Showing 1 - 10 of 15
A timeless musician
Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/09/2023
» Eliades Ochoa was a key member of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, which was established in 1996 and organised into a stellar ensemble of Cuban musicians, many of whom performed Cuban music of the 1940s and 1950s -- bolero, son and danzon. An album was released to great acclaim and a film documentary of the group garnered an Academy Award for director Wim Wenders.
Summer vibes
Life, John Clewley, Published on 24/05/2022
» The Thai entertainment scene got a welcome boost this past week with news that bars, clubs and pubs will reopen from June 1, albeit with a closing time of midnight. The government also announced that the lifting of restrictions would apply to 31 provinces that have successfully controlled potential outbreaks of Covid-19, with the other 46 provinces still under Covid-based surveillance and restrictions.
The sounds of the jungle
Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/05/2022
» The acclaimed traditional music ensemble Fong Naam was founded in 1981 by American Bruce Gaston and "Teacher" Boonyong Khetkong. Even after the death of some of the original masters, all of whom were national artists, the band remains Thailand's most well-known musical group internationally.
Farewell to an Indian legend
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/02/2022
» Lata Mangeshkar, one of India's most famous singers, has died at the age of 92. Sometimes called the "Queen Of Melody" or the "Nightingale Of India", she was, with her sister Asha Bhosle, one of the most influential Bollywood playback singers. Her career spanned 70 years, during which time she recorded songs in 36 Indian languages as well as in English, Russian, Dutch and Swahili.
Documenting a documentarian
Life, John Clewley, Published on 14/09/2021
» Alan Lomax, who died in 2002 at the age of 87, wore many hats. In his long life, which spanned much of the 20th century, he worked as a folklorist, archivist, producer, writer, scholar, oral historian and filmmaker. He was also a musician and producer who played a key role in researching and preserving folk traditions, particularly in the US and England (spurring the folk revivals in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s in both countries).
Zamrock shines decades later
Life, John Clewley, Published on 27/04/2021
» Zambian rock and popular music, often dubbed as Zamrock, has featured several times in the column over recent years.
Amid chaos, world music still rocks
Life, John Clewley, Published on 19/01/2021
» Riding high at the top of this month's Transglobal World Music Chart is the Isreali-Persian singer, songwriter and social activist Liraz Charhi.
Across generations, across Thailand
Life, John Clewley, Published on 22/01/2019
» Thai PBS held a fun event to celebrate Teacher's Day "Saraphan Lan Thung" or The Sonic Luk Thung Variety Show at the TV station's main compound last Wednesday. World Beat was there to enjoy the mini-festival.
Song Of Lahore shows how Pakistani musical traditions can thrive
Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/02/2017
» Last week the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand began its new Monday night documentary film series with a fascinating new documentary, Song Of Lahore, on a group of classical musicians and their struggle to survive in Pakistan. The film was directed by award-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chony and filmmaker Andy Shocken and was released in 2015 and although it has had a limited release, it has featured prominently at several film festivals such as Tribeca and Cannes.
For the love of Y/Our Music
Life, John Clewley, Published on 21/07/2015
» I went to the cinema at the weekend. This is not something I do very often these days but then the movie I went to see was being screened at Lido in Siam Square, a place I knew well during my days teaching at Chulalongkorn University. Sadly, Lido is slowly being engulfed by vendors and the new Siam Square of Hello Kitty buildings and boutique shopping facilities.