Latvians take to the water for distanced concerts Latvians are taking to the country's waterways for a socially distanced musical experience this summer, boarding kayaks, dinghies and motor yachts to enjoy some music ― even if unvaccinated. AFP-YonhapLatvians are taking to the country's waterways for a socially distanced musical experience this summer, boarding kayaks, dinghies and motor yachts to enjoy some music ― even if unvaccinated.At a concert on Juglas Lake near the Latvian capital Riga on Saturday, hundreds of boats could be seen bobbing to rock, folk and heavy metal."The idea... is so great," said Vladimirs Kravchenko, a heavy metal fan who has been attending hard rock festivals since the 1990s."I hope festivals on lakes like this will continue even after the virus is over," Kravchenko said.Organisers said there were around 1,500 people on the water, and 3,500 more watching from the shore.The stage was located on the shore and two floating bars in the lake sold beer and cocktails.Only people with Covid-19 vaccinations were allowed to attend the concert on the shore while the lake was also open to those without a vaccine."ThAug 16, 2021
Ariana Grande to appear and perform in 'Fortnite' video game Ariana Grande / AP-YonhapAn avatar of Ariana Grande will appear in the popular video game "Fortnite" and perform some of the pop superstar's greatest hits over the weekend, in an event highlighted by game maker Epic Games to showcase their new strategy.In five different rounds, to target all time zones, players can choose an option that will let them go on an adventure with Grande. The 28-year-old singer's avatar is a human-fantasy creature hybrid dressed in either a silver skirt and top or a short outfit made of blue scales.During the rounds, which last about half an hour, several of the Grammy winner's songs will play, including "Be Alright" and "Positions." Grande-themed merchandise will also be available in the game's store.The special appearance is part of a shift for "Fortnite" from a survival game to a general entertainment platform."That's a big area where we want to innovate because 'Fortnite' should always really exist in partnership with real world activities," Phil Rampulla, head of brand at Epic Games, told AFP. "We are not replacing concerts, we are not replacing moviesAug 8, 2021
Ed Sheeran to headline NFL's kickoff concert next month Ed Sheeran / Courtesy of Warner MusicEd Sheeran will perform in a concert to kickoff the NFL season opener in Florida next month.The NFL announced Friday that Sheeran will headline a pregame concert Sept. 9 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa, Florida. The British pop star's performance will take place before the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against the Dallas Cowboys.A portion of the performance will appear on pre-game programs on NBC and the NFL Network. His full performance will be streamed on NFL.com along with the league's Facebook page and app.Sheeran is a four-time Grammy winner who took a break from work and social media in late 2019 after two years of touring in support of his best-selling album ``Divide.'' He recently released his single ``Bad Habits.'' (AP)Aug 8, 2021
Spanish judge seeks tax fraud trial for pop singer Shakira Colombian singer Shakira / AP-YonhapA Spanish judge has seen "sufficient evidence" for Colombian singer Shakira to face trial for tax fraud, a court document released on Thursday said.Judge Marco Jesus Juberias has wrapped up a pre-trial investigation of allegations by prosecutors that the singer failed to pay up to 14.5 million euros ($17.2 million) in tax on income earned between 2012 and 2014. It is a preliminary step before a trial is set."The documents (...) annexed to the lawsuit are sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to continue with the proceedings," the judge said in the court document.While prosecutors say Shakira was living in the region of Catalonia during those years, her representatives argue she didnot live in Spain until 2015 and has met all of her taxobligations.Shakira's representatives in Spain said in an emailed statement on Thursday that the court document was an "expected step in the process" and that the singer's legal team "remains confident and fully cooperative with the judiciary and will not comment further".The 44-year-old singer and the FC Barcelona defendJul 30, 2021
Korean indie rock band among 27 participants in YouTube's 'Foundry Program' The 2021 “Foundry” class / Courtesy of YouTubeBy Dong Sun-hwaVideo sharing platform YouTube will run its 2021 “Foundry Program,” featuring 27 emerging artists in 14 countries, to help them develop their careers. YouTube revealed Wednesday the names of the musicians who will join the 2021 Foundry class. Included on the roster are: Korean indie rock band SE SO NEON, Colombian singer Bad Milk and Marina Sena from Brazil. “We make a spectrum of colorful music that crosses the boundaries between genres, love for vintage textures, emotions and explosive energy and that resonates deep in the heart, and above all, pursues novelty,” SE SO NEON said. “We are happy to participate in the Foundry Program, as we are focusing not only on our activities in Korea, but also on our success as a global act.”SE SO NEON, consisting of Hwang So-yoon, U-su and Park Hyun-jin, has released a string of songs like, “The Wave” (2017) and “Jayu,” (2021) since its formation in 2016. In 2018, it took home the Rookie of the Year and Best Rock SoJul 28, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Indie musician mashes up Korean, western pop songs into new hits EDM