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]
Music (page 93)
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]
The versatile Yoon Band plays London
Saharial introduces the talents of the Yoon Band, which will be performing in Trafalgar Square on 8 June When I heard that the Yoon Band was coming to the UK for two gigs in June, I was almost jumping round my room with excitement. That my room is rather small and I suffered a few … [Read More]
A meeting with The Invisible Fish
Anna Lindgren continues her series of interviews with interesting musicians When only a few days remained of 2006, Korea’s most distinguished indie folk duo said “goodbye” with the release of their second full album. We were many that didn’t quite want to believe it – of course there were other prominent folk acts, but nothing … [Read More]
Radio Pyongyang
Anna Lindgren explores some music from north of the DMZ Two years ago, I found myself browsing the homepage of Seattle-based label Sublime Frequencies. They offer some really interesting CDs and DVDs, but with my interest in most things related Korea the CD called “Radio Pyongyang: Commie Funk and Agit Pop from the Hermit Kingdom” … [Read More]
Musical intermission
We apologise for the disruption in service. Normal service will resume as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, here’s Jeon Sung-min (Guitar) and Jung Ji-eun (Kayageum): http://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/audio/Track05.mp3 Sung-min and Ji-eun will also be playing at the Anglo-Korean Society event on 10 April. Book your tickets now. [Read More]
Im Kwon-taek shines at KCC
Matthew Jackson’s impressions from last Thursday’s screening of “Beyond the Years” at the Korean Cultural Centre There is definitely something extra that you get out of going to see a film in the company of people that you do not necessarily know, in surroundings that are not quite the same as any other you are … [Read More]
Patti Kim at 70
Congratulations to superstar singer Patti Kim on 49 years in the entertainment industry. Kim debuted in March 1959 before the US Eighth Army and has never looked back since. Using non-Western arithmetic, that makes her upcoming concert in Seoul at the end of April 2008 her 50th anniversary. Whatever the mathematics, I for one will … [Read More]
A meeting with Zitten
By Anna Lindgren In January, Korea’s premier indie label, Pastel Music, released a 5CD compilation to commemorate its 5th birthday. On those five CDs there are 71 songs in total. Needless to say there is plenty of good music on those CDs – I had expected as much when I pre-ordered it. What I did … [Read More]
New indie music sites
Those who keep an eye on my blogroll (I know that’s not very many of you) will have noticed that I recently added one or two new sites to my list of Music blog links. Firstly, Indieful RoK, a new blog of news about the Korean indie rock scene. Its creators are Helikoppter, aka Anna … [Read More]
Americans in Pyongyang
With typically bad timing my travel arrangements didn’t work out. I caught the Star-Spangled Banner and the first movement of the New World Symphony in the car on the way to the airport, but missed the North Korean anthem which opened the broadcast, and of course all the encores — including the tearful Arirang (by … [Read More]
Ruby Salon and the digital singles phenomenom
Anna Lindgren meets the people behind Ruby Salon I know I’m not alone in feeling frustration over the digital singles concept; artists releasing music only available through paid downloads – a not too uncommon way for Korean artists to get a few songs out before the next CD. Sure, in this day and age most … [Read More]
2008 Travel diary day 2: Sweetpea and the Secret Garden
Insadong, Saturday morning 16 February: I had somehow managed to get back to the hotel from Itaewon but the morning is a write-off. I am not best company for lunch with Justina of the Korean Cultural Promotion Agency. She’s in Seoul trying to drum up support (read: money) for the Dano Festival in Trafalgar Square … [Read More]
Hyun-ae Lee recital at the Guidhall School
Tuesday, 26 February 19:00 Location: Lecture Recital Room, Guildhall School Hyun-Ae Lee violin Bojana Dimkovic piano Schubert Sonata for violin and piano in A Saint-Seans/Ysaye Caprice Martinu Sonata for Violin and Piano no.1 Admission Free Links: Da Capo String Quartet blog Hyun-ae Lee biography Guildhall School events page [Read More]