stargazing with AK in wuxi

Andre Kim Captivates Wuxi 
 

World-renowned Korean fashion designer Andre Kim holds a fashion show under the theme of "Fantasy of Four Seasons" at the Wuxi International Convention Center in China Thursday. / Yonhap

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Wuxi,China _ World-renowned Korean fashion designer Andre Kim captivated Chinese audiences in the small city in southern Jiangsu province Thursday evening with a romantic runway show featuring top hallyu stars wearing his distinctive designs.

All eyes were on TV stars Park Sol-mi, Cho Hyun-jae, and K-pop's hottest singers Ivy and Son Ho-young, who were the main models of the fantasy-filled show held at the Wuxi International Convention Center.

With the theme ``Fantasy of Four Seasons,'' the one and a half hour program featured 170 pieces from Kim's 2008 fashion collection. The audience was mesmerized by the array of exquisite and colorful designs in a show divided into six stages.

The event started with a winter stage ``Festival of White Night,'' as models appeared wearing somber black and white pieces and fur stoles and fake snow swirled around them.

Much attention was given to Ivy's debut as a fashion model, and she charmed the crowd with her angelic smile. Park, co-star of the hit drama ``Winter Sonata,'' had a chance to show off her tan and curves on the runway. Actors Park Jin-woo and Jeong Dong-jin, as well as singer Tim, modeled Kim's designs.

Vibrant splashes of color, coupled with dashes of mystery and romance, punctuated each stage.

In ``Mystery of Oriental Dynasty,'' Kim paid homage to Chinese and Korean culture, history and art. ``I created gowns inspired by ancient Korea and Oriental kingdoms. We created colorful motifs like dragons, taken from the ancient Chinese culture,'' he told The Korea Times before the show.

For ``Fantasy of Immortal Masterpiece,'' Kim created gowns printed with famous works by masters such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Ruben and Raphael. A highlight of the show was Kim's interpretation of the ``Legend of Seven Veils,'' where a model twirled around, peeling off one colorful coat at a time to finally unveil a pale blue gown.

Unlike his previous shows featuring only one main couple for the show's wedding finale, Kim said he decided to have two couples this time. Ivy and Son walked down the runway, looking like a match made in K-pop heaven, while Park and Cho looked like a picture-perfect couple in a TV drama.

Wild applause and cheers showered Kim as he took a bow at the end of the show.

Kim held his fashion show in this city located 128 kilometers from Shanghai, at the invitation of the Wuxi government and the International Textile and Fashion Megamall (ITFM), one of the world's largest fashion market and textile trading centers. Also known as Little Shanghai, Wuxi is the center of China's textile industry.

``This year's fashion show is very important because it is sponsored by the ITFM and Wuxi, which is a rising city for fashion in China. I am very happy that we are having a fashion show in Wuxi,'' he said.

Likewise, Wuxi and ITFM officials expressed their excitement at Kim's fashion show, which is expected to generate more interest in the ITFM and more business opportunities between Korea and China's textile and fashion industries.

Also, the event was meant to celebrate the 15th anniversary of China-Korea diplomatic ties and the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics. Kim said he has been invited to hold another fashion show during the Beijing Olympics next year.

This was Kim's 10th fashion show in China, having held shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Kim is known for staging romantic fashion shows in exotic locales such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia last year and at the pyramids in Egypt in 1996.

``Hallyu,'' a Chinese term coined to describe the popularity of Korean stars, dramas and music, continues to thrive in China. A handful of Son and Cho's fans even sneaked in the press conference to cheer their idols, as they spoke briefly.

On Wednesday, Kang Ta, one of the most popular K-pop stars in China, entertained crowds at the ITFM RNX Hallyu Concert at the Wuxi International Convention Center. Ivy, Son, Tim, Baby Vox Re. V, Mina, Jang Keun-suk, Han Jae-suk, Chae Eun-jung also performed at the event which was meant to generate publicity for the Global Korean Fashion/Beauty Expo on Aug. 8 at the ITFM
 

love their music!

Clazziquai Redefines Korean Electronica Music 
 

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

In the world of K-pop dominated by sappy ballads and bland pop songs, Clazziquai Project stands out for their unique brand of chill-out electronica music. Clazziquai's name describes what its music is all about: a soothing combination of classical, jazz and groove.

Clazziquai Project, comprised of producer and mixer Kim Sung-hoon, also known as DJ Clazzi and vocalists Alex Chu and Choi Ho-ran, sat down with The Korea Times for an interview at a coffee shop in Yeoido last week.

Clazziquai members eagerly talked about their third album ``Love Child of the Century,'' which once again brings a new kind of music surprising even their fans.

