Whitesnake’s Coverdale casts spell on KoreaBy Ines Min The crowd was packed in tight, with sweat dripping down their faces, fists pumping the air. Possibly the largest group of long-haired Korean males ever to gather in one setting, fans of Whitesnake were serious business. In the two hours David Coverdale and his posse of guitar shredders and drum deity conquered Ax-Mellon Hall in southern Seoul, Wednesday night, as more than 1,000 hard rock fans reveled in the moment many of them had been waiting for the better part of three decades: Whitesnake’s first concert in Korea. Fans ranged from veteran broadcaster Bae Chul-soo — spotted sitting in a cool second-floor back row seat — to local rockers Apollo 18 and even the occasional girlfriend brought along in the sea of leather jacket-wearing males. But the energy emitting from the mass was tangible in the intimate performance space, where the entire first floor was packed with a throbbing standing audience. From the moment Coverdale’s crown of lush blonde hair entered the lights, the rock n’ rollers visibly pushed forward, fists thrust into the air and ecOct 28, 2011
Girls’ Generation targets global fameBy Kwon Mee-yoo Girls’ Generation reveal their new song “The Boys” today, aiming to hit the world with a powerful, strong image. During an interview prior to their third studio album in Korea and the first-ever maxi single to hit the United States in November, the girls seemed excited to be returning to the local music scene. The nine girls dressed down for the press conference, wearing simple jeans and shirts. They could easily pass for average university students, chatting with one another in a rather free and open atmosphere. However, when the topic got around to music and performance, they made a complete about-face. Beyond girlish image “The Boys,” composed and arranged by Teddy Riley, the celebrated producer who worked with Michael Jackson, is quite different from their previous songs such as “Gee” and “Oh!” Their usual bubbly image is gone and the girls get bold and set out to lead the boys. The song is released in both Korean and English. “It is an energetic song, representing girl power — not only Girls’ Generation’s power, but women overall,” TOct 19, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Inaugural festival at IBK Chamber HallBy Do Je-hae The recent opening of the IBK Chamber Hall — a new concert venue designed solely for chamber music — is bringing the world’s top musicians in the field to Korea over the next two months. The latest addition to Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, is generating much excitement for Korean fans and artists who have longed for the ultimate live chamber music experience in the nation’s capital. “There are several small concert halls in Korea, but none have been specifically designed for chamber music,” said cellist Yang Sung-won in a promotional magazine published by Seoul Arts Center. “To develop a culture where chamber music is appreciated, we need not only a good repertoire and able artists, but also a suitable performing venue.” Violinist Clara Jumi Kang said that the lack of chamber music halls has been partly responsible for the underrepresentation of the genre by Korean performers. “The opening of the IBK Chamber Hall will hopefully enable local chamber music ensembles to reach remarkable achievements in the next 10 years,” KaOct 17, 2011By Do Je-hae
Pianist to put new spin on ChopinBy Lee Hyo-won Lee Hye-kyung, a renowned pianist and professor of Chung-Ang University, will give a concert at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, at Seoul Arts Center. The solo recital will feature the oeuvre of Chopin. Some critics say works by this “poet of the piano” are overplayed but Lee hopes to bring a new approach to his timeless compositions. “Chopin’s works are widely performed and I myself have showcased his music many times. But I’ve prepared the pieces in order to express new musical ideas that come with age,” said the 52-year-old, who is known for tackling a wide ranging repertoire from Romantic staples to contemporary works by Unsuk Chin. The upcoming concert will mark a return to something familiar but at the same time present new challenges for the pianist. The program features Sonata No. 2, Op. 35, Ballad No. 3, Op. 47 and 24 Preludes, Op. 28. “These three pieces all have different structures: the sonata is representative of the architectural form that is unique to Chopin, while the ballad is characterized by a picturesque expressiveness. As for the 24-part prelude IOct 14, 2011
Chick Corea’s tour wraps up in SeoulBy Kwon Mee-yoo The 16-time Grammy winning fusion jazz ensemble Return to Forever IV will visit Korea as a finale of its world tour. Founded by legendary keyboardist Chick Corea in 1972, the group will hold two concerts in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province and Seoul on Oct. 12 and 14 respectively. In the group’s first phase, Corea performed Latin-oriented music with bass guitarist Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim and Joe Farrell. Then they moved to electric jazz rock music with Corea, Clarke, drummer Lenny White, Bill Connors, Al DiMeola, Steve Gadd and Mingo Lewis. Their biggest hit “Romantic Warrior” was released during this period. Corea’s wife Gayle Moran Corea joined as a vocalist on the next album “Musicmagic” and the band staged a world tour in 1977, before disbanding. They reunited in 2008, releasing a remixed and digitally remastered anthology box set and toured the United States. Return to Forever IV is their fourth reunion. Earlier this year, the group kicked off a world tour titled “Return to Forever IV” and Seoul is the last stop. For this tour,Sep 30, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
