Private funeral planned for Winehouse

LONDON (AFP) ― The family and close friends of British soul singer Amy Winehouse were Tuesday set to hold a private funeral after a post-mortem failed to establish a cause of the 27-year-old’s death.A family spokesman said the ceremony for the troubled diva, who was found dead at her London home on Saturday, will be confined to family and close friends. He did not disclose the location or the time

July 26, 2011

Herbie Hancock made U.N. culture ambassador

PARIS (AP) ― Jazz great Herbie Hancock wants his music to build bridges between cultures, a mission that fits perfectly with his new role as a U.N. cultural ambassador promoting peace through culture and education.The 71-year-old ― imbued with boundless energy, curiosity and cool-cat poise ―is a natural for the job. His “The Imagine Project” album is a multicultural potpourri featuring collaborati

July 24, 2011

Girl’s Generation happy with broadening fan base

When nine-member female pop group Girls’ Generation had their first solo concert in Korea in December 2009, the members on stage felt somewhat nervous and awkward with each other’s moves.A year and a half later, the group’s international fame has helped them learn how to manage a big stage through numerous concerts around the world and members of the group have reached a point where they enjoy the

July 24, 2011

Troubled diva Amy Winehouse dead at 27

LONDON (AP) -- Few artists summed up their own career in a single song _ a single line --  as well as Amy Winehouse.``They tried to make me go to rehab,'' she sang on her world-conquering 2006 single, ``Rehab.'' ``I said 'No, no no.''' In this Aug. 5, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse performs at Lollapalooza at Grant Park in Chicago. The singer was found dead Saturday, July 23, 2011,

July 24, 2011

Bargain performances big on Sejong Belt

Theater buffs can benefit from major discounts for musicals and playsEveryone loves a good deal Sejong Belt ―a gathering of 47 theaters, museums and cultural organizations around Gwanghwamun Square ― provides just that; a great bargain, well, actually, 32 of them to be exact.Combo packages offering up to 60 percent off events are, without a doubt, the main attraction of this cultural hub spearhead

July 22, 2011

Pop Music

“2PM Hands Up Asia Tour”: Six-member idol group 2PM will hold its 2011 Asia Tour, starting from a Seoul concert in September. The upcoming concert in Seoul will be the act’s second solo concert in Korea and it will take place at the Jamsil Gymnasium on Sept. 2-3. The group’s Asia tour will continue through November. Making a comeback with the song “Hands Up,” the group topped online and offline ch

July 22, 2011

Classical Music

“Great Mountains Music Festival & School”: The 8th Great Mountains Music Festival & School will take place from July 24 to Aug. 13 at the Alpensia resort in Gangwon Province, gathering renowned and rising artists for 55 programs and master classes. The focus this year will be showcasing final works of great composers when they were grappling with age or illness. Under the theme “Illumination,” the

July 22, 2011

Exhibitions

“Ik-joong Kang: A Retrospective (1996-2011)”: South Korean artist Kang Ik-joong’s mini retrospective exhibition is underway at Posco art museum at the POSCO building in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul. Kang is one of most globally well-known Korean artists and represented the country at the 1997 Venice Biennale. At the exhibition, 23 of his paintings, installations and sculptures featuring the artist’

July 22, 2011

Festival

“The Great Battle of Hansan Festival 2011”: The Great Battle of Hansan (1592) is one of the four most famous sea battles in the history of Korea. Visitors to the festival, which celebrates the anniversary of the great event, will learn all about the battle while enjoying the beautiful natural scenery of Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province. This year, the festival will take place from Aug. 10 to

July 22, 2011

Theater

“The Three Musketeers”: The musical “The Three Musketeers,” for which the tickets were completely sold out in last year’s run, is back this year for only nine days. Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel, the musical, set in 17th century France, tells stories about the adventures of D’Artagnan and the three musketeers ― Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Actors of the Korea premiere in 2009, including Yoo Jun-s

July 22, 2011

Dance

“Suspicious Paradise”: The dance show is inspired by the Demilitarized Zone, which looks like a paradise with untouched nature but is also a place deeply scarred by the Korean War. Organized by Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, it aims to offer a fresh experience to the younger generation who not know much about the war. It will run from Aug. 5 to 7 at Seoul Arts Center’s Towol Center in

July 22, 2011

Shepherd mixes contemporary sound

Ashton Shepherd “Where Country Grows”MCAWith her 2008 debut, “Sounds So Good,” Ashton Shepherd offered a down-home contrast to contemporary country music. Like a Loretta Lynn for modern times, she flashed a feisty attitude and an unfiltered country twang that made Miranda Lambert sound uptown. The album drew critical praise, but little radio attention and disappointing sales.With her second album,

July 22, 2011

TVXQ tops Japan’s Oricon chart

TVXQ (aka Dongbangsingi or Tohoshinki), a two-member Korean boy band popular across Asia, topped Japan’s Oricon Daily chart on Thursday with its new single “Super Star.”TVXQ (Yonhap News)More than 75,000 copies of the new album were sold on the first day it hit the shelves in Japan on Wednesday and nearly 50,000 copies were sold the next day, putting the South Korean boyband on the top of Japan’s

July 22, 2011

Moon jar artist awakes, connects and heals

Kang Ik-joong holds mini-retrospective exploring Korean division at POSCO art museumWhat can a moon jar, Hangeul and Gen. Douglas MacArthur possibly have in common? “They are all connections of some sort. Moon jars are composed of the top half and the bottom half, Hangeul is composed of vowels and consonants and Gen. MacArthur came in and the peninsula was divided into two,” Kang Ik-joong told the

July 21, 2011

Photos of Beatles’ first U.S. concert fetch $360,000

NEW YORK (AP) ― In 1964, an enterprising 18-year-old snapped pictures of the Beatles’ momentous first U.S. concert in Washington, D.C.On Wednesday, Christie’s auction house said it sold 50 silver gelatin prints that the photographer, Mike Mitchell, made from the negatives for $361,938. The images, plus photos from another Beatles concert, had been estimated to fetch a total of $100,000. This file

July 21, 2011

Seoul Phil to hold second Europe tour in August

Led by conductor Chung, orchestra to perform Edinburgh Festival debutThe Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director and chief conductor Chung Myung-whun, will hold its second Europe tour concerts from Aug. 19 to Aug. 27, just one month after releasing a debut album under the prestigious label Deutsche Grammophon.The SPO said it will hold a special concert on Aug. 9 at the Seoul Arts Cente

July 20, 2011

Art museums strive to ride Korean Wave

Private museums join hands to promote Korean artists online; exhibition shows images of Korea captured by top photographersWitnessing K-pop and TV dramas lead hallyu, or the Korean Wave, across Asia and Europe, Korean art insiders decided to jump in and seek chances for Korean artists as well. The Korean Art Museum Association announced on Monday the launch of the “K-Artist Global Project” at Some

July 18, 2011