``In our first album, many people said the songs sounded Japanese. But no artist wants to be told that their work sounds similar to other artists. The second album had an acoustic sound, while the third album has a new wave and European sound. We are constantly searching for originality in our music,'' Kim said.

Clazziquai has come a long way from its start as a ``project group" formed by Kim, a classically trained musician and jazz music enthusiast who also worked as a web designer. He started experimenting with music, creating a cross between ``chill-out lounge and house music.''

In 2001, Kim started sharing his music, featuring Chu and his sister Christina as vocalists, online. He received positive feedback from netizens, which eventually led to the release of their breakout album ``Instant Pig" in 2004. Then Choi joined the group as female vocalist.

While Clazziquai has been steadily gaining fans, the turning point came when their songs ``Be My Love'' and ``She Is'' were featured in the hit MBC drama ``My Lovely Samsoon'' in 2005.

Kim said he did not write the songs specifically for the drama. However, the show's producers heard the songs and requested to use them in the show. ``Having the songs appear on the drama was good for us because it introduced Clazziquai to the public,'' he said.

Clazziquai's sound has become so distinctive that Kim has been sought out by other artists to mix their music. ``Sometimes someone asks me to do a remix in a Clazziquai way. But I honestly don't know what that is. I just do it in a natural way. That would be the Clazziquai way. There is no secret,'' Kim said.

Chu and Choi are the voices that give Clazziquai's sound a dreamy quality, making it soothing and pleasant to the ears. Chu also writes lyrics for the songs, taking inspiration from his past experiences. One of the standout tracks in their third album was ``Friday Blues,'' a song Chu penned about the pain of saying goodbye.

Choi, known for her dreamy voice, said she feels very comfortable being the only female in the group. ``Sometimes I feel more comfortable being the only girl with two guys than with a group of girls. We spend all our time together, so our lifestyles match each other's,'' she said.

Even though Clazziquai started out posting their music online, now they are also being affected by rampant illegal music downloading. Chu said that with the growth of the digital market, it's a question of whether musicians should still produce CDs or just go digital.

However, the Internet has helped Clazziquai gain fans from all over the world. Some of their music videos have been uploaded on You Tube and other Web sites. Their albums have also been licensed in Taiwan, and they have released a mini-album ``Love Mode'' in Japan. Plus, the group has collaborated with Japanese artists like m-flo and Ryohei.

``In the future, we would like to expand to Europe and if things work out, the United States. But we're doing everything slowly, taking baby steps,'' Kim said.

Clazziquai will hold a concert, featuring many of the songs on their new album, on July 14 at the Olympic Hall, Olympic Park, while Chu will perform during m-flo's concert in Tokyo on July 20. Then, the group will hold shows in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka to round out the month.

When asked about Clazziquai's future plans, Kim, Choi and Chu could not give a definite answer. ``I don't know. Nothing comes to mind. We are just going with the flow. We'll see how it happens… fans have asked us why our third album sounded so different. We're always changing, we're always evolving, nothing stays the same,'' Kim said.
 

meeting a shinhwa member!

Kim Dong-wan: Out of Shinhwa’s Shadow 
 

Kim Dong-wan is going solo with his first album ``Kimdongwan Is.''

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

It may be hard to imagine, but even a long-time boy band member like Kim Dong-wan can get nervous when embarking on a solo career.

Even having sold hundreds of thousands of albums as a member of Shinhwa, Kim admitted he is a little apprehensive at the reaction to his first album ``Kimdongwan Is.''

``I'm kind of nervous to have a performance by myself, to stand on stage by myself and to do a whole song," he told The Korea Times at a cafe in Apgujeong, Wednesday.

Wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans, Kim looked relaxed and showed no sign of fatigue, even though he was in the middle of rehearsals.

Kim said it was Shinhwa's successful Asian tour last year, which brought them to Singapore, China, Thailand and Japan, that prompted him to decide to pursue a solo music career.

``I realized that Shinhwa was loved in Asia. I felt like I had something special I wanted to share with fans… Now I think this is the right time for me to debut as a singer,'' he said.

If the pressure of going solo was not enough, Kim also has to compete with fellow Shinhwa members Lee Min-woo, also known as M and Shin Hye-sung who are both releasing solo albums this summer.

``I consider them as my rivals,'' Kim said, with a smile. ``I want to win over the fans… But I still consider them as my friends, of course. We're friendly rivals.''

Even rivals help each other out, as Shinhwa members appeared on various songs in Kim's album. Lee composed a song called ``My Love," which also features a rap by Eric Mun. Shin sings a duet with Kim on ``Person Who Stays," while Andy Lee raps on ``I Like Summer."

