artists do not only explore their personal identities, but also deal with historical issues such as “comfort women.” Having moved to the U.S

March 12, 2014

Canadian conductor Judith Yan first saw ballerina Kang Sue-jin dance four years ago, when she was visiting Stuttgart, Germany. Kang, who was one of the principals of the Stuttgart Ballet at the time, was playing her signature role: Tatiana in John Cranko’s “Onegin.”“I have to say, you have to see Sue-jin dance,” Yan, who is currently the director of Guelph Symphony Orchestra, said in an interview in Seoul on Monday. “It was like a revelation. I remember going to see Sue-jin dance for the first t

March 12, 2014

LONDON (AFP) ― The Queen musical “We Will Rock You” is to close in its London home after 12 straight years, producers said Tuesday.The show, which has played to more than 6.5 million people at the Dominion Theatre, will close on May 31 after what will be more than 4,600 performances.The musical, set in a future where music is computer-generated and instruments banned, sees a group of rebels bringing rock back to life, inspired by surviving fragments of songs ― chiefly Queen’s masterpiece “Bohemi

March 12, 2014

South By Southwest and the surrounding unaffiliated hoopla have slipped into hyperdrive as the music portion of the annual conference and festival opens this week. Kanye West and Jay Z have announced they’re headed to Austin, Texas, the cherry on top of a gloriously all-over-the-place gathering that also will feature Lady Gaga as a keynote speaker, Lil Wayne as an interview subject and 2,000 other acts vying for attention in the midst of the frenzy. And there are still more surprises to come. Tr

March 12, 2014

Up-and-coming gypsy jazz band La Vie est Belle is scheduled to perform live at Olympus Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul on March 21.Titled “Gypsy World,” the concert will feature a variety of songs ranging from upbeat, groovy compositions to gypsy-influenced tunes from the band’s recently released album “Gypsy Mood.”The gypsy band La Vie est Belle ― a French phrase for “life is beautiful” ― was formed under the influence of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli by five acc

March 12, 2014