Keith Howard, author of the LKL Book of the Year 2006, will be signing copies of his book at Asia House on 6 March. He will be joined by Rowan Pease, who was controversially dethroned as LKL Woman of the Year 2006 by the Korea Times, having beaten Lee Hyori to the prestigious award fair and square. Both will be talking on the subject of Korean Music, Old and New, and they will be joined by percussionist Simon Mills, also from SOAS. It’s a shame that these evening talks only tend to be for an hour plus Q&A. I’ve never heard Howard give a full-length talk, but I know that Pease can keep the punters amused almost indefinitely. Should be a fun evening.
Details below.
Lecture & Music Soiree
Korean Music – Old and New
Musical performance and lectures by
Dr Keith Howard and Dr Rowan Pease
Tuesday 6 March at Asia House
Doors 6.30pm, talk 6.45-7.45pm
Followed by receptionAs Korea has developed and modernised, music has come to play a central role as a symbol of its national identity. This event celebrates Korean music of today, from traditional folk songs and preserved Confucian rituals to contemporary “Korea Wave” hip hop and dance. A central performance featuring tanso flute and SamulNori percussion by SOAS lecturer Simon Mills and students will be framed by two short lectures from Dr Keith Howard (Head, Music Department, SOAS) and Dr Rowan Pease (Publications, SOAS and Editorial Officer, China Quarterly). Dr Howard will focus on the importance of traditional Korean music as an icon of identity in modern Korea and the creative new ways in which it is being used. Dr Pease will introduce the recent phenomenon of Korea Wave, Korean pop music and culture that has swept through Northeast and Southeast Asia since the dawn of the new millennium.
Dr Howard has written and edited many books, the most recent being Preserving Korean Music; Creating Korean Music, and Korean Pop Music: Riding the Wave. These will be available for signing after the talks.
This evening is kindly sponsored by the Korean Cultural Centre and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.
Asia House Members and Concs £4, Non-members £7
Tickets available from Asia House
Tel: 020 7307 5454
Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP
[email protected] www.asiahouse.org