Music of Joseon Kingdom ReenactedBy Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter What was it like to close and open the year in the Joseon Kingdom? The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA) will offer ``Taepyeongjiak ? The Sound of Heaven, Music of King Sejong’’ as a year-end performance on Dec. 18 and 19. The traditional performance is a re-enactment of ``hoeryeyeon,’’ a banquet for court officials held in 1433 during the 15th year of King Sejong’s rule. The ``hoeryeyeon’’ was a banquet that provided a chance to enhance the relationship between the sovereign and his subjects through heart-to-heart discussions, and was originally held in the last and first month of the year. It can be comparable to the modern workplace’s opening and closing ceremonies for the New Year. Based on documents describing ``hoeryeyeon,’’ about 130 NCKTPA dancers and musicians will reproduce the feast with a modern touch. For this performance, detailed historical evidence from royal documents was thoroughly investigated, and the banquet was updated to reduce the gap between the present and past. According toDec 15, 2008
Extreme Promises to Return to SeoulBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter American rock band Extreme played their first concert in Seoul, Saturday night, and were blown away by the enthusiastic reception from Korean fans. Extreme performed non-stop rock music for more than two hours at the Melon-AX, as part of their ``Take Us Alive World Tour.'' The band reunited in late 2007, more than 10 years after the members went their separate ways. Starting the concert with ``Decadence Dance," and ``Comfortably Dumb," Extreme's music had fans pumped up with energy. ``Annyonghaseyo Korea! Are you ready to rock and roll," vocalist Gary Cherone shouted. The crowd responded by chanting ``Gary, Gary Gary,'' as Cherone excitedly jumped around the stage. Extreme played a mix of songs from their albums ``Extreme II: Pornograffiti," ``III Sides to Every Story" and the latest ``Saudades de Rock." The band played 19 songs such as ``Kid Eagle," ``Get The Funk Out," ``Take Us Alive," ``Ghost," and the Queen-sounding ``Star." Lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt took center stage with an electrifying guitar solo that impressed Dec 14, 2008
Dudamel to Bring Fiery Charisma to StageBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter At first glance, many could mistake Gustavo Dudamel as a pop star, or even an actor. With his dark curly hair and mischievous smile, Dudamel is one of the youngest and most talented conductors in the world and the 27-year-old is coming to Korea for the first time. ``I've never been to Korea, so I'm looking forward to creating some first impressions. So far, all of the Korean people I've met have been very warm and extremely interested in classical music. This makes me particularly excited to meet the audiences and experience the cities and especially the food,'' said Dudamel through an email interview. The conductor will perform here with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, where he has been the artistic director since 1999 and graced fans with his energetic charisma. Dudamel would know the importance of young musicians playing for the public and themselves, as he himself was nourished as an aspiring conductor with Venezuela's National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras, or El Sistema, a publicly financed private sector mDec 10, 2008
Ne-Yo Returns to Seoul in JanuaryBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Grammy-award winning R&B star Ne-Yo returns to Seoul for a concert in January, after thrilling Korean fans at his successful first concert last April. Ne-Yo will perform Jan. 11 at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park, southern Seoul. He will be singing songs from his Grammy Award-nominated album ``Year of the Gentleman'', such as ``Closer'' and ``Miss Independent,'' and other hit songs ``So Sick'' and ``Because of You.'' Last April, Ne-Yo staged his first concert in Seoul with Jamaican reggae singer Sean Kingston. The success of Ne-Yo's first concert prompted organizers to invite him again. Ne-Yo recently received six Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year for his third album ``Year of the Gentleman.'' He also got nominations for Best Male Pop Performance for ``Closer'' and Best Male R&B Performance for ``Miss Independent.'' Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, started as a songwriter. He wrote songs for Youngstown, Christina Milian and Mario, whose single ``Let Me Love You'' became a hit in 2004. In 2006, NeDec 9, 2008
Album ReviewsBritney Spears `Circus' (SonyBMG) Just when you've written her off as a ``has-been,'' Britney Spears comes back with a fierce new album ``Circus.'' Her first single ``Womanizer,'' a thumping dance track, topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, her first number one since ``Baby One More Time.'' Listening to the album, it seems like Spears has gotten her groove back. She doesn't disappoint with the Euro-techno beats of ``Circus,'' ``Kill the Lights'' and ``Unusual You,'' which will surely be favorites at the clubs. She even shows her softer side with ballads like ``Out From Under'' and ``My Baby,'' a song she wrote for her two children. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia Beyonce `I am … Sasha Fierce' (SonyBMG) Pop superstar Beyonce's latest album is a two-disc set. On the first disc, Beyonce reveals her ``real'' self through slow tracks like ``If I Were a Boy,'' ``Disappear'' and ``Halo.'' She unveils her alter ego Sasha Fierce on the second disc. As Sasha, she comes out strongly with catchy dance tunes like ``Radio,'' ``Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)'' and ``Diva.'' The album Dec 9, 2008
