Super-producer Just Blaze to hold his 1st showcase in Korea

American hip-hop record producer and celebrated party DJ Just Blaze (Justin Smith) is having his first showcase in Korea, the event organizer Red Bull Music Academy announced on Tuesday. “RBMA Info Session Seoul: Just Blaze” will be held on June 15 at Cakeshop in Itaewon. At the event, Just Blaze will host a question-and-answer session with his fans before his DJ showcase. The event is open to those 19 and over, and the admission fee is 20,000 won. Just Blaze, from New Jersey, is best known for

June 12, 2013

Made of memories

Choreographer Hong Sung-yup says he fears developing Alzheimer’s disease much more than any other life-threatening illness.“You completely lose the sense of who you are (with the disease), and that is just extremely frightening,” said the choreographer, who currently serves as the artistic director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company. “I fear it more than cancer.”Hong’s latest work, “The Dog and the Shadow,” reflects the artist’s thoughts on memories and how they shape us into who w

June 12, 2013

Jackie Chan to put up autobiographical musical

 Jackie Chan is working on a theatrical production based on his life as an action star and martial artist, Chan revealed Tuesday.The Hong Kong actor said at a press conference in New York that he is writing a stage adaptation of his 1998 autobiography “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action,” which tells the story of his early childhood, growing up with music and gaining international stardom.According to Chan, the musical will focus on his youth and efforts to escape the shadows of martial arts le

June 12, 2013

[Photo] Sistar makes comeback with 2nd album

South Korean music group Sistar made its much-anticipated return on Tuesday by releasing its second album.The popular all-female quartet held its comeback performance to the cheers of fans who flocked to a showcase stage in Mapo-gu, Seoul.Within hours of release, the title song of the album “Give It to Me” reached the No. 1 spot on the country’s major music charts including Melon, Mnet.com, Olleh, Bugs, Naver Music and Daum Music. The group also released the music video of “Give It to Me,” whic

June 11, 2013

Painter speaks about art and age

Artist Kim Chong-hak is known for landscape paintings that portray the dynamic energy of Korean nature. Moreover, he’s known as the painter of Seoraksan Mountain, one of the most rugged mountains in the country that boasts great sceneries throughout the year. Kim is one of the few Korean painters who chooses to go deep inside the mountain to better portray the pristine landscape. Having painted the diverse landscapes of Seoraksan Mountain for more than 30 years, Kim held a retrospective in 2011

June 10, 2013

Nell back with melodic synthpop

South Korean modern rock band Nell released its latest album “Escaping Gravity” on Monday with its uplifting title song “Ocean of Light,” sweeping Korea’s major online music charts including Mnet and Bugs. As the second part of Nell’s “Gravity Trilogy,” the newly released album escaped the dreamlike and gloomy music style of the previous album “Holding on to Gravity” and the four members came back as a joyous band singing of hopes and dreams.The new album consists of six songs with an omnibus st

June 10, 2013

Discovery of Korean singer’s U.S. album from 1956 rewrites hallyu history

The oldest extant music album released in the U.S. by a Korean artist was discovered last week, redefining the history of Korean music outside the country.Lee Joon-hee, a visiting professor at Sungkonghoe University, who specializes in pop music, told The Korea Herald on Friday that he has found Korean singer Ok Doo-ok’s U.S. debut LP record released in 1956. Even in absence of a written record or other evidence, “Ok was widely assumed to have been the first Korean singer to debut in the U.S. As

June 9, 2013

Production reflects Spoleto’s international flavor

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) ― The internationally known Spoleto Festival USA founded by the late composer Gian Carlo Menotti has always presented an international slate of performers.The season which concluded Sunday ― the 37th for Spoleto ― featured two theater companies from the United Kingdom, an acrobatic ensemble from France, and dance companies from Brazil and India. But perhaps no show reflects the international flavor of the 17-day arts festival than the American premiere of the oper

