Natalie Cole Concert CancelledBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Jazz singer Natalie Cole’s South Korean tour slated for Wednesday and Thursday was cancelled, concert organizers announced Monday. ``We received word from Natalie Cole’s agency of the shows’ cancellation,’’ said Music Space. ``We are currently refunding booked tickets and are planning to discuss with Cole’s agency to reschedule her tour here.’’ The 59-year-old was supposed to perform Wednesday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul, and Thursday at Goyang Aram Nuri Art Complex, Gyeonggi Province. Ever since debuting in 1975, Cole has been loved for her colorful and prolific musicality stretching diverse genres including R&B, jazz and soul. In 1991, the multiple-Grammy Award-winning artist created a stir by reinterpreting ``Unforgettable,’’ which was originally sung by her father, the late legend Nat King Cole. She is also known to have been diagnosed with kidney failure. After she announced the news to Larry King on CNN in April, fans have shown support for her recovery. Updated on May 18: We mistakenly reported iMay 13, 2009
Multiple Pianos Make Formidable SoundBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Evgeny Kissin’s recent Seoul tour in April seemed like it would be the most talked-about classical music event of the year. Barely a month following the Russian sensation’s performance, however, maestro Paik Kun-woo and three rising South Korean pianists set the Seoul Arts Center concert hall on fire ― again. The beauty of a live piano performance is, in addition to hearing inspired melodies in real time, seeing the artist’s flying fingers in motion. Seoulites saw Monday and Tuesday such dynamics of not two but eight hands, conjuring to life four Steinways in ways the local art scene has never seen before. A single one of these instruments is enough to generate the sound of an orchestra. Many multiple-piano pieces were originally conceived with the sound of the harpsichord or light fortepiano, and on modern instruments sounds tend to be unpleasantly thick and cluttered. The recent performance ― something rare not only in Korea but also abroad ― brought together four shining artists that individually possess the star power to attract more thaMay 13, 2009
DJ Scott Pullen Loves Seouls EnthusiasmBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter If there's one thing that top Australian DJ Scott Pullen loves about the crowds at Seoul's club scene, it's their enthusiasm and total commitment to having a great time. Pullen, one of the few Australian DJs to be ranked in DJ Mag's Top 100, had just played at the World DJ Festival in Seoul over the weekend. ``To be completely honest, I find the enthusiasm of the crowds in Seoul quite overwhelming. In no other city in the world have I experienced such dedication and commitment to truly having a good time. That is an honor that the locals here should be very proud of. Believe me, in a lot of places around the globe, I truly feel that unfortunately, some people have forgotten how to have a good time… The crowds in Seoul could really show the rest of the world how it's done properly,'' he said, in an email interview with The Korea Times. Originally from Sydney, Pullen has made a name for himself with ``cutting edge tech, dirty, sexy, rock infused electro house music.'' Since the 1980s, he has played in clubs, underground events, prMay 12, 2009
JAM Project Rocks Anime TunesBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Rock to the tunes from your favorite Japanese anime shows at the JAM Project concert in Seoul this Saturday. JAM Project, an acronym for Japan Animation song Makers, will perform at the Melon-AX, eastern Seoul, as part of the ``JAM Project Hurricane Tour 2009: Gate of the Future.'' Riding on the popularity of Japanese anime world word, JAM Project was formed in 2000 by theme song artist Ichirou Mizuki. He gathered some of the top singers in the Japanese animation song genre. The group is composed of leader Hironobu Kageyama and vocalists Masaaki Endoh, Masami Okui, Hiroshi Kitadani and Yoshiki Fukuyama. They ``wanted to create and sing theme songs that complement the world-class, progressive Japanese animation and game industry.'' A leader in the animation song industry, JAM Project has distinguished itself with a unique rock sound and vocal abilities. ``They are pushing forward as both creators and performers. Aiming toward the concept of `better production makes better theme songs' … At present, they have created close toMay 12, 2009
Album ReviewsBen Folds `Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella' (SonyBMG) When rock musician Ben Folds found some You Tube videos of student vocal groups singing his songs a cappella, he had this great idea to make an album of a cappella versions of his songs. He invited college vocal groups to submit a cappella tracks on You Tube, and out of 250, he chose 15 groups from University of Rochester, Sacramento State, Washington University and University of North Carolina, to participate on the album. College students create beautiful harmonies, without any instruments, and give fresh interpretations to Folds' hit songs such as ``Landed,'' ``Magic,'' ``Brick'' and ``Evaporated.'' Folds also tries his hand at a cappella by recording ``Effington'' and ``Boxing,'' but his efforts pale in comparison. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia May 12, 2009