Star Singers to Offer Big Shows This MonthBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter As the end of 2008 draws near, numerous singers are beckoning fans with Christmas and year-end concerts. Intimate and cozy shows may be the answer for some, but those looking for bigger and wilder shows are in for a treat. Balladeers Shin Seung-hun, Lee Seung-hwan, Lee Seung-chul, pop diva Insooni and pop icon Lee Hyo-ri are each gearing up and all have promised their best concerts ever. Top ballad singer Shin returned to the music scene last October with his album ``Radio Wave.'' Having his own concert brand called ``The Shin Seung-hun Show,'' the singer will offer a memorable Christmas event for fans. Dec 8, 2008
Album ReviewsGuns N' Roses `Chinese Democracy' (Universal) Seventeen years after Guns N' Roses' last studio album, the hard rock band has finally released its sixth album, ``Chinese Democracy.'' It took 13 years for the band to record and finalize the album, and the effort shows. Rolling Stone magazine described the album as a ``great, audacious, unhinged and uncompromising hard-rock record.'' The album's 14 tracks, such as ``Chinese Democracy,'' ``Better,'' ``Prostitute'' and ``Riad N' the Bedouins,'' are intense and almost overwhelming. Frontman Axl Rose still has his screeching voice, but the rest of the band may be virtually unrecognizable. There are still some good guitar riffs, but fans may miss ex-band members Slash and Izzy Stradlin. -Cathy Rose A. GarciaDec 2, 2008
Sumi Jo to Tour at Years EndBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Internationally renowned Korean soprano Sumi Jo is returning to local fans to celebrate the end of the year with crossover tenor Alessandro Safina. The soprano graced fans with her new album, ``Missing You,'' in September, and now she has prepared a special concert tour ``Dream With Me'' that will offer beautiful melodies from her album. ``The most important thing in life is family, and I miss home the most when I travel,'' the 45-year-old Jo told The Korea Times during an interview last September. She explained that the album was like returning home and indeed, the album is a package of world folk music ranging from Nordic hymns and Mexican serenades to Yiddish melodies, embodying Jo's musical journey around the world. Her performing with Italian tenor Safina is not her first, as the two artists have appeared on stage together here and abroad. After their successful performance in Israel last June, Safina eagerly contacted Jo when he heard that she was releasing a new album, and the two eventually decided to appear on stage togetheNov 30, 2008
Album ReviewsChristina Aguilera `Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits' (SonyBMG) Hard to believe but it is only 10 years ago when a young Christina Aguilera made her debut with ``Genie in a Bottle.'' Now, the pop princess has grown up, gotten married and had a baby. This new compilation album keeps track of Aguilera's memorable hits like ``Beautiful,'' ``I Turn to You'' and ``Fighter.'' Also included are new songs ``Keeps Getting' Better,'' which she performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, and ``Genie 2.0,'' an almost unrecognizable electronica version of ``Genie in a Bottle.'' Overall, it's a good compilation of Aguilera's hits, but fans who already have all of her albums can afford to give this a pass. -Cathy Rose A. Garcia Boyzone `Back Again … No Matter What' (Universal) Irish pop group Boyzone have released a greatest hits compilation album, nearly eight years after they broke up. Boyzone members pursued solo projects, but perhaps only lead singer Ronan Keating had a measure of success. The album is a walk down memory lane for fans of Boyzone. Their remakes of Nov 25, 2008
Celebrated Tenors Greet Local FansBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Two celebrated tenors ― Kim Woo-kyung and Ian Bostridge ― are greeting fans who are looking forward to warm classical tunes amid the chilly winds of winter. Kim, who started singing after discovering his talents in high school, will offer works by Schumann, Mozart and other operatic numbers familiar to Korean audiences. During the first section, classic fans will get to listen to Schumann's ``Dichterliebe,'' or ``A Poet's Love,'' originally a poem written by German romantic poet Heinrich Heine. Continuing in the second stage will be classic arias from operas ``The Magic Flute,'' ``La Boheme'' and ``Carmen.'' Pianist Richard Barker, who will accompany Kim at the performance, will also grace fans with a solo ``One of the Last Carnival Evenings.'' The 32-year-old Kim enjoyed a promising career as a tenor by winning the 2001 Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna, the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition and the 2004 Placido Domingo World Opera Contest, among others, and also appearing on the stage of the New York MetropolitanNov 19, 2008