June 9, 2013

Keeping Celtic culture alive

Many things stand out about inter-Celtic band Mirrorfield when they take the stage, from their kilts to their easygoing humor and infectious energy.“We want people to participate in at least half the songs. So they’re going to sing, they’re going to clap their hands,” said Jim Rowlands, guitarist and singer for the group.“One thing that surprises the audience is they don’t realize when they turn up at the concert that they are part of the show. We get them to sing back, sometimes we get the audi

June 9, 2013

Russian fans go wild during Psy’s first visit

Rap star Psy, who is continuing to make his way around the world promoting his newest single “Gentleman,” made his first trip to Russia to perform at the MUZ-TV music awards show in Moscow on Friday.“This is the first time ever, in my career and in my life, to be in Russia,” Psy said during the awards ceremony after receiving an award for the world’s breakout artist of the year. “Now I can see a lot of Russian people really like me and I think I’m kind of popular in this country,” he said with a

June 9, 2013

Eyelike: LeAnn Rimes‘ ’Spitfire‘ aptly named

LeAnn Rimes‘ ’Spitfire‘ aptly namedLeAnn Rimes“Spitfire”(Curb)LeAnn Rimes has appeared in tabloid headlines more often than the record charts the last few years. But don’t fault her music: Her last three albums have featured the best work of her career and the new ``Spitfire‘’ tops them all. The onetime child star always had a powerful voice. She often picked good material, too. But it never gelled into a consistent creative direction. ``Spitfire‘’ finds Rimes emerging as a mature artist whose s

June 7, 2013

Quincy Jones to give first concert in Seoul

Famed American record producer and trumpeter Quincy Jones is to perform in Korea for the first time.The 80-year-old is best known for producing Michael Jackson’s 1982 studio album “Thriller,” which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His upcoming concert, which is set to be held on July 25 at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul, is to feature a number of American singers, including R&B, pop and jazz music singer Patti Austin, singer-songwriter James Ingram and vocalist Siedah Gar

June 7, 2013

‘Gentleman’ tops 400m YouTube hits

The video for South Korean rapper Psy’s new single “Gentleman” has drawn more than 400 million views on YouTube, the global video-sharing website said Friday.The video recorded 402.1 million hits as of 11 a.m., jumping to 16th place on YouTube’s all-time list of most-viewed videos. The milestone was reached 55 days after its release on April 13 and 29 days after the video broke the 300 million mark on May 9.The singer’s previous hit “Gangnam Style” has attracted more than 1.6 billion YouTube vie

June 7, 2013

Lee Hyo-ri rides another wave of popularity

South Korean singer Lee Hyo-ri’s recent comeback is creating a buzz on and offline. Songs from her new album are routinely heard on the streets of Seoul. Her trademark cool personality is also spicing up her music on TV entertainment programs. The 34-year-old singer made her debut in 1998 as a member of K-pop girl group Fin.K.L. and enjoyed much popularity due to the group’s girlish image. After the group disbanded, Lee came out in 2003 as a solo artist with sexy hip-hop song “10 Minute,” which

June 7, 2013

Growing up in television, in search of her own voice

Tuned an octave lower than the viola and an octave higher than the bass, cello is said to be the instrument that most resembles the human voice.For former child star and actress Lee Jae-eun, the instrument serves as a metaphor; it prompts her desire to find her “own voice” as an individual, after almost 30 years of living her roles. “My life has been all about pretending (to be someone else),” the 33-year-old actress said during a press showing of her theater debut “La Dame au Violoncelle” (The

June 6, 2013

Entertainer Johnny Yune to make his way back home

After a long hiatus, veteran entertainer Johnny Yune is making his comeback by hosting the “World Pop Concert in Korea” in August. The concert will be held Aug. 9 and 10 at Yonsei University in Seoul and at the International Convention Center Jeju on Aug. 11. “It will be a precious moment to gather youngsters and elders together and listen to music and think about the past and future,” Yune said at a press conference on Wednesday in Gangnam. “I have recently regained my Korean citizenship after

June 6, 2013