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!

 

 

 

 

Koreanstarstruck

Top Stars Win Andre Kim Awards

Top fashion designer Andre Kim appears on stage with actress Hur E-jae and actor Shin Dong-wook after the fashion show at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Monday evening. By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Top Korean fashion designer Andre Kim gave recognition to Korea's most beautiful and popular stars during his 2007 Best Star Awards at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Monday evening. Actress Lee Young-ae, who starred in the hit MBC drama ``Daejanggeum" (Jewel in the Palace), received the grand prize for helping lead the Korean Wave or ``hallyu'' around Asia. Since 2004, Andre Kim has handed out Best Star Awards to top stars in TV, film and sports who have helped boost Korea's profile around the world. This year, award winners included Kwon Sang-woo, one of the most popular Korean actors around Asia; Lee Jun-ki, who rose to fame for his role in the hit film ``King and the Clown;" and Park Hae-il, who starred in the recent films ``Paradise Murdered" and ``The Host." Kwon, whose TV dramas such as ``Stairways to Heaven" are widely watched around Asia, attracted dozens of Japanese fans to the event. Stars of the SBS drama ``Love Story in Harvard,'' Kim Tae-hee and Kim Rae-won were briefly reunited on stage when they received their awards. Also given Best Star Awards were actresses Song Yoon-a, Lee Mi-yeon, Song Yu-ri, Lee Bo-young, Han Eun-jung and Go Ah-ra; and actors Lee Wan, Joo Dong-hyeok and Cho Hyun-jae. All the awardees wore beautiful gowns and stylish suits specially designed by Andre Kim. Actress Lee Young-ae, star of the hit MBC drama "Daejanggeum" (Jewel in the Palace) receives the grand prize during the Andre Kim 2007 Best Star Award at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Monday evening. Special commendation awards were given to world-renowned director Im Kwon-taek, Pusan International Film Festival director Kim Dong-ho and actress Teresa Sheen, for their contributions to the Korean film industry. Im has received numerous awards from international film festivals, and recently released his 100th film. Kim Dong-ho is credited with founding the PIFF, which has become one of the top film festivals around the world. Teresa Sheen is a famous Korean actress who starred in numerous films in the 1940s. The event also served as a fashion show for Andre Kim's intricately designed gowns with lush embroidery and dreamy fabrics. Models wore elaborate gowns with beautiful embroidered flowers in various shimmering shades of yellow, purple, pink and green. Two rising stars Hur E-jae, who starred in the MBC drama ``Goong S,'' and Shin Dong-wook, who starred in the MBC drama ``Soulmate," were the featured star-models during the Andre Kim fashion show. During the finale, the two stars wore beautiful wedding outfits as part of the show's romantic theme. Hur and Shin also won Best Star Awards. In the sports field, awards were given to figure skating star Kim Yu-na and Olympic speed skating champion Lee Kang-seok. Kim Yu-na won Korea's first gold medal at the International Skating Union Grand Prix in Paris last November. There were some no-shows during the event, such as soprano Jo Sumi, and hallyu star Bae Yong-joon, who wasn't able to make it since he was shooting his current drama. Past recipients of Andre Kim's Best Star Awards include hallyu stars Jang Dong-gun, Rain, Won Bin and Choi Ji-woo, and award-winning film directors Park Chan-wook and Kim Ki-duk.

Author F. Sionil Jose's Insight on Philippines

*F.Sionil Jose is such a nice guy. He even sent me a letter (snail mail) from Tokyo, thanking me for this story. Accckkkk!... He said his daughter used to work for KT, too!

 

