The Xinhua newsagency reports the cordial meeting between Kim Jong-Il’s brother-in-law Jang Song Taek and a member of the Chinese politbureau, as the DPRK’s tour of Chinese economic zones draws to a close. Meanwhile, Yoduk story, the musical based in a North Korean concentration camp, is a sell-out success. The BBC is now featuring the … [Read More]
Music (page 89)
Hyori withdraws “plagiarism” single
Lee Hyori has decided that discretion is the better part of valour, and has withdrawn performances of her single Get Ya!, from her album Dark Angel, which allegedly steals from Britney Spears’s Do Somethin’. [Read More]
Korean protests baffle Belgians
I can’t put it better than the Chosun Ilbo’s own headline. One of the more peculiar stories. In fact today’s Chosun is packed with entertaining stories: Britney Spears’s songwriters accuse Lee Hyo-lee of plagiarism; and a sex survey by pharmaceutical company Bayer finds Korean men the most selfish in bed. [Read More]
BoA not quite top of the world pops
Again, I’m a little slow on the uptake, but megastar BoA managed to make it to number 2 in the worldwide pop charts last week with her new Japanese release “Outgrow”. Others are better qualified than me to comment on the workings of the global pop music industry, but the charts seem to be dominated … [Read More]
Exploring Korean Music Old and New – Tradition and creativity
SOAS, 24 February 2006 Many thanks to Dr Keith Howard of SOAS for putting together a fascinating half-day colloquium on Korean music. Presentations were as follows: Simon Mills’s (SOAS) subject was the rhythmic drum patterns (Changdan) used in shamanistic ritual on the East coast of Korea. He focused on the startling digressions (Tokkaebbi changdan) which … [Read More]
Lim Hyung-joo, popera sensation
An article from the Korea Times which I’m posting in full as it seems to have disappeared off their website. Popera Star Lim Sings Colors of Korea in New Album ‘Lotus’ by Han Eun-jung Korea Times, 11 October 2005 Little was known of the boy who walked on stage to deliver the national anthem at … [Read More]
Roller Coaster play the Mean Fiddler
The closing event of the 2005 London Korean Festival. Roller Coaster + support Thursday 19 May 2005, 19:30 – 23:00 London Astoria Theatre (Mean Fiddler: B1) Tickets : ticket office at London Astoria theatre (close to Tottenham Court Road tube station) GBP 12.00 (students GBP 10.00) – in advance GBP 15.00 (students GBP 12.00) – … [Read More]
Favourite Classics, at St Giles in the Fields
A classical concert as part of the London Korean Festival: Favourite Classics Wednesday 11 May 2005, 7:30pm St. Giles in the Fields We proudly present our Classical music evening performed by emerging Korean musicians based in the UK. sponsored by Felixtowe International College Programme Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.5 in G minor Dvorak – Last … [Read More]
2005 London Korean Festival – programme details
Here is the programme of events that formed the 2005 London Korean Festival, organised by the Korean Anglican Community Centre. Although this post’s datestamp is May 2005 so that it appears in the appropriate month of this site’s calendar archive, it is actually being uploaded in September 2019, and is being posted for archival purposes. … [Read More]
Kim Jong Seo, + Love and Peace, at the London Astoria
Details of the rock concert as part of the 2004 London Korean Festival, culled from the Web Archive: The London Korean Festival Rock Concert A man of great presence in South Korea rock: KIM Jong Seo Mythical heroes: Love and Peace Saturday 22 May 2004, 7pm – 10pm London Astoria Theatre. Charing Cross Road. After … [Read More]
London Korean Festival + Film Festival 2004
A press release announcing the launch of the 2nd London Korean Festival. The festival comprised a series of cultural lectures in conjunction with Asia House (not mentioned in the press release), a rock concert, a classical music concert and a film festival. The latter contained three of the top Korean movies of the decade (2003 … [Read More]
The first London Korean Festival, 2003
I recently discovered the WayBack Machine – the internet archive – which has enabled a certain amount of research into some of the Korean cultural activities in London prior to the establishment of LKL. In particular, I managed to find some archived pages from the website of the Korean Anglican Community Centre, the organisation that … [Read More]
The Last Empress: spectacular but unsatisfying
The Last Empress is an original Korean musical in the style of a traditional Broadway production, and is based on the life story of Queen Min, the last Empress of the Joseon Dynasty, who was murdered by Japanese assassins in 1895. Undoubtedly patriotic in its theme, it capitalises on the popularity of the musical in … [Read More]