Cho Yong-pil on nationwide concert tourBy Kwon Mee-yoo One of the greatest, iconic singers of Korea, Cho Yong-pil, 61, will hold concerts across the nation from May after a break of about two years. Known for presenting hit songs in a sophisticated manner and on spectacular stages Cho Yong-pil’s performances are sure to thrill audiences spanning generations. The concert is titled "2011 Cho Yong-pil and the Great Birth Tour Concert _ Song of Wind." He will tour with his band “The Great Birth.” Cho will fill the two and a half hour show with hit songs from "Return to Port Busan" and "Dear My Friend" to "The Leopard of Kilimanjaro" and "The Eye of the Sun." The concert tour will kick off in Seoul at Gymnastics Stadium, Olympic Park on May 7 and continue onto Uijeongbu Stadium on June 4, Cheongju Stadium on June 11 and the Changwon Exhibition Convention Center on June 18. In the latter half of the year, concerts are scheduled at Gyeongju Stadium on Sep. 24, Seongnam Sports Complex on Oct. 1, Kintex Ilsan on Nov. 19, Busan Exhibition and Convention Center on Nov. 26 and Exco Daegu on Dec. 3. The concert venueMar 22, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Relish red-hot romanticism: Paganini meets PiazzollaBy Lee Hyo-won “The violin is my mistress, but the guitar is my master,” Niccolo Paganini once said. The Italian composer may be best known as the violin virtuoso who forever changed the way the instrument was played, but the creative Romantic also left behind staple compositions for the classical guitar. In the Sonata Concertata Op. 61 the violin and guitar equally share devilishly difficult phrasings. Fans will be able to relish not only Paganini’s red-hot Romanticism but also Piazzolla’s passionate nuevo tango — a group of chamber musicians will explore the striking similarities between the “diabolical” 19th-century Italian music and Latin blood-infused, modern Argentine oeuvres in “Travelling Paganini — Journey to the Sun,” on Wednesday in Seoul. Korean-born Belgian guitarist Denis Sung-ho Janssens, who last year released a recording of Paganini’s “Ghiribizzi” under the Naxos label, will come together with a group of friends: violinist Lorenzo Gatto, winner of the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition, and cellist Young Song (Song Young-hoon), who is much loveMar 13, 2011
Eagles to make Korea concert debutBy Lee Hyo-won The Eagles are expected to rock Seoul with a long-awaited local concert debut on March 15. During a 40-year career, the American rock band has won six Grammy Awards and sold over 120 million records worldwide. They are much loved for songs such as “Hotel California,” “Desperado,” “Heartache Tonight,” “The Long Run” and “I Can’t Tell You Why.” The upcoming tour, titled “Long Road Out of Eden,” is generating excitement as the two of the four original band members, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, will join Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. Over 90 percent of the VIP tickets were snapped up on the day they went on sale here. The musicians will be accompanied by not only a massive crew of some 140 people but over 30 guitars in order to provide top-notch performances. “The Eagles concert is an important opportunity for Korea to prove to the world that it has become an important music market. At the same time it will be a chance for the local industry to be exposed to the latest trends of international performances,” said local concert organizer CJ E & M. The EagleMar 11, 2011
Album reviewRicky Martin ‘MAS: Musica + Alma + Sexo’ (SONY MUSIC LATIN) Why we recommend it: A dozen years since “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” Martin has moved little past mass-produced Latin music, but he is unafraid to come all out in seizing earthly pleasures with gutsy vocals and crusading messages. Best tracks: “Tu y Yo,” “Cantame Tu Vida” For many Koreans, Ricky Martin may come off as being a bit unctuous and over-the-top, as his leather pants-clad “electro-pelvis” moves to visceral, salsa-infused rhythms. A dozen years since stealing the limelight with “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” the star, now 40, has moved little past mass-produced Latin music. But his unabashed lust for life manages to convince the less enthusiastic. In his ninth studio album, recorded mostly in Spanish, Martin is unafraid to come all out in seizing earthly pleasures with his signature Latin beats, gutsy vocals and crusading messages. “MAS: Musico + Alma + Sexo” (Music + Soul + Sex offers) is his first studio recording since 2005 and his first since announcing last year that he is “proud to say that I am a fMar 8, 2011
Ne-Yo to offer cinematic concert experienceBy Lee Hyo-won In less than five years, he sold more than 10 million albums worldwide and collaborated with everyone that matters, from Michael Jackson to Tim McGraw. Ne-Yo, one of the most beloved foreign pop stars in Korea, is to offer a cinematic concert experience in Seoul this month. The concert, to be held March 30 at Olympic Park, is part of the Grammy Award-winning artist’s international promotional tour for his fourth album “Libra Scale.” The R&B star may have topped local digital charts with romantic melodies such as “So Sick,” but he shows a knack for fantasy and adventure in his new album. The singer-songwriter, admittedly “a huge comic book nerd,” composed a story for the occasion that draws heavily from the world of comic books and science fiction. It is about a trio of garbage men that are granted super powers, wealth and fame in exchange for protecting justice. When Jerome (Ne-Yo) falls in love with the beautiful Pretti Sinclair he is forced to choose between duty and desire as she transforms into a deadly villain and threatens to destroy the city. Once thMar 8, 2011
