Showing 1-10 of 10 results
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The world beat goes on
Life, John Clewley, Published on 04/01/2023
» This year the entertainment business returned to some form of normality after the hard slog of lockdowns and lack of customers. It was good to see music lovers back at festivals and clubs. And the best festive season present of all was the performance of Ethiopian legend Hailu Mergia and his trio at Studio Lam on Dec 21.
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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.
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The country king
Life, John Clewley, Published on 01/03/2022
» In July 1973, songwriter and DJ Surin Paksiri organised a pleng luk thung concert at the Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. He wanted to hold the event in a park or at a big cinema, but both of those options were too expensive. He settled on the boxing stadium, and he called the concert "Luk Thung Isan vs. Luk Thung Pak Klang" (Isan Country Music vs. Central Country Music).
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Tracing the roots of zouk
Life, John Clewley, Published on 08/12/2020
» In 1983, Kassav', a band from the Antilles in the Caribbean, released Zouk La Se Sel Medikamen Non Ni (Zouk Is The Only Medicine We Have). It became the first Antillean record to sell 100,000 copies. Kassav' went on to top the French pop charts with a string of gold albums, drew bigger crowds at their concerts than Prince and put Antillean music firmly on the international musical map.
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Honouring a pioneer
Life, John Clewley, Published on 04/08/2020
» Sonia Pottinger was a trailblazing pioneer in Jamaica's male-dominated music industry as she played an important role in the development of popular music in the Caribbean island. She was the first female record producer in Jamaica and her pinnacle came during the 1960s, beginning with the ska era after which she made a transition to rocksteady and finally reggae.
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A tribute to Manu Dibango
Life, John Clewley, Published on 31/03/2020
» Just after the World War II, in 1948, a gangly youth arrived in Strasbourg, France, after a long trip from Douala in Cameroon. He had 3kg of coffee in his luggage and a burning desire to be a saxophonist like Lester Young (later he would don a Young-esque pork pie hat and blow smoke rings like the acclaimed master). His name was Manu Dibango. Sadly, this veteran musician died last week of complications from the Covid-19 virus. He was 86 years old.
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All there at the square
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/03/2019
» Busy Victory Monument, with its buses, taxis and motorcycles, is one of Bangkok's few traffic circles (or roundabouts, as we call them where I come from). It's a busy intersection of roads that lead to all points on the compass.
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Vibrant East African beats
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/11/2016
» The eagerly awaited follow-up to Soundway's compilation of Kenyan popular music, Kenya Special, which came out in 2013, Kenya Special: Volume Two – Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & '80s was recently released. The first compilation introduced fans of African music to the wide range of styles that were performed by different bands and artists during the "golden era" of the 1970s and into the early 1980s.
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The great gig in the sky
Life, John Clewley, Published on 09/02/2016
» Musician David Bowie was the biggest name in the music business to pass away recently. His death at 69 prompted extraordinary media coverage across the world. Bowie was more than just a rock musician, he was also a pop culture icon. Like many people, Bowie was part of the musical landscape I grew up in, from his art/glam rock early days when I was at school to his Thin White Duke days when I was at university, Bowie was always there as part of the sonic furniture.
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Lush Portuguese sounds
Life, John Clewley, Published on 12/05/2015
» On a business trip to India last week, I had the great fortune to catch several inspirational sets of Portuguese Fado music at the Cidade de Goa resort on the beach in North Goa. It was good to be back in India, and a delight to be in the fascinating cultural melting pot of Goa, although at this time of year it is hot and humid, even perhaps hotter than Bangkok, or at least it felt that way. But India's smallest state is lush and green with some impressive trees, and a strong breeze brought relief from the pre-monsoon heat.
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