I keep an occasional eye on what’s top of the music charts. I’ve been noticing that one or two of the album’s I’ve bought have been appearing there. Whether it’s because I’m at the cutting edge of K-pop I somehow doubt. I just tend to buy the things I come across in the blogosphere because … [Read More]
Music (page 100)
Baek Ji-young: Smile again
It shouldn’t take six playthroughs to enable me to say anything constructive about this album. On first playthrough it made no impression on me whatsoever. Some generic ballad / R&B songs which could come from any of a wide range of Korean artists, and some songs with a Flamenco / Latin beat. Some of the … [Read More]
Bada and the birthrate
I wish I was in Seoul today. I recently posted about Anna Fifield’s article on Korean family planning, and in particular the government’s plan to spend $30 billion over the next 5 years to try to boost the birthrate. Here’s a story about how some of that $30 billion is going to be spent: a … [Read More]
London Korean Ensemble plays St Margaret’s Westminster
I just happened to spot this browsing Time Out yesterday. A drive-time concert of Mozart, Bizet and Piazzola at St Margaret’s Westminster today. I’m not sure what mix of instruments they are (presumably they include an accordionist given the Piazzola?). Go along and find out, at 6pm. Tickets £7 (concessions £5) from 020 7121 6604 … [Read More]
Dulsori evening class # 5: the performance
If anything was going to go wrong, it was going to be the Hwimori. The others were easy: at most four lines, each one the same length, and played once before moving on to the next; and the cycle was repeated several times so that there was no way you were going to forget it. … [Read More]
Dulsori evening class # 4
I can touch my toes for the first time in ages. Such is the effect of sitting on the floor crouching over a drum for three hours solid, four days on the trot. Things were going swimmingly yesterday. We had all done our homework. We were remembering everything, doing the breathing, and actually laughing and … [Read More]
Come & support the SamulNori stars of tomorrow.
Or at least come and have a laugh at your blogmeister making a fool of himself. This week’s evening classes at SOAS culminate in an open-air concert at SOAS main entrance (NOT in Russell Square as previously advertised) at 7pm today, Friday 21 July. Our tutors, the wonderful Dulsori, will be doing some solo numbers, … [Read More]
Dulsori evening class # 3
Mainly consolidation yesterday. Lots of breathing (back-rolling) and reminders of the previous couple of evenings. We were struggling with the heat, and recognising this after a couple of recaps of the ground already covered we played some Korean games. This involved running around, making lots of noise, holding hands and making moves straight out of … [Read More]
Dulsori evening class # 2
Yesterday evening we learnt the backhand. And, in retrospect, as I struggled last night to notate what we learned, we also did triplets. We were without the interpreter yesterday, so 95% of the class was conducted in Korean. Some of the Korean students took pity on us non-Koreans (we had a new joiner, another Brit, … [Read More]
Dulsori evening class #1
I ache. My brain aches from concentrating too much (maybe I should relax and go with the flow, but that only happens when at least three pints of London Pride have gone down my neck). The insides of my legs ache: in order to play the changgo you need to be at least a black … [Read More]
Crying Nut to tour the US
This story has to be taken with a heavy pinch of salt, because it comes from KBS. But now its members have returned from military service the band has reformed. They are about to release their fifth album, and will tour it to the States later this year. If anyone knows if they’ll be playing … [Read More]
Think Korea: Kim Duk-soo in Rhythm Sticks at the Purcell Room
Kim Duk-soo comes to London as part of Think Korea 2006. Rhythm Sticks 19:30, 17 July 2006 Purcell Room, South Bank Centre (Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX) Introduction SamulNori is a group of dynamic musicians dedicated to performing and preserving traditional Korean music and dance. Since Kim Duk Soo first formed their group in 1978, … [Read More]
Think Korea: Sarah Chang at the Barbican
A classical concert as part of Think Korea 2006, featuring one of Korea’s best-known violinists: Sarah Chang plays Bruch 19:30, 2 July 2006 Barbican Centre | Silk Street | London EC2Y 8DS Programme Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor Bartok Concerto for Orchestra Sarah Chang – Violin London Symphony Orchestra Mikko Frank Conductor … [Read More]
Prof Kim Chang-nam: history & characteristics of modern Korean culture
(SOAS, 5 June 2006, 7pm: the concluding event of the London Korean Festival 2006) I’m more reluctant than usual to make this post. The ground covered in Professor Kim’s hugely stimulating conclusion to the London Korean Festival was more than extensive, and left the audience wanting to ask tons of questions. To condense a hundred … [Read More]
Danoje: an enjoyable but slightly baffling event from Think Korea
If you had read the blurb on the Bloomsbury Theatre website you might have been expecting two seperate pieces to be on the programme at the NewRa Dance Company’s performance: a performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring; and a performance of a Korean springtime ritual. Here’s the material from the Bloomsbury site, which was repeated … [Read More]
Photos of Danoje: springtime rites at the Bloomsbury
After my lacklustre snaps of Lee Soo Young at the Fairfield Hall on May 1st, I thought it was time I entered the 21st century, and persuaded Louise that we needed a pocket digital camera for my birthday. Last night was its first outing in the service of this site. In case anyone’s interested, they … [Read More]