Posts in category: JamFest

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, eleventh from front right; Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, twelfth from front right; Heart to Heart Foundation President and CEO Oh Jee-chul, tenth from front right; Korea JoongAng Daily CEO Cheong Chul-gun, ninth from front right; and members of the diplomatic corps in Korea representing some 40 countries celebrate the opening of the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan at the Asti Hotel in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
Music is a language that transcends borders and breaks boundaries, as was evident during the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala as musicians with developmental disabilities moved a global audience representing some 40 countries on Friday in Busan.

 
An audience of some 70 people, mostly consisting of diplomats, tapped their feet in unison to the cascades of drumrolls by the Aria Nanta percussion band and swayed their heads to the tunes of a wind orchestra.
 
“It was my first time seeing [their] performance and I was so touched,” said Lovemore Hamweene, attending the concert with her husband, Wray Mulendema Hamweene, the charge d’affaires of the Zambian Embassy in Seoul. “They delivered so much happiness to the audience, and the last performance was especially wonderful.”
 
Organized as the second installment of the inaugural concert last year, the 2022 Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala in Busan invited four teams and one soloist to perform at the Asti Hotel in Busan on Friday. All of the acts were winners of the Great Music Festival, an annual competition for musicians with developmental disabilities organized by SK Innovation and the Heart to Heart Foundation.
 

The Aria Nanta team performs an adaptation of the Korean folk song “Nilliriya” at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
The concert began with adaptations of Korean folk songs by the all-percussion Aria Nanta team, followed by performances by pianist duo the Console Piano Ensemble of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor “Fate” and “This is me” from the musical “The Greatest Showman.”
 
The duo was followed by Dream with Ensemble, a team of 10 clarinetists, playing a Divertimento piece by Mozart, and ToTo’s “Africa.” One of the clarinetists, Eun Sung-ho, then played a solo on the piano of one of his favorite pieces: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight.”
 

Console Piano Ensemble performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor “Fate” at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
By the time the Eins Baum Wind Chamber concluded the concert with “Jubilo! Jubilo!” by Martin Cordner, the audience was giving a standing ovation with marked calls of “Bravo!” echoing throughout the hall.
 
“The musicians that I saw tonight were so well-coordinated, and the audience could really feel their joy in their performances,” said Ekaterini Loupas, ambassador of Greece to Korea.
 
“It was a beautiful evening, I was amazed by the people performing — and I am not saying people with disabilities, because we didn’t see that,” said Sarris Panayotis, husband of Loupas who himself is also a career diplomat. “We saw artists.”
 
Some in the audience, by nature of their profession, also saw possible connections between musicians of their countries and Korea.
 

Eins Baum Wind Chamber performs at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
“When the Aria Nanta team was playing the drums, what went through my mind was that there could be a concert with some Czech bands [joining] too,” said Lucie Nohova, wife of Zbynek Noha, the deputy head of mission at the Czech Embassy in Seoul, in speaking with the Korea JoongAng Daily after the concert.
 
There are a number of bands consisting of musicians with disabilities in Czechia, including The Tap Tap.
 
“The idea of bringing musicians with disabilities in Czechia to perform in Korea has great potential,” said Noha. “To see these musicians from various countries play next to each other would be mutually enriching.”
 
In fact, such collaborations have taken place, though if not by design, but by circumstance and chance.
 
“The ensemble visited South Africa in September on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Korea-South Africa relations,” said Lee Ok-joo, chief director of Dream with Ensemble. “The mood in the concert hall was so joyous that members of the audience, including some South African artists with disabilities, decided to join the clarinetists on the stage and dance to the music. Words don’t do justice to what all of us in the hall were feeling at the time.”
 

There are estimated to be around 260,000 people in Korea living with some form of developmental disability.
 
Even if some may dream of becoming a professional musician, not many have the financial means nor the support from their family members to make it a reality.
 
Some of these musicians’ stories have been made into documentaries, such as “Nocturne,” directed by Jeong Gwan-jo. Jeong followed Eun Sung-ho and his family for a decade to produce the film, which won an award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2020.
 
Eun, now 38, was diagnosed with autism when he turned 3. He’s been playing the piano since he was 9, and the clarinet since he was 22.
 

Dream with Ensemble performs at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
“As a mother, I have my regrets, like not being able to be there for my other son, while Sung-ho pursued his musical career,” said Son Hye-sook, Eun’s mother, speaking with the Korea JoongAng Daily after the concert. “But you see, as a mother, you cannot but help think what would happen to Sung-ho after I am no longer living. How will he make a living? So every day, we do what we can for that day, to help Sung-ho find a career doing something he loves.”
 
Son still vividly remembers the first time Eun performed before an audience, on April 26, 2005.
 
“I hadn’t seen his face shine like that before,” Son said. “Sung-ho’s condition means he rarely notices what’s going on beside him if he is focused. So he wasn’t aware that there were cameras around him when he was playing the music. But his facial expression caught on the camera said everything — he was so happy when he was playing music.”

The audience at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 gives a standing ovation at the conclusion of the concert. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, who attended the concert on Friday as one of its hosts, also emphasized the unique abilities of the musicians with developmental disabilities.
 
“Sometimes we misunderstand [and think] that they need other people’s help,” Chey said in his opening address. “But, in fact, they’re the ones helping many others through their music, bringing that positive vibe and energy to everyone.”
 

From left, Greek Ambassador to Korea Ekaterini Loupas, Chilean Ambassador to Korea Mathias Francke and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, engage in a discussion during an intermission at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
SK Innovation, together with the Heart to Heart Foundation, has been sponsoring the Great Music Festival since 2017, which has since been joined by 161 teams and 1,785 artists.