Overall, Kim opted for a more Asian, if not, J-pop-influenced R&B sound for his album. ``Shinhwa's music is more of boy band music. It was more American R&B and candy pop. But my album is more of J-pop, and very Asian. I even remade a Japanese song by Glay and Exile in the album," he said.

His first single ``Handkerchief" is about a guy who consoles his girlfriend and wipes away her tears.

In preparation for his debut as a solo artist, Kim obviously dropped a lot of weight. ``I went on a diet, since it's not good for a ballad singer to have a muscular image. Someone singing ballads should have a lean, 'hungry-looking' image," he noted.

Kim has been in the music industry for over nine years now. When he was a high school student, he formed a group with his friend MC Mong. But he was soon asked to join Shinhwa in 1998, becoming one of the group's vocalists.

Despite Shinhwa's success, one of Kim's dreams was to become an actor. So he started pursuing an acting career, appearing in TV dramas like ``A Farewell to Sorrow, '' ``The Person I Love'' and the film ``Spin Kick.''

Being a singer-actor, Kim couldn't help but notice that Korean singers are not considered as popular or as influential as actors.

``The influence of actors is a lot stronger than the that of singers in Korea. But in Japan, it's the other way around. Japanese idols and singers are a lot more popular than actors. It's not just that they have more fans, but the Japanese idols can also sing, act and do other activities. I have the ability to be an actor and singer,'' he said.

In the past, Kim had said he would prefer a career in acting, but now things have changed. Now, he loves singing more than acting.

``When you watch a drama, you forget all about it after. But when you listen to music, it sticks with you forever. You can't forget it,'' he said.

 

SuJu on big screen

Super Junior Hits Big Screen  
 

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Super Junior, one of the most popular boy bands in K-pop, is making their big screen debut with the film ``Attack on the Pin-up Boys'' this month.

At first glance, the film may seem like another ``idol movie" meant to show off the charms of Super Junior's good-looking members, rather than their acting ability.

However, Park Jung-su, the group's leader who is also known as Lee Teuk, said he hopes people would not judge the film as just an ``idol movie." ``Since we debuted (as a group), we announced we will work not just as singers, but also as MCs and actors. I hope people will get rid of their prejudices a little, and watch us as new actors, not as singers," he said, during the film's press conference at Imperial Palace Hotel in Apgujeong, Thursday.

Since Super Junior is one of most popular groups today, there are a lot of high expectations for the film. The film, with a budget of 850 million won, is the first to be produced by S.M. Entertainment's subsidiary S.M. Pictures.

S.M. Entertainment head Lee Soo-man said the planning for the film took almost three years. ``After hearing that Super Junior is starring, a lot of people seem to think that this is an idol movie but this a summer movie for kids. But elementary school students will be able to see some of the middle and high school students' thoughts and for those whose schooldays are past, they will be able to relive it. Despite the title, this is a heartwarming movie," he said.

Twelve out of the 13 Super Junior members were cast in the movie, except for Cho Kyu-hyun who is still recuperating from a car accident last April.

Lee Kwon, who directed the film, admitted he was initially worried about working with idol stars. ``I felt like a soccer coach as I tried to memorize all of the members' names. At first, I had a lot of worries but it turned out to be like working with my next-door neighbors and a fun experience filming," he said.

Inevitably, the film draws comparisons to past Korean idol films starring H.O.T. and Sechs Kies. Despite their popularity in the late 1990's, H.O.T.'s ``Age of Peace" and Sechs Kies' ``Seventeen" failed at the box office.

``If the standard idol movies are seen with the view of an adult, this movie is focused on showing their sensibilities as it is. The members are not acting as other characters but bringing out their natural personalities," director Lee said.

Described as a high school comedy-mystery, the film is about three good-looking high school boys played by Choi Si-won, Kim Hee-chul and Kim Young-woon (also known as Kang In), who become the target of attacks.

Kim Ki-beom plays the narrator who sees a pattern of attacks against pretty boys, while Lee Dong-hae helps him investigate. The rest of the Super Junior members play supporting roles.

Some Super Junior members have had acting experience, such as Choi Si-won who appeared in the film ``Battle of Wits;" Kim Ki-beom who starred in the TV drama ``Snow Flower," and Kim Hee-chul who appeared in ``Bad Family."

Attack on the Pin-up Boys will be shown in theaters on July 26.
 

my K-articles in HK

I've now had two articles published in SouthChina MorningPost in Hong Kong! First one was last year... the Kpop story... and now it's about Korean fashion!