Album ReviewSimon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic ‘Mahler: Symphony No. 2’ (EMI Classics Korea) Why we recommend it: One can imagine no better conductor-orchestra pairing to rejuvenate the roof-raising oomph of Mahler’s “Resurrection” but it does not transcend the raw, impassioned theatricality of the Rattle’s 1986 recording with the Birmingham Symphony. Recommended track: “Allegro maestoso” Simon Rattle, the Berlin Philharmonic and Mahler ― an introduction seems hardly necessary. The conductor is undoubtedly one of the most respected interpreters of Mahler symphonies today. He was inspired to become a conductor upon hearing the massive No. 2 at age 12 and his 1987 debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, which premiered the piece in 1895, was with No. 6. In 2002, as the new music director of the orchestra, he showcased No. 5. This live recording of Symphony No. 2 marks the maestro’s fourth recording of Mahler with the ensemble (following Symphonies Nos. 5, 9 and 10) and comes just in time for the centennial of the German composer’s death. The five-part “Resurrection” symphonyMar 1, 2011
A liberated Slash to play in KoreaBy Ines Min If you’re already a rock n’ roll legend, what’s the best thing one can do? For some, it’s branching out into a new musical career. “It was very liberating to do a record on my own, and then when it came time to put together a tour I ended up putting together a great band, so I feel the best of both worlds,” Slash said in a recent interview. “It’s a really great band and I also got a chance to do more in the studio more or less driven by me.” The 45-year-old former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist will play his first concert in Korea next month, in promotion of his debut solo album, “Slash” (2010). Ranked No. 2 in Time’s list of greatest electric guitar players of all time, Slash has only grown exponentially in terms of music industry fame since his debut in the 1980s. Following his departure from GNR in 1996, the guitarist went on to a variety of music groups, including Velvet Revolver, a “supergroup” of musicians that included the likes of former bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, and Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots. But outside of band fame, SlasFeb 25, 2011
Album reviewsRadiohead ‘The King of Limbs’ (WARNER MUSIC KOREA) When one comes across the rare person who adamantly insists that no, they do not like Radiohead, it’s usually a simple matter: they obviously don’t know what they’re talking about. Radiohead unveiled their eighth album over the weekend, their first fully independent release since they cut ties with longtime distributor EMI. “The King of Limbs,” which supposedly found titular inspiration from the ancient oaks of the U.K.’s Savernake Forest, sees the group branch further down the road of (loosely) ambient electronic. While the sound may not be immediately explosive, its winning trait is still in that literary element most comfortable in the niche of darkly honest humor. Long gone are the days of lively electro-rock, replaced by endless amalgamations of jazz elements, electronic-based beats, guitar plucking and disjointed portraits of a minimalist dystopia. “Lotus Flower,” which the band revealed last year, is perhaps the most representative number of the short, eight-track album. The hook on that sharp note, the lighFeb 22, 2011
Though worn, Clapton captures crowds thrice overBy Ines Min It was in the tense hunch of a shoulder, the slow rhythm of the head bang, the foot tapping to the beat — the unmistakable signs of a musician going full throttle, into the classic melodies that defined an era. Eric Clapton moved the Korean audience once more in his third concert here Sunday, at the Gymnastics Stadium of Olympic Park. His latest international tour kicked off on Feb. 11 in the United Arab Emirates, and his third show revealed a still timeless, if weary, Clapton. Enthused fans entered the sold-out venue in pairs, weaving lines in front of each entrance minutes before the curtain rose. Clapton and his band — a tour lineup that includes the famed Steve Gadd on drums, Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon on keys, and Willie Weeks on bass — jumped straight into the show with “Key to the Highway.” The opening number saw Clapton warm up to the stage immediately, as he rocked and plucked on his characteristic sky blue Fender Stratocaster. Dressed in a casual blue plaid shirt and black denim, the guitarist rang clear across the packed house,Feb 21, 2011
A crossover of music and culturesSeoul Pops Orchestra to take classical pop to China By Lee Hyo-won There’s nothing as invisible yet gripping as music, even transcending the limits of the spoken word, to unite different cultures. China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts awed the audience here with its Korean opera debut piece, “Turandot,” and beginning next week the Seoul Pops Orchestra will bring the flair of Korean classical music by touring four cities across the neighboring country. The orchestra will kick off the tour with performances in Beijing on Feb. 23 followed by Tianjin on Feb. 24; Qingdao on Feb. 26 and last but not least Lianyungang on Feb. 28. The tour comes in time for the 19th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic exchange between Korea and China, and is also part of Seoul Pops’ New Year’s campaign themed to share messages of hope and community values through music. “Due to recent conflicts between North and South Korea, there is noticeable tension in the East Asian region. We hope the upcoming concert will uplift the mood through music and promote more artistic exFeb 18, 2011