Author F. Sionil Jose's Insight on Philippines

F. Sionil Jose, a veteran novelist from the Philippines, poses for a photo in front of the restaurant "Mt. Chiri" in Insa-dong, Seoul, Wednes-day. /Courtesy of Asia Publishers By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Multi-awarded Filipino author F. Sionil Jose may not be a familiar name to Koreans, but his novels about social justice, anti-elitism and colonialism in the Philippines will likely strike a familiar chord here. The 82-year old author is visiting Seoul to promote his novel "Ermita" which has been translated from its original English version into Korean (translated from English by Boo Hee-ryung; Asia Publishers: 504 pp., 13,000 won). The publication came as Asia Publishers of quarterly bilingual magazine "Asia" aims at introduciing more Asian writers to South Korean readers. The novel revolves around a prostitute named Ermita Rojos, whose mother was a Filipino woman from a rich family raped by a retreating Japanese soldier during the war. But its undercurrent theme is a more universal one; moral dilemmas faced by individuals and society. "Those looking for hot and steamy scenes may be disappointed," the stout, bald-headed veteran columnist and writer joked during a meeting with Korean reporters at a Korean restaurant in Insa-dong Wednesday. "This novel is more of a metaphor about the prostitution of Filipinos and the decay of our society. The story has a universal theme because all over the world many people are prostitutes without knowing it," he said. They include many politicians, writers, journalists, and professors, he added. In the novel, Ermita seeks revenge on her biological mother, who abandoned her after birth because of the shame brought upon her by the rape and goes to the United States where she marries a U.S. officer. Her story unfolds in the form of a page-turning epic drama, against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation in the 1940's up to the turbulent years under the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. Ermita goes to the United States to reveal her mother's secret and destroy her family. Jose said he sees some similarities in the history of the Philippines and Korea since both countries experienced colonization. The Philippines was colonized by Spain, the United States and Japan, while Korea was colonized by Japan. "You (Korea) were colonized some 50 years by the Japanese, while we were colonized by the Japanese for only 3 years. Sometimes I wish that it were the Japanese who colonized us not the Americans. Because you have no hangover with Japanese colonization, you vowed to defeat Japan. We have a very strong hangover with American colonialism. We never vowed to defeat the United States. Much of contemporary development, particularly in the colonized country depends so much on the response of the colonized to the colonizers. All this is in this novel 'Ermita,'" he said. The cover of "Ermita" in Korean Interestingly enough, while his novel offers a view of the Philippines under the corrupt Marcos regime, Jose expressed admiration for another dictator Korean President Park Chung-hee. Even if he had Korean activist friends such as Chang Jun-ha, Jose said he admired the late dictator for modernizing Korea. He expressed amazement at the progress of the Korean economy, noting how poor the country was in the 1950s when he first visited. "One thing about Korean corruption is that the corruption in Korea was responsible to a large extent to the modernization of your society. You may disagree with me but I have been following Korea very closely from the Korean War and I can tell you a lot of stories about what this country looked like in the 1950s when I was here," he said. Jose showed his firm belief in the role of literature. "I am 82 years old and many times I questioned the futility of words. I questioned myself all the time. I tried to answer this in one of my essays 'Why Literature'?... Basically, why literature? Because literature helps in the formation of culture that will become the foundation of a nation. It is one of the least understood functions of art. In a morally corrupt country, only literature teaches us ethics. No religion or philosophy can do that. That's why Jesus or Buddha told stories, too." Jose says he is better known outside the Philippines as the literary scene in the country is going through troubled waters. "I'm bragging but I have more readers outside my country, than in my own country. I have at least more than 1 million in the Soviet Union because they translated my book in the hundreds of thousands," he said. But recognition in his home country is growing, too. He was awarded the prestigious title of National Artist for Literature in the Philippines in 2001. He was cited as one of the foremost Filipino writers in English "but ultimately, it is the consistent espousal of the aspirations of the Filipino for national sovereignty and social justice that guarantees the value of his oeuvre." He writes in English with a distinct Filipino flavor and his novels include "The Pretenders," "My Brother, My Executioner," "Mass," "Po-on" and "Viajero (Traveler)." His books have been translated into Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian, Dutch and Indonesian. Well-versed in English classics, he shared an interesting view about popular Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "I cannot read Gabriel Garcia Marquez to (the) end because when I was young, I read a lot of James Joyce and William Faulkner, and Garcia Marquez is only repeating what these writers have already done," he said. Jose advocates social change in the Philippines, which is a recurring theme in his novels. "Ideologically, I believe in the necessity of a revolution for my country and given that belief, I believe also it is necessary to destroy the rotten foundations of a society and replace it with something new," he said.

for the best Mom

Happy Mother's Day to the best Mom in the world!

I know everyone says that about their mothers, but it's true! I wish I can be in Manila to go shopping with Mom, or just watch those addicting Korean dramas together! Or she can come over here to stalk Kwon Sang-woo (that guy from Stairways to Heaven)!

I miss you Mom!

(here's a pic of us last Christmas with cutie pie Bianca)