Youn-ha Moves Forward With Passion for MusicBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter With short curly hair, bright eye makeup and attire, it would be easy to mistake Youn-ha as another colorful singer with a pretty face and voice. But the 21-year-old is a driven artist for whom music is the number one priority and will continue to be so. ``Whenever I work on an album, I put all of my energy into it. You can say that I have put 100 percent of me in this album,'' Youn-ha told The Korea Times during an interview in the singer's van last week. Her new album ``Part. A Peace Love & Icecream'' is a big change from her usual rock'n'roll image with the black shaggy hair, dark clothes and makeup, and when asked the reason for the change in style, Youn-ha said she wanted to bring positive energy. ``There are so many trendy dance numbers these days, and so I wanted to move on with a different style. The reason we chose `1,2,3' as the first single was also because I realized the importance of having a `hit song' and also because I wanted to sing something bright and happy. Everybody is going through such a hard time, I wanted to ofMay 11, 2009
Kim Solbong Premieres in FestBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music (SSF) opened Thursday at Sejong Chamber Hall, downtown Seoul, its fourth edition with a concert celebrating both continuing traditions and modern innovation. While popular artists, including pianist Kim Sun-wook and the Jupiter String Quartet from the United States, offered tasteful renditions of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, rising South Korean composer Kim Solbong presented something new in his latest chamber piece ``Sundial Chronicles.'' The festival's 2009 composer-in-residence offered what he calls ``a rite of spring chronicling the change in time'' through an eclectic dialogue among Western classical instruments and a couple ``gugak'' (a traditional Korean music) organs, ``janggu'' (drum) and ``gayageum'' (12-string zither). Of course, such a meeting point of East and West isn't new. One can easily recall Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble which brings together violin, Brazillian shakers and Chinese ``pipa'' (lute) to create sounds such gadgets weren't meant to make, or Ahn Eack-tai's Samulnori CMay 8, 2009
Jose Carreras to Hold RecitalsBy Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Jose Carreras will hold three recitals across South Korea beginning Friday through May 12 ― not as a stopover of an Asian tour but in order to revisit the local audience. ``Korea is, for an artist, a wonderful pleasure. The tradition and knowledge here for classical music and opera are incredible,'' the tenor said in a press meeting in Seoul, Wednesday. He was presiding over the jury at a recent Verdi Competition and 70 percent of the contestants were Korean, he explained, and prominent European and American orchestras have many Korean members. ``Going to Korea is something that any artist has to be proud of, and I am very proud to come to Korea. I came to your country for the first time in 1979, 30 years ago, and since then I had a wonderful, wonderful experience. It's a privilege to come to your country,'' said the Spanish singer, who, along with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, is considered one of the three great tenors of modern times. ``Yes, I keep in touch with Placido as often as we can,'' he said, despite their different schedMay 6, 2009
Album ReviewsDiana Krall `Quiet Nights' Universal Music Jazz diva Diana Krall mixes jazz and bossa nova in her latest album ``Quiet Nights.'' Her sultry voice is well suited for this romantic album, which Krall described as ``very womanly, like you're lying next to your lover in bed whispering this in their ear.'' Krall enthralls listeners with her sensual versions of bossa nova classics such as ``The Boy from Ipanema'' (the original title ``The Girl from Ipanema''), and ``Quiet Nights,'' based on ``Corcovado.'' Fans can see how much Krall's vocal style has matured in songs like ``You're My Thrill,'' ``Where or When'' and the cover version of ``Walk on By.'' -Cathy Rose A. Garcia May 5, 2009
Omar Sosa to Bring Latin Jazz to SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Every day life serves as the inspiration for musician Omar Sosa's exciting and inspiring brand of Latin jazz music. ``I find my inspiration in everyday life, as I try to live life, feel each moment and each place I pass by. I then try to transmit all these experiences that touch me,'' Sosa said, in an email interview with The Korea Times. Sosa is considered one of the most versatile jazz artists around. He is a composer, arranger, producer, pianist, percussionist, bandleader, and not to mention, charismatic performer. The Cuban-born artist is known for creating a unique Latin jazz sound that combines elements of world music, electronic beats and Afro-Cuban rhythms. A New York Times reviewer once described Sosa's music as ``the unifying sort, yoking together Africa and jazz and Latin America and hip-hop.'' There is something truly special about Sosa's music that resonates with people from different countries and cultures. ``The base of our music comes from our roots, from where we are. There is a total honesty when it comes to May 5, 2009