カテゴリー: Music
Lim Ki-mo first heard Brazilian music 50 years ago in his home town of Busan; now his consular crooning marks a triumph of soft powerBrazil’s latest music sensation grinned from ear to ear as he moseyed down Copacabana beach contemplating his unusual r…
From K-pop to K-beauty, via film and fashion, South Korea is punching way above its weight. The boyband BTS alone rakes in billions every year. Are there lessons for other countries?How does this sound for a leisurely day of cultural immersion? Ablutio…
Swifties from across the country are spending big so they can travel to see star’s Eras tour in Japan, Singapore and AustraliaFor Allan Villa, seeing Taylor Swift live in concert is an unmissable experience, worthy of the backbreaking travel that will …
Human rights groups had urged Thai government not to deport Russian-Belarusian band, who are now in IsraelA dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band critical of the war in Ukraine have left Thailand for Israel after fears they would be deported to Russia…
Bi-2 detained for working without permit after Phuket concert, in latest incident involving anti-war artists in countryMembers of a prominent dissident Russian rock band critical of the war in Ukraine are facing possible deportation home from Thailand …
Ferdinand Marcos Jr was flown in because concert-goers created ‘unforeseen traffic complications’, bodyguards sayPhilippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been criticised for using a presidential helicopter to attend a Coldplay concert north of the …
Exploring the whistling traditions of the Hmong people of northern Laos, whose language straddles the boundary between music and speech, this film witnesses a collision of ancient tradition with modern urban life. With urbanisation and the advent of mo…
Measure to ensure foreign artists ‘adhere to the local culture’ follows incident at gig by the 1975 in Kuala LumpurConcert organisers in Malaysia must now have a “kill switch” to cut short performances that break official guidelines, a minister has sai…
Two siblings are building a following among the young people of Sindh province disillusioned with the straitened status quo Deep in Pakistan’s countryside, Sindhi Chhokri and her teenage brother Toxic Sufi are raising a few eyebrows.Under the banner th…
Olivia Foa’i and Lorde are among those using indigenous language in music to build culture and connectionAs a child, Olivia Foa’i would steal into the recording studio her father had attached to their Auckland home to listen to the best Pacific musicia…
Julie Fujishima, now president of Japan’s biggest boyband talent agency, had long been aware of accusations but failed to investigate, experts sayThe current president of Japan’s biggest boyband talent agency, who is the niece of its late founder Johnn…
Musicians and artists are living in a state of terror. Can the country’s identity as a ‘crossroads of cultures’ survive a policy of strict repression?When the Taliban moved closer to Kabul in the early days of August 2021, a series of unusual advertise…
From a transistor radio shop, Oriental Star Agencies championed legends such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and nurtured bhangra to chart success. Its 84-year-old founder recalls howWhen Muhammad Ayyub moved to Birmingham from Pakistan in 1961, he immediatel…
Praise for singer Matty Healy and campaigner Peter Tatchell for highlighting the plight of LGBTQ+ people in MalaysiaI write in response to Peter Tatchell’s article (Matty Healy is not a ‘white saviour’ for showing solidarity with Malaysia’s LGBTQ+ peop…