Showing 1 - 7 of 7
When East meets West
Life, John Clewley, Published on 17/01/2023
» In 2017, the Japanese band Minyo Crusaders released their debut album, Echoes Of Japan (P-Vine, Japan), to great acclaim. The band's reworking and updating of Japanese folk music, or minyo, on a rhythmic bed of Caribbean, Latin and Afrobeat was truly inspired, and perhaps pointed the way for other fusion bands in East and Southeast Asia. The aim was to revive minyo as "music for the people", as quoted by World Music Central.
The craic was 90
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/03/2022
» Bangkok's resident Irish music expert Prof Mick Moloney recently journeyed back to his old stomping ground in New York to perform with his musical mates at the annual Irish Heritage Concert at St Patrick's Cathedral. The concert is held each year to celebrate St Patrick's Day. This year it was held on March 10.
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.
Nora dance gets Unesco nod
Life, John Clewley, Published on 21/12/2021
» Nora, a traditional folk dance-drama from southern Thailand, was awarded intangible cultural heritage status by Unesco last week. The distinctive dance form joins khon and Thai traditional massage on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Queen of Molam honoured
Life, John Clewley, Published on 28/09/2021
» The late National Artist Bunpheng Faiphiuchai featured on Google Doodle last week, as the search engine celebrated what would have been her 89th birthday on Sept 22. She was one of the most influential molam performers of her generation, and a pioneer in the recording of molam on vinyl. According to Google Doodle's blurb, by 1955 she had recorded "more full-length albums than any other woman in the genre" and that is why she was the first molam to be given the title "Queen Of Molam".
Honouring a legend
Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/06/2018
» The annual temple fair at Wat Thap Kradan in Suphan Buri province was held recently. Every year, around the second week of June, thousands of luk thung fans, hundreds of vendors and a galaxy of luk thung singers descend on the temple to celebrate the life and music of Rajini Pleng Luk Thung (Queen of Thai Country), Pumpuang Duangjan.
In tribute to the mighty Charles 'Horn Man' Neville
Life, John Clewley, Published on 01/05/2018
» World Beat is in mourning this week, following the sad news that saxophonist and founder member of one of New Orleans finest bands, The Neville Brothers, Charles Neville, passed away last Thursday. He was 79 years old.