Psy to receive cultural merit honor from government

Psy, the popular singer-rapper behind “Gangnam Style,” has been named to receive a state order of cultural merit this year, along with nine other winners, the cultural ministry said Tuesday.The 34-year-old singer whose original name is Park Jae-sang, rose to global fame after the music video of “Gangnam Style” featuring his horse-riding dance moves went viral on YouTube, attracting more than 600 million views.He topped the coveted British Official Singles Chart and ranked second on the U.S. Bill

Nov. 6, 2012

Big Bang attracts 24,000 fans in L.A.

K-pop group Big Bang attracted 24,000 fans to their two concerts in Los Angeles’ Honda Center on Nov. 2 and 3, YG Entertainment said in a press release Monday. The concerts were part of the group’s world tour, “Alive Galaxy Tour 2012.”The five-member group has so far performed in Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia as part of its first world tour. All concerts have sold out and additional concerts were scheduled for Los Angeles and New Jersey, which were originally

Nov. 5, 2012

Vienna Boys’ Choir welcomes Korean conductor

The Vienna Boys’ Choir welcomed a Korean conductor for the first time in history, according to news reports.Kim Bo-mi, who is currently a Ph.D. student at University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, has been newly appointed as a conductor for one of the four touring teams of the choir, named “Mozart.” The 36-year-old is the first East Asian musician to serve in the position, as well as the first woman.Prior to moving to Vienna, Kim studied music at Yonsei University in Seoul. She’s been stu

Nov. 5, 2012

Music execs discuss making Psy’s star endure

The inaugural Mu:Con international music conference in Seoul on Friday drew many leading figures of the entertainment industry who shared their expertise on issues concerning the global music community. Among the participants was Ted Chung, the manager of the internationally famed Asian American hip-hop group the Far East Movement. He is also a senior partner of Stampede Records and president of Doggy Style Records, which is home of hip-hop artist Snoop Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg. Chung

Nov. 4, 2012

Making sense of waste

The faces and gestures of Dutch artist Folkert de Jong’s human body sculptures look relaxed and joyful, without that serious aura that often leads viewers of artwork to struggle to make sense of what they see. But behind the sculptures’ happy demeanors, de Jong has hidden some important meanings, represented in the materials used for his sculptures. De Jong is well-known for using industrial materials such as Styrofoam and polyurethane foam and imbuing them with social and political meaning. “Th

Nov. 4, 2012

Calendar

Pop music“Singing the Beatles”: A special two-concert event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles. Eleven artists from the Korean indie rock scene including the Moonshiners, Jang Jae-in, the Windy City, the Mentles, Kingston Rudieska, Yozoh and many more will hit the stage with their versions of more than 30 classic Beatles hits. The performance will be held at the Mapo Art Center on Nov. 2-3 at 8 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Tickets range from 22,000 won to 33,000 won. For more i

Nov. 2, 2012

Eyelike

Macy Gray tackles Wonder‘s ’Talking Book‘Macy Gray“Talking Book”(SLG)A mere seven months after the release of her “Covered” album, which included songs by Radiohead, My Chemical Romance and others, Macy Gray has taken on what some may consider an unthinkable task: revisiting one of Stevie Wonder’s most iconic records, 1972’s¡¡“Talking Book.” It’s a gutsy decision, and one that may raise a few eyebrows (as it should).But Gray mostly delivers the collection with a twist, making over hits such as “

Nov. 2, 2012

ULTRA dance fest to return in December

Ultra Music Festival KOREA, a dance music festival which attracted more than 60,000 party lovers last summer, will return to Korea on Dec. 8 with an all new lineup. After a mega success in Seoul, the ULTRA headquarters in Miami decided to return to Jamsil Indoor Stadium with top class DJs under the banner, “ROAD TO ULTRA KOREA.” “Korea’s ‘hallyu’ wave is sweeping across the globe and the capital city of Seoul is one of the cultural centers of Asia, which is why ULTRA headquarters decided to host

Nov. 2, 2012

Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ 2nd most-viewed video on YouTube