Weekender Saving Salon BadabieBy Kwon Mee-yoo Underground musicians and their fans have joined together to save Salon Badabie, a place that has spawned many indie bands. The “Badabie Never Die” project was planned by musicians to help the live venue undergoing financial difficulties and its owner who is suffering from illness. Salon Badabie was opened in December 2004 in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul by a poet pen-named Ujungdokbohaeng. He established Badabie to provide a venue for underground musicians who were pushed out by the commercialism of the Hongdae area, which was the home of the indie music in Korea. The place might look shabby with narrow staircases and a worn-out wooden stage. However, many indie musicians have made their debut there, and some of them have become popular. The strength of Badabie is that musicians can just ask to play there. The motto is “Anyone who wants to be onstage can be onstage” and Thursday is saved for no-name musicians. There is no screening and anyone who wants to perform at Badabie can do so without being auditioned. This is the reason the venue becameSep 22, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
I will push for joint orchestra performance with NK: conductor ChungA prominent South Korean conductor said Friday he agreed with Pyongyang officials to push for holding a joint performance of the two Koreas' symphony orchestras on a regular basis. Chung Myung-whun, who leads the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and also serves as a UNICEF "goodwill ambassador," returned home Thursday after a four-day trip to North Korea aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and easing tensions. "We agreed to push for a regular performance of a joint symphony orchestra of the two Koreas," Chung told reporters. The performances, if realized, will be alternately held in Seoul and Pyongyang, and the orchestra will be composed of the same number of players from each side, he said. The 59-year-old maestro also said he agreed with Pyongyang officials to run a program to cultivate up-and-coming young musicians in the North. During his stay in Pyongyang, Chung said he conducted a rehearsal of performances by the North's State Symphony Orchestra and the Unhasu Orchestra, and auditioned seven talented members of the latter orchestra. He said he also watched a concSep 16, 2011
The girls are coming back homeGirls’ Generation, Kara, Wonder Girls returning with local albums By Lee Hyo-won Girl groups that have been active abroad are returning one after another to the local music scene this fall. Top acts such as Kara, Girls’ Generation, Tiara and the Wonder Girls, who have been mostly performing in Japan or the United States, will release new albums through November. On Sept. 6, Kara released its third album “Step,” its first recording here in 10 months since last November’s mini album “Jumping.” Kara made headlines earlier this year with the possibility of disbandment due to contract issues, but an agreement was reached with its agency DSP Media. The group began work for the new recording in April. The title track “Step” is a pop number fusing rock and electronic beats. Written by Sweetune, a composing duo comprised of Han Jae-ho and Kim Seung-soo, the song has topped several local music charts. T-ara, which gave its first showcase in Japan in July, is also planning to release a new mini album “Black Eyes” on Oct. 27. Its agency Core Contents Media introduced Sep 13, 2011
JYJ to perform in EuropeBy Kwon Mee-yoo K-pop group JYJ will head to Europe for concerts in Spain in October and Germany in November. The boy band, composed of Je-jung, Yu-chun and Jun-su, will hold their first European concert at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on Oct. 29. Then JYJ will then travel to Berlin to for their second concert in Europe on Nov. 6. C-JeS Entertainment, the group’s agency, said it is in talks with Tempodrom about holding the concert in Berlin. “After releasing the album ’The Beginning’ worldwide we were asked to hold concerts not only in Western Europe but in Eastern and Northern Europe. We chose Spain and Germany to attract fans from all over the continent,” the agency said. “We will not differentiate much from the Asia and the U.S. tour, but are excited to meet new fans in Europe.” Meanwhile, the group will release their first album in Korean “In Heaven.” It will feature 10 songs, including the title track “In Heaven,” composed by Je-jung, “Get Out” and “You’re.” The album is available for pre-order from Friday at 10 a.m. at major record shops and online storesSep 7, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo
BEAST denied entry to JapanBy Do Je-hae Immigration officials banned boy band BEAST from entering Japan Tuesday citing the absence of necessary visas, its agency said Wednesday. “BEAST was detained at Haneda Airport for eight hours after failing to pass through immigration,” Cube Entertainment said in a press release. The agency said that the purpose of BEAST’s visit to Japan was to take part in a premiere for a movie that carried the title song of their first Japanese album. “Universal Japan, the distributor of the album, notified us that they would not need a performance visa. We have no idea why they were denied entry,” the agency said. Meanwhile, another Korean band Focus also failed to enter Japan Tuesday after being held up at the airport for seven hours. BEAST stands for “Boys of East Standing Tall.” They released their first mini-album “Beast Is The B2ST” in October 2009. BEAST started its Japanese venture with the release of a music video for their first Japanese single “Shock” on Feb. 27. It is only the second Korean group to sing on MTV’s “World Stage,” following the Wonder GirlAug 17, 2011By Do Je-hae