With Christmas and New Year’s just around the corner, festive cheer is in the air. 　Despite the weather quickly taking a turn toward bone-chilling temperatures, there is a long list of live concerts and performances where people can celebrate the holiday season out of the winter cold. 　For those looking to escape the winter blues, there’s nothing like a bit of cultural indulgence to add a little musical enchantment to an evening.  　Steve Barakatt’s “Christmas Dream”　Canadian pianist and composer

Performance Dec. 15, 2016

PARIS (AP) -- Days after the Islamic State group seized back control of the ancient Syrian town of Palmyra, a prescient exhibit was inaugurated in Paris on Tuesday that aims to educate the public on the wounded wonder that Syrians affectionately call the ``Bride of the Desert.‘’ 　Its organizers said the display opening Wednesday is designed to be an ``emotional‘’ experience that takes visitors to Palmyra and other endangered world heritage sites in the Middle East. It‘s also meant to show how mu

Culture Dec. 14, 2016

NEW YORK (AFP) - Rap superstar Kanye West on Tuesday delivered a surprise even in this most unusual of political years -- he met President-elect Donald Trump, marking the artist’s first appearance since a reported mental breakdown.　West, a rare artist and even rarer African American celebrity to voice support for Trump, said he went to discuss issues of concern to minorities with the populist leader.　Trailed by an entourage including his own cameraman, West silently walked into Trump Tower and r

Performance Dec. 14, 2016

Promotional image for the musical “Death Note,” starring Kim Jun-su (C-JeS Entertainment)Kim Jun-su, often referred to here as the “ticket power king,” has not lost his touch: Tickets for a showcase of the upcoming musical “Death Note” sold out in less than a minute.  　On Monday, tickets for the musical preopening day showcase went up for sale on Interpark at 3 p.m. and all 1,000 seats were booked in under a minute.  　The K-pop star recently wrapped up the musical “Dorian Gray,” which is a Korea

Performance Dec. 13, 2016

K-pop star Rain (Rain Company)　Singer-actor Rain is gearing for a January return with his first album in nearly three years, according to his agency Rain Company. 　The upcoming album will be Rain’s first music release since his “Rain Effect” album in January 2014, which marked his return since completing his mandatory military service.  　The singer was initially slated to return to the stage in the latter half of this year, but his agency said that the album was not ready yet and decided to push

Performance Dec. 13, 2016

The Corea Image Communication Institute will honor South Korean golfer Pak Se-ri, AlphaGo artificial intelligence and KwangJuYo Chairman Cho Tae-Kwon at its upcoming 13th annual awards ceremony CICI Korea Image Awards 2017. 　The Korea Image Awards are given by CICI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a positive image of Korea. It recognizes people and entities that best represent the country and its culture. South Korean golfer Pak Se-ri (CICI)　Former professional golfer Pak, who an

Culture Dec. 13, 2016

As Korea readies itself to host the country’s first ever Winter Games in Gangwon Province’s PyeongChang in 2018, the organizing committee is placing heavy emphasis on highlighting year-round tourism in the rural province. 　Famous locally for its cold and snowy winters in Korea, PyeongChang is one of the peninsula’s most popular winter vacation destinations with its plethora of ski slopes and resorts. However, on a global level, the International Olympic Committee says one of the biggest challeng

Olympic Games Dec. 7, 2016

Seventeen (Official Facebook)K-pop boy band Seventeen is gearing up for its return to the spotlight.　The group released a teaser image, featuring lead vocalist S.Coups holding a glass bottle containing a model ship at the beach, on its official social media channels on Monday morning.  　The 13-member act, which is divided into hip-hop, vocal and choreography units, is currently getting ready to unveil a new album next month, according to the boy band’s management agency Pledis Entertainment. 　Af

Performance Nov. 21, 2016

Block B’s Zico (Seven Seasons)K-pop boy band Block B’s Zico revealed one of the two artists collaborating with him on his upcoming single which comes out next week. 　The singer, producer and rapper released an image, featuring his and hip-hop artist Crush’s names, via his official social media channels on Monday morning.　“Zico has prepared a special year-end gift for his fans,” said the rapper’s management agency Seven Seasons on Monday. The company also revealed that Zico would reveal another a

Performance Nov. 21, 2016