Ynot delivers passion, energy Ynot “Ynot Live Album” Mirrorball music Funky Korean rock band Ynot released a new live double album on Tuesday containing 23 songs. The album, recorded at an October concert without any sound correction or modification, acts in stark contrast to the industry trend of heavy production and computer programming. In an effort to deliver its energy and passion, thi...

KARA (Yonhap News) K-pop artists recorded their highest sales ever in Japan last year, according to Japan’s Oricon music chart on Friday. According to Oricon’s report, Korean musicians marked 24.47 billion yen ($309.5 million) worth of sales last year in Japan’s soft music market comprised of singles, albums, music DVDs and music Blu-ray disks. It is an increase of 22.3 percent from the previou...

Actor Lee Joon-gi (Yonhap News) Korean wave star Lee Joon-gi, who gained huge popularity in Korea and other Asian countries for his starring role in the hit movie “The King and the Clown” (2005), returned to his fans Thursday morning after completing his two-year military service. “I was able to spend the past two gem-like years in my life. I think I enjoyed my life in the military,” Lee told a...

The Universal Ballet Company chose modern ballet, not classic, to open its 2012 season. Its show “This is Modern 3” on Feb. 18-19 at the Universal Arts Center in Neung-dong, eastern Seoul, offers four modern dances by established choreographers from around the world. It is the third installment of UBC’s “This is Modern” series. The company has been introducing a variety of noted contemporary ba...

Austrian musical brings touching portrayal of legendary empress There was a standing ovation, cheers and prolonged applause. Austrian musical “Elisabeth,” which kicked off its first show on Feb. 9, managed to captivate the local audience during its first week, in spite of a number of flaws. The musical, which portrays the life and death of the real-life iconic Austrian empress Elisabeth von Wi...

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― As fans await autopsy results that may not come for weeks, speculation raged Monday that pop legend Whitney Houston may have died from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol. Houston, who possessed one of the greatest-ever singing voices and sold more than 170 million records, fought a long and public battle with substance abuse after her career and personal life...

K-pop artists are looking for opportunities to enter markets outside Asia as competition in the market stiffens. Decreasing album sales due to the popularity of music download and video-sharing sites and the arrival of international pop stars to perform in Asia are leading K-pop stars to look further afield. “They are trying to make money to cover losses from their album sales,” an official at ...

ISPA CEO David Baile says Korean arts scene ‘progressive’ The month of June will be an exciting month for Korea’s performing arts scene as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Congress will held in Seoul for the first time. The six-day event will bring some of the most influential performing arts figures together here, including Sydney Opera House’s chief executive Richard E...

South Korea's top girl group T-ara said they could hardly believe their eyes when they were besieged by fans seeking their autographs during a performance tour in Paris early this month. "It was such an amazing experience because all we wished in the past was to rise to the top of a local pop music chart just for once in our lives," Eunjeong, a member of the group, said during the group's interv...

Paik Hae-sun, one of Korea’s favorite pianists, is well-known for her powerful and large-scale performances that produce great enthusiasm among audience members. The 46-year-old artist, who left the country in a surprise move seven years ago to concentrate on her performances, says her new life in New York has changed her and her music. “I used to give dramatic comparison during the recitals, b...

Singer Katy Perry performs onstage at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. (AFP-Yonhap News) Whitney Houston’s death casts shadow on awards show as performers pay tribute LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Adele, who captured the world’s heart with an album about a broken romance, emerged as the top winner at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, winning six trophies including the prestigious trifecta of record, song and album of...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice was ravaged by drug use and her regal image was ruined by erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died Saturday. She was 48. Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen said Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton. A Los Angeles Cou...