Showing 41 - 50 of 52
Journey to the heart of Kawachi-Ondo
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/12/2013
» A recent business trip to Japan left me with a few days in Osaka to find out more about the lively summer-festival music kawachi-ondo, one of my favourite Japanese roots styles. My mission was simple: pay a visit to the recently opened Kawachi-ondo Museum in Yao City and find some vinyl.
Okinawan duo dazzles, Skatalites still shine
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/11/2013
» Okinawan singer/musician Kanako Horiuchi flew in last week for the Siam Okinawa Music Festival, which was held on Friday at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel on Sukhumvit 22.
From Phnom Penh to Detroit
Life, John Clewley, Published on 08/10/2013
» The Cambodian Space Project's eagerly awaited third album is "in the can", according to leader/guitarist Julien Poulson. The band spent part of the summer in Detroit and just finished recording the new album in the city that gave the world the "Motown Sound".
Songs of the 'babaylan'
Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/09/2013
» At last year's Penang World Music festival I had the opportunity to talk to Grace Nono, a most versatile singer, researcher and writer from the southern Philippines. After the event she sent me a copy of her first major publication, The Shared Voice (Anvil Publishing, Philippines), and I enjoyed reading it immensely. The book is about 10 traditional chanters, whom she terms "oralists", and Nono's 15-year journey to find her "own" voice.
Get into the groove
Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/08/2013
» Many Asian countries celebrate the ancient bon festival around the seventh lunar month, although in Japan the festivities are usually held in the middle of August. The festival is ancient and dates back to one of Buddha's disciples, Mokuren, who wanted to ameliorate the suffering of his deceased mother. To do this he danced what Japanese people call bon odori (bon dance), which is performed by everyone in the community to welcome the spirits of the dead, to celebrate their ancestors.
Grooving Isan style
Life, John Clewley, Published on 02/04/2013
» Molam Aungkanang Kunchai's long-awaited return to Bangkok to play a concert of some of her greatest work from the 1970s came to fruition on Saturday at Sonic on Soi Ekamai. A delirious, packed crowd greeted her and her three-member hang krueang (chorus line) with rapturous applause as they showed Bangkokians and expatriates how to groove Isan style.
Tradition and innovation in Isan
Life, John Clewley, Published on 08/01/2013
» The idyllic rural setting of Jim Thompson's Farm in Pak Thong Chai in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima was the venue for a battle of the bands on Dec 23. The Sud Sanan Dan Isan contest featured 12 molam teams from secondary schools and colleges across Isan, all vying for glory.
Time to get Zani
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/09/2012
» Zani Diabate was the first musical super hero I met. The bandleader and ace guitarist, who passed away in Paris last year while recording his final album, often wore a dark beret with an enamel brooch of Superman pinned to it. When I asked him if he was Superman during an interview many years ago, he replied: "No, it's not Superman. It's Super Zani."
Unearthing a treasure
Life, John Clewley, Published on 28/08/2012
» I was rummaging through some backstreet stores in Khlong Thom market the other week, looking for VCDs and DVDs of old luk thung movies. There are several stores in the market that feature a plethora of all kinds of movies, as well as audio CDs, and I did indeed find quite a few movies that featured music _ molam and luk thung _ including several with the late Pumpuang Duangjan as the main star.
Molam Theppabutr Band &Okinawan show
Life, John Clewley, Published on 06/03/2012
» The last week of February was truly memorable for music fans in Bangkok with not one but two great gigs: the Wong Dontri Molam Theppabutr (Theppabutr Molam Band) gig at Sonic Ekamai on Sat and Kanako Horiuchi's set of Okinawan songs at Kinjo Restaurant on Wed.