artist and DJ Cho Sun-gu performs live at a club in Seoul, January 2020. Courtesy of Cho Sun-guBy Lee Hae-rin American indie band Fitz and The Tantrums' 2016 hit song, “Handclap,” was playing while EDM artist and DJ Cho Sun-gu was sitting at a restaurant in Seoul for lunch a few years ago. It was his first time listening to the song.Cho realized there was something unique in it. “I felt there was sort of bbong-kki (a feeling that arises from old-fashioned Korean music) that could strike a chord with Koreans, and that it would be a good match with the original soundtrack of the National Song Contest,” he told The Korea Times during a recent interview.Having aired on KBS since November 1980, the National Song Contest is the longest-running, traveling talent show aiming to discover local stars in different cities every week.Inspired, Cho headed back to his workroom and created a remix of the two songs and the original album artwork. He uploaded the video on his YouTube channel on Oct 11, 2018. Seen is the artwork created by Cho Sun-gu, which was used for the Jul 28, 2021By Lee Hae-rin
INTERVIEW 'Eventim Live Asia will bring the world's biggest stars to Korea' Jason Miller, the CEO of Eventim Live Asia / Courtesy of CTS EventimBy Dong Sun-hwaU2, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 are only a few examples of the prominent pop stars who were brought to Seoul by Jason Miller to play engrossing concerts in front of massive crowds. And Miller, the CEO of the Singapore-headquartered ticketing and live entertainment company, Eventim Live Asia, says there are more A-listers he plans to invite to Korea, once the country turns the corner on the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Eventim Live Asia was recently launched by Germany-based concert promoter CTS Eventim, with the purpose of “bringing some of the best entertainers in the world to the rapidly growing live entertainment markets in Asia, including Korea, China and Japan.” CTS Eventim, one of the most sought-after concert promoters in the world, has 36 promoters based in 15 countries. In 2019, its revenues stood at 1.4 billion euro ($1.65 billion). Although its newly established company, Eventim Live Asia, is only starting to have conversations to set up plans for Seoul concerts, Miller hintJul 27, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Seven Koreans to compete in Chopin piano competition in Oct. Seen is the stage for the 18th Chopin Piano Competition. Courtesy of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute By Park Ji-won Poster for 18th Chopin Piano Competition. Courtesy of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute Seven South Koreans advanced to compete in the 18th Chopin Piano Competition.The seven are Choi Hyoung-lok, Ka Joo-yeon, Kim Su-yeon, Lee Hyuk, Lee Jae-yoon, Park Jin-hyung and Park Yeon-min. Kim won the top prize at Concours musical international de Montreal this year. The seven Koreans will compete with 80 other pianists in October. In the finals, they will play works by Polish composer Frederic Chopin in a series of main round competitions to be held from Oct. 3 to 17. Those who are chosen will compete in the final scheduled to be held at the Chamber Hall of the National Philharmonic on Oct. 20. The winner will be given 40,000 euros ($47,114) of prize mJul 26, 2021By Park Ji-won
Court rules against US composer in plagiarism suit over 'Baby Shark' Baby Shark / Korea Times fileA Seoul court on Friday ruled against an American composer in a plagiarism suit he brought against the producer of the popular South Korean children's song "Baby Shark" two years ago.The Seoul Central District Court rejected a claim by New York-based composer Johnny Only that "Baby Shark," a world-famous song released by South Korean education startup SmartStudy in 2015, copied his 2011 song.The rhythmic two-minute song featuring a shark family and their underwater hunt for small fish has gone viral in cyberspace and on the small screen at home and abroad. "Baby Shark Dance," a sing-and-dance video for the megahit children's song, has racked up more than 9 billion views on YouTube.Only, whose legal name is Jonathan Wright, filed a lawsuit with the Seoul court in March 2019, claiming that the South Korean song plagiarized his own song "Baby Shark" remade in 2011 with a unique rhythm to an orally transmitted folk song.But SmartStudy has rejected the plagiarism claim, saying its song was a recreation of a traditional North American children's song that has nJul 23, 2021
More than 7,000 indie musicians active in Korea, most of them in Seoul SEODo Band. From left are: keyboardist Kim Seong-hyun, percussionist Park Jin-byeong, vocalist sEODo, guitarist Yeon Tae-hee, bassist Kim Tae-joo and drummer Yang Jung-hoon. / Courtesy of Universal MusicBy Park Ji-wonThere are around 7,000 indie musicians in Korea and most of them are active in Seoul, according to a study published Wednesday.According to data compiled by the Record Label Industry Association of Korea based on performances and albums released between 2017 and 2020, there are 2,814 indie bands in Korea, including 7,004 musicians.The data showed 353 indie bands are signed to record labels, while the others are on their own.The number of Seoul-based indie bands that are not signed with record labels accounted for 74.8 percent of the total (2,105 bands). The data also showed that 100 indie bands are active in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, while 72 are active in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province.Jul 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
