Pixie Lott, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Britain, captivated the Korean audience with her signature husky voice and adorable smile at her album showcase in Seoul on Wednesday evening. The singer, who gained popularity around the world with her hit-song “Mama Do (Uh oh, Uh oh),” was in Seoul for four days this week to promote her special album “Young Foolish Happy” released only in some Asian countries including Korea, Japan and Taiwan. She left Korea on Thursday for Malaysia, her next de

May 24, 2012

Junsu, a member of the group JYJ, will hold the “XIA 1st Asia tour in Thailand” on May 27, marking the second venue for his much-anticipated music tour following performances for his Korean fans in Seoul May 19-20. Cjes Entertainment said the concert in Thailand would host 4,000 seats and offer the same 90-minute performance that Junsu showcased in Seoul. “The first batch of tickets for the concert in Thailand sold out in just 10 minutes, and local fans are responding positively to Junsu’s innov

May 24, 2012

 Following is the third in a series of articles in which leading architects discuss their representative work. ― Ed.Architecture is a projection of rationalized fantasies onto the world. It consists of spaces that started as programs, budgets and rules; they became characters, animals, labyrinths and more.In 2006 we designed our first project in Seoul; a house we called Godzilla, for its sleepy-dragon appearance, but also for the hard time our first Korean construction experience gave us. The p

May 23, 2012

Park Ji-min, the 15-year-old winner of SBS’ TV audition show “K-pop Star” signed a contract with JYP Entertainment led by singer and producer Park Jin-young, the broadcast company said on Tuesday. Baek Ah-yeon and Park Je-hyeong, the two other contestants for the TV shows also signed their contracts with JYP, it added. “We have concluded that JYP fits very well with Park and the music she plans to pursue,” SBS said in a statement. The news comes less than a week after Lee Ha-yi, 16, who came in

May 22, 2012

Soprano Jo Sumi was taken to hospital on Tuesday with acute appendicitis and underwent surgery on the same day, her agency said.The Korean artist arrived in Seoul from Paris late last month to start her tour of major cities in Korea including Gwangju and Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The 50-year-old soprano’s last concert of the tour at Sungsan Art Hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday has been cancelled due to her health condition, SMI Entertainment said on Tuesday.The Changwo

May 22, 2012

Compagnie Kafig featuring 11 Latin American dancers to stage latest productions in Korea next monthWell-known French urban dance company Compagnie Kafig returns to Korea for the first time in six years with its latest productions “Agwa” and “Correria” on June 2-3 at the LG Arts Center in Seoul.Inspired by the special encounter between Algerian-French choreographer Mourad Merzouki and 11 self-taught Brazilian dancers, the two upcoming productions are a mix of French choreography and Brazilian pas

May 22, 2012

Brazil’s children’s television show host Xuxa has revealed that the late Michael Jackson wanted to marry her and that she had been sexually abused as a child.Maria da Graca Meneghel, better known as “Xuxa,” made the surprise disclosure in a television interview that shocked the country late Sunday.“The entourage of Michael Jackson wanted him to marry, have children. They were looking for someone.

May 22, 2012

Korean-Belgian artist becomes the first guitarist invited to internationally-acclaimed Martha Argerich ProjectDenis Sungho Janssens, a Belgian guitarist of Korean origin who has recently been expanding his music career in Seoul, is returning to Europe full of hope and ready for a challenge. The 38-year-old artist has been invited to perform at the Martha Argerich Project next month, part of the Lugano Music Festival in Switzerland, with other internationally acclaimed artists including cellist M

May 21, 2012

K-pop artists will showcase their music and performances at an international music festival that kicks off in Singapore this week. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliate Korea Creative Content Agency, eight groups of K-pop stars will perform at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotel in Clarke Quay, Singapore, on May 24. The list of artists includes Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, Bizzy, M.I.B, BtoB, Clazzi and Rhythm King.During “K-pop Night Out at Music Matters Live 2012,” T

May 21, 2012

Contemporary artists from Adele to Lady Gaga releasing new music on vinyl, often with a download includedFORT LAUDERDALE, Florida ― Cam Bentley walked into a Fort Lauderdale record store this dreary afternoon, head nodding to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” streaming from iPod to headphones. She walked past the CDs to the Soul section of the vinyl department ― stacks and stacks of LPs stuffed between Alternative and Blues ― on an earnest hunt for the same song on wax.A daught

May 21, 2012

Photo exhibitions, concerts and lectures by artists, experts from 17 Latin American countries to be held in Seoul, Chuncheon and GyeongjuA series of exhibitions, concerts, performances and lectures will be presented as part of the 2012 Latin American Cultural Festival under way across Seoul. Under the slogan “Latin fever, meets Korea,” the festival is a part of cross cultural exchange programs designed to celebrate the 50th year of diplomatic ties between Korea and some 20 Latin American countri

May 20, 2012

Festival“Muju Firefly Festival”: This environmentally friendly festival, now in its 16th year, features hands-on experience to learn about fireflies. Visitors can observe fireflies closely at its natural habitat as well as learn about them in depth at the Bandi Nara Museum. Other events include trout fishing and rafting in Namdaecheon stream. Visitors can also experience the local culture at the festival as it holds some of the region’s famous traditional performances and craftwork displays. Vis

May 18, 2012

Occupy movement gets a shining soundtrack“Occupy This Album” Various artists (Razor & Tie)“Occupy This Album,” this homage to the Occupy Wall Street movement, is thick with troubadours and an eye toward social justice. The four-disc compilation is one part “Who’s who” and one part “Who’s that?” But there are some gems within this encampment.The theme is mixed, as has been the movement. Take Richard Barone’s “Can I Sleep On Your Futon?” His world is in tatters as he bemoans having a hard time fin

May 18, 2012