(Manine Media, 2007) There’s something reassuring about a Lee Soo Young album. You try to explore different genres of music, some of which may be exciting and original, and others may be frankly rather tiresome. And then you come to Lee Soo Young and it’s like returning home. It’s a bit like comfort food. It … [Read More]
Music (page 92)
Some of my favourite gugak fusion videos
A lazy post with a link to a performance of a number entitled “Seoul in panic” by the gugak fusion band Sorea. Modern music performed on traditional instruments, with dancing both traditional and modern. It could be taken straight from a Korea, Sparkling promotional video. It works rather well: The b-boys are from Extreme Crew. … [Read More]
“Made in Korea” festival in Brussels
The “Made in Korea” festival in Brussels is a big-budget four month perspective of Korea’s arts. Centred around the Centre for Fine Arts, this is a unique opportunity to see some of Korea’s ancient treasures and also some more contemporary visual and performing arts. Definitely worth a trip to Brussels. First, a summary of some … [Read More]
Pansori and bibimbap – fusion in Korea’s cultural content
By Peter Corbishley Last Thursday and Friday 24-25th September an itinerant band of Pansori sellers displayed their wares at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) and the School of Advanced Study, University of London. The main event was Yonsei University’s (Institute of Media Art) Jeong Taeg Lim and Jung A Huh’s talk on ‘The Aesthetic modernity … [Read More]
Can BoA eat up the U.S. of A.?
Despite the hallyu’s success in Asia, today’s Korean pop stars have yet to make it big in the States. Yes, we’ve seen a Korean or two in a Hollywood film or on Comedy Central, but concerts have been fairly localised, and the high-profile tour by Rain never got off the ground. And we’ve yet to … [Read More]
So Hot?
The official provider of broadband services to the LKL household has been looking East. As part of their Hot Girl Group series Virgin Media has noticed JYP’s teenage girl band Wonder Girls. Number 8 in a list containing 7 other girl groups whose average age is at least 5 years older than them, the performers … [Read More]
English church, Korean choir, great concert
What is aural image is conjured up when you hear of a Civic Chorale? Perhaps a worthy amateur choral society, used to performing madrigals with rather too many singers and too much vibrato, plodding through an annual Messiah at Easter time? Think again when it comes to the Suwon Civic Chorale. This forty-strong choir from … [Read More]
Suwon Civic Chorale in Kingston
Earlier this week the Suwon Civic Chorale were participating in the convention of the Association of British Choral Directors in Lincoln. Friday night saw a gala concert in the cathedral including other world-class choral groups such as the Orlando Consort. Tonight the Suwon choir come to All Saints Parish Church in Kingston market place, KT1 … [Read More]
Rollercoaster #5: Triangle
T-Entertainment, March 2006 Rollercoaster’s fifth album was released in 2006, after a gap of 2 years since the almost flawless fourth. Gone is the sense of rhythmic drive, of energy, of joie de vivre. Instead we have something a bit more laid back, less characterful. I had been warned that the fifth album was a … [Read More]
Alex: My Vintage Romance
Fluxus Music, June 2008 As a fan of Clazziquai, I wish I could be more enthusiastic about the first solo outing of one of its members, the male vocalist Alex. On the plus side, he has a mellow, well-controlled voice, very pleasant to listen to. And he has a reasonably distinguished line-up of guest stars. … [Read More]
A meeting with Sunflower – 해바라기
Anna Lindgren meets with one of the fathers of modern Korean folk music, with special assistance from Jeon Sung-min. A few years ago I came across a stunningly beautiful folk piece. It was called 내마음의 보석상자 and it had been recorded by 해바라기, Sunflower, in 1986. After getting my hands on a couple of Sunflower … [Read More]
An evening with the Korean Artists Association
Press Release The Korean Artists Association UK was formed by 7 Korean artists in 1997, at a time when the activities of Korean artists in the U.K. were not broadly recognized. Over the last 10 years the Association has organized a number of activities and has grown in membership. Korean artists living and working in … [Read More]
Music at the 2008 Dano Festival in Trafalgar Square
Saharial wraps up on our coverage of the 2008 Dano Korea Summer Festival, and launches the LKL YouTube Channel with exclusive live video footage from her camera. Its now a week on from the Festival, but the memories still linger very happily. Of course, there was more going on than Noridan, with three musical sets … [Read More]
Imagination at play with Noridan
Saharial meets with the members of Noridan, the unexpected stars of the Dano Festival. Before going to the Dano festival in Trafalgar Square this year, the highlight for me was going to see the Yoon Band play again and feel thoroughly spoiled for having the opportunity twice. Much to my surprise, I actually found that … [Read More]
Yoon and Tall Lee crowd-surf in Kingston
Saharial reports from the Yoon Band’s gig at The Peel, Kingston, 6 June 2008 Arriving at 5.30pm, Y.B. (Yoon Band) was almost instantly swamped by the dozen or so Korean youngsters that had been lurking for a while, and amiably chatted to them whilst posing for photos and signing autographs. I chatted briefly to Lee … [Read More]
Book now for some outrageously fun evenings
A regular feature of the summer evenings is the SOAS world music summer school. Two years ago I went along to the Samulnori summer school run by the excellent Dulsori and had a ball. Last year, LKL woman of the year 2006 Rowan Pease went along with her daughter and had a whale of a … [Read More]