The music video of “Gangnam Style” by South Korean rapper-singer Psy ranked second on YouTube’s all-time list of most-viewed videos, updated Thursday night (on Korean time) on the service’s Web site.The viral video beat out “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez, drawing 615 million hits as of 9 a.m. Friday, while Justin Bieber’s “Baby” remained at No. 1 with 794 million views.Experts expect “Gangnam Style” will top the list sooner or later as the number of views is rising quickly. Boosted by the popu

Nov. 2, 2012

Vatican says may limit visitors to Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY (AFP) ― As the Sistine Chapel celebrates its 500th anniversary, the Vatican said Wednesday it may have to limit the huge numbers of visitors because pollution is damaging Michelangelo’s frescoes, one of the artistic wonders of the world.The scenes, including the moment in which God reaches out and gives life to Adam with the touch of his finger, are being damaged by the breath, sweat and heat of the 10,000 to 30,000 tourists who walk through the chapel every day.The Vatican had an a

Nov. 1, 2012

‘The Voice’ star Dia Frampton to perform live in Hongdae

Dia Frampton, the singer with the sweetly soulful rustic voice who was the season one runner-up of singing audition program “The Voice” in the U.S., is in Seoul to hold her first show in Korea at “Freebird” in Hongdae Saturday night.This is the first time in nearly 20 years the young Korean American vocalist has been to Seoul and she is hoping to break into the Korean music industry with her folk-inspired songs. “Honestly, I didn’t before, but I think that the older I get, the more passionate I

Nov. 1, 2012

Sleepless nights of the ‘club-a-HOLICs’

Following is part of a series on Seoul’s hottest bars and clubs. ― Ed.Not many people new to Korea are aware of the phrase “after club” used among Koreans. The term refers to after-hours nightclubs open past the designated hours to serve alcohol. Of course, places like Korea do not need after-hours clubs as there is no law restricting the hours when alcohol can be sold. So don’t get confused between the “after-hours club” in Europe and North America and “after clubs” in Korea, which are two enti

Oct. 31, 2012

Kang MJ brings out inner beauty in still life objects

Daegu-based painter Kang Min-jeong chooses damaged fruits and vegetables that don’t meet market standards as subjects of her still life paintings, looking to bring out the hidden beauty and quality of the produce neglected by others. The mid-career artist, who studied western painting at Daegu’s Keimyung University, showcases her new paintings at the Daegu Art Festival, which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Nov. 5.Finding inspiration in natural materials, she has devoted over two decades o

Oct. 31, 2012

McKnight to return to Seoul for encore show

The contemporary R&B artist Brian McKnight, famed for his hit song “Back at One,” will be back in Seoul to serenade his local fans once again with his silky vocals in an acoustic performance. After holding concerts in Korea both last year and the year before, McKnight is returning for another night of music and soul at the AX-Korea Hall on Nov. 30. This multi-talented entertainer is not only a singer, songwriter and producer, but a well-rounded musician playing nine instruments: piano, guitar, b

Oct. 31, 2012

Nick Cannon to perform at Boombar

The American rapper, comedian and TV personality Nick Cannon will DJ live at the electro lounge Boombar in Itaewon on Saturday.The multi-entertainer is best known as a former Nickelodeon star, the host of the hit TV audition program “America’s Got Talent” and the husband of R&B icon Mariah Carey. He first gained fame in the entertainment industry as a teen for his role on the show “All That” and as the host of “The Nick Cannon Show” and “Wild ‘N Out” on Nickelodeon, a top entertainment channel f

Oct. 30, 2012

K-pop and the world

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Asian music market will be presented at the 2012 global music conference and showcase Mu:Con, which will be held in Seoul from Thursday to Saturday. Mu:Con is a gathering of key players in the world music industry who come together to discuss various topics on creative global cooperation and communication, including the planning, production and distribution of the Asian music market. The three-day event, which is co-chaired by the legendary Korean pop

Oct. 30, 2012

SBS to host K-pop festival in U.S.

A joint concert of several K-pop artists will be held in the United States early next month, a South Korean television station hosting the event said Tuesday.The “2012 SBS K-pop Super Concert in America” will take place at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, a 15,000-seat outdoor theater, in Irvine, California, on Nov. 10, SBS said.Some of South Korea‘s leading K-pop bands, including Girls’ Generation, 2NE1, KARA, BEAST and Sistar as well as American YouTube star Karmin, will perform, it said. (Y

Oct. 30, 2012