Singer Corinne Bailey Rae’s soulful voice wows Koreans

Even the polite Koreans’ patience had been running short during the 35-minute wait for Corinne Bailey Rae to appear. When she arrived, though, the British singer-songwriter’s irresistible smile, conversation with the audience and unbeatably soulful voice instantly killed any complaints.Performing her first solo concert in Seoul at Ax Hall on Thursday night, the 32-year-old appeared on stage wearin

March 11, 2011

Artist traces journey of light

A stream of light slides down an orange line until it meets a green cube and disperses, reflecting off a yellowish shine. On artist Choi Eun-hyea’s canvas, rigid cubes are softly highlighted and turned into something gentle and pastel-toned, almost mushy. Choi is showcasing drawings, paintings and installations that ponder the relationship between space, time and light at her first-ever solo show.

March 11, 2011

‘Home is near; but it is far … very far’

Co-production looks at the lives of Koreans living in Japan in the 1960sThe play “Yakiniku Dragon” is what you could call a masterpiece. Watching it is like reading a really good book in one sitting. Not only is the story itself genuine and well-organized but every detail of the play, including the witty lines and props, is very delicately knitted together so that the audience’s attention never wa

March 10, 2011

Santana shows Latin soul

Mexican-American guitarist’s performance fit for a legendCarlos Santana, the 63-year-old lead guitarist of rock band Santana, transcended all kinds of barriers ― including age, language and nationality ― during his live concert in Seoul on Wednesday evening.Appearing on the Olympic Gymnastics Gymnasium’s stage with his trademark black top hat, black adidas tracksuit bottoms and matching short-slee

March 10, 2011

From Paganini to Piazzola

Denis Sung-ho Janssens leads four string artists on ‘journey to the sun’Italian composer and violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was also a guitarist, composing more than 100 songs for guitar. Paganini’s Sonata for Violin and Guitar in E minor became especially famous in Korea after it was used as background music in the 1995 SBS drama “Sandglass.”Korean-born Belgian guitarist Denis Sung-

March 9, 2011

Barakatt to stage romantic melodies

Program includes new song ‘He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang’Canadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt said he will perform his song “He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang,” the No. 5 track of his new album “Someday, Somewhere,” at his upcoming concert in Seoul.Barakatt is scheduled to hold a “White Day” recital at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall on Sunday and Monday, as March 14 i

March 9, 2011

The show goes on

Two old friends to stage complete cycle of Beethoven’s violin sonatasThey’re old, but not in spirit. When talking about their passion for music, the two musicians’ eyes twinkle like stars. The 69-year-old violinist Kim Min, music director of the Korean Chamber Orchestra, had thought his most recent recital “My Life, My Music” at the Seoul Arts Center in 2008 would be his last stage performance. Bu

March 8, 2011

WWII sex slaves’ anguish on stage

Playwright Kim Hae-rry reworking her one-woman play for Korean audiencesAn old woman sits in her living-room drawing women’s faces. She wants to draw all the faces of Korea’s former sex slaves before she dies. She says, “I don’t want to try to forget anymore. I draw to remember.” So starts “Face” ― a multimedia play telling of the estimated 200,000 women forced to serve as so-called “comfort women

March 8, 2011

Photos to take you out of the city

Hong Mi-sun, Michael Kenna, Min Byung-hun showcase photos of natureThough many dream of taking time off work for several months or even years to travel the world, not many have the courage to do so. But for some lucky photographers, global travel even makes them a living. Three established photographers are holding solo exhibitions in Seoul to show beautiful photos of nature they took during their

March 7, 2011

World’s oldest civic orchestra returns to Seoul

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to perform Dvorak violin concerto, Bruckner symphonyThe world’s oldest civic orchestra, which moved Korean hearts with its uniquely weighty sounds in 1995, is to return to Seoul with maestro Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly taking the helm Monday and Tuesday.The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra has its origins in “Grand Concert,” a concert society founded by 16 textile m

March 6, 2011

Justin Bieber’s hair sells for $40,688 on eBay

Fans can go crazy with their pop idols sometimes.This time, an ardent fan of pop star Justin Bieber got his hair. The Canadian pop singer’s hair has been sold for $40,688 on eBay, CBS News reported. The star had a hair cut the day after his 17th birthday and drew attention from many fans who described his new look as “Bieberish.” After the hair cut, he brought the lock of his hair in a box to “The

March 6, 2011

Events Calendar

Exhibitions“Special Exhibition of Chateau de Versailles”: A rare opportunity to see some of The Palace of Versailles’ precious treasures in Seoul. The exhibition features 84 works of art and relics which span 200 years of the palace’s history from the 17th century to the late 18th century, including portraits of the royal family and Marie-Antoinette’s golden tableware. The portraits of Louis XIV,

March 4, 2011

Walkerhill launches brunch with N.Y. Met Opera films

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill said it has launched a brunch program offering a New York Metropolitan Opera, filmed live.At the hotel’s theater, a high-resolution 16-by-7.5 meter screen with a 7.1 surround audio system will play the Metropolitan Opera’s 2010-2011 season programs, including all-time favorites such as “Turandot” from March to December, the hotel said.The theater’s Met Opera Brunch progr

March 4, 2011

Thieves try to sell a rare Stradivarius violin for 100 pounds ($163)

Violinist Kym Min-jin who has had lost her $1.9 million worth violin.(min-jin.com)Three Irish thieves who snatched a rare Stradivarius violin worth 1.2 million pounds ($1.95m) from a world-famous violinist and tried to sell it on for just 100 pounds ($163).John Maughan, 40, and two teenage brothers thought they had a laptop when they stole the black rectangular case as owner Min-Jin Kym stopped to

March 4, 2011

Kim Kardashian releases debut single

Reality show star Kim Kardashian released her debut single “JAM” on Ryan Seacrest’s morning radio show Thursday on KISS FM. Television personality Kim Kardashian attends the QVC 25 To Watch party during Fashion Week on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 in New York. (AP-Yonhap)As a reality star and co-owner of three clothing boutiques, Kardashian has launched her own perfume. “This was just a fun new experienc

March 4, 2011

Sony apologizes for J-pop band’s Nazi garb

TOKYO (AFP) ― Sony Music apologized on Wednesday for the Nazi-style uniforms worn by a Japanese pop band under its management in an MTV broadcast that triggered a protest from a U.S.-based Jewish rights group.The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles had voiced its “shock and dismay” at the appearance of the six-member J-Pop band Kishidan in SS-style uniforms with Nazi insignia such as the Iron C

March 3, 2011

Conceptual art to boggle your mind

PKM Trinity Gallery offers top artists’ conceptual contemporary artworks from 1960s to presentMartin Creed crumpled up a piece of white paper into a ball. People call it art. Tracey Emin scribbled one single sentence, “Only God Knows I’m Good,” using snow white neon. People also call that art. Since when did art become something so difficult to understand and not something simply beautiful to enjo

March 3, 2011