 
“I am very happy to know that there are healthy companies in this country with a very high social responsibility for everyone, including the older generation and people with disabilities,” said Daul Matute-Mejia, ambassador of Peru to Korea, in offering his closing remarks at the concert.
 

Clockwise from left, Korea JoongAng Daily CEO Cheong Chul-gun, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Heart to Heart Foundation President and CEO Oh Jee-chul engage in a conversation during an intermission at the Great Music Festival Charity Night Gala 2022 in Busan on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

After the concert, the diplomats representing countries from Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East gathered at a dockyard located in the Jagalchi Market on Saturday morning. Except for one, all were from member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), meaning they have the right to vote for the host of the 2030 World Expo.
 
This year’s Charity Night Gala was held in Busan to help its bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
 
Recalling the history of Busan, especially how it was able to rise from ashes the of the 1950-53 Korean War to become one of the busiest container ports in the world, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon emphasized Busan’s readiness to host the event.
 
“Busan wants to be the arena for discourse on issues that are [impacting] all of humanity, such as climate change, as well all the disparities and inequalities,” Park said in addressing the audience at the gala on Friday. “[The city] is fully ready to make the World Expo resonate the most with the whole of humanity.”
 
SK Chairman Chey, who co-chairs the 2030 Busan Expo Bid Committee, also said a few words on the bid.
 
“One more thing I have to mention is that as SK Chairman I am also co-chair of the 2030 Busan Expo Bid Committee. That is my message, you know what [I mean],” Chey said during the Gala night as the audience laughed.
 

 
Inside a 379-ton vessel sailing off the glittering sea of Busan, Cho You-jang, director-general of the 2030 Busan World Expo Promotion Headquarters at the city, delivered a presentation explaining the meaning, history, value of the World Expo, and the capacity of the maritime city as the venue to host the 2030 fair under the theme of “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.”
 

Members of the diplomatic corps representing some 40 countries pose at the sea next to the Jagalchi Seafood Market in Busan on Saturday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
“In order to solve global challenges such as the digital divide and the climate crisis, a holistic consensus from the international community is needed, and we believe that the Republic of Korea can do this well,” Cho said.
 
“Korea is the only country that has achieved industrialization and democratization simultaneously and has experienced every stage of economic development, thus can act as a bridge between the developing and developed countries,” Cho said. “And the city of Busan is also a symbolic city that led Korea’s great transformation during the [1950-53] Korean War — embracing one million refugees fleeing from across the country and exuding inclusiveness and openness. Busan has also been the backbone of Korea’s economic growth, from the light industry to the automobile industry, and nurtured Korea’s largest conglomerates such as Samsung and LG.”
 
“The narrative behind Busan’s bid for Expo 2030 is very appealing for developing countries like Chile,” said Mathias Francke, ambassador of Chile to Korea.
 
“I think Busan has a very high potential [to host the 2030 World Expo], with the city being next to the sea, having so much vibrancy, very modern, and very safe,” said Gabriela Blanco de Matute, wife of the ambassador of Peru to Korea. With Korea being the South American country’s third largest commercial partner, Peru made an endorsement for the Busan World Expo through an official diplomatic document on Aug. 12.
 
“The Korean government is working hard to win the votes from other countries — I have been in Busan for the expo four times in the last three months,” Matute said. “It is very interesting to see how much investment [the government is putting toward it] and how the private sector like SK and even the newspaper is putting in a lot of effort to host the expo in Korea.”
 
Following the 90-minute cruise tour, diplomats spent about an hour navigating the narrow paths of Korea’s largest fishing market, Jagalchi.

Daul Matute-Mejia, ambassador of Peru to Korea, and his wife Gabriela Blanco de Matute, speak with a local merchant at the Jagalchi Seafood Market in Busan on Saturday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
Many were in awe, seeing that the vendors running the rickety stalls selling live fish and other seafood were all ajumma, or middle-aged women. Nicknamed the “Jagalchi ajime,” or the Busan dialect for ajumma, the diligent and strong grannies of the fish market are a revered symbol of the wartime capital-turned-rich city, as per the explanation of Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon.
 
Less than a month after the tragic Itaewon Halloween crowd crush, security was strengthened for the entire program. Twenty-two policemen from Busan, including plainclothes officers, followed the groups of diplomats and ambassadors during the fish market tour, while cops patrolled the hotel during their stay.
 
Departing from Busan Station, the KTX 038 bullet train transporting the attendees arrived at Seoul Station at 4:53 p.m. Saturday. Stationed next to the train was another train covered with pictograms of landmarks of Busan with the words: “World EXPO 2030, BUSAN, KOREA.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG,SEO JI-EUN [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]

He said Labor’s election pledge to pour $34 million into live music venues over the next four years would also help deliver sell-out crowds for gigs.

But business groups have called for a more ambitious plan to boost daytime use of the CBD and encourage more tourists and international students to return to Victoria.

Three-day office push

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said Melbourne was having little problem getting people into bars and theatres in the evenings and on weekends, but daytime trade left a lot to be desired.

He wants public and private-sector employees to come into the office three days a week and says the return-to-the-office push “needs to come from every leader, whether they’d be public sector or private sector”.

“If they’re coming back in for three days a week across the board, it’s going to make a meaningful difference to how the CBD feels, and therefore the viability of some of the businesses that rely on it,” Mr Guerra told The Australian Financial Review.

Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, backed Mr Guerra’s proposal and said state governments should be leading by example.

“With the office occupancy rate in Melbourne’s CBD still the lowest among state and territory capitals, state and local governments need to be pulling out all the stops to encourage tourists and workers to return,” he said.

The Victorian head of employer association Ai Group, Tim Piper, said it was incumbent on the City of Melbourne and the Victorian government to “get people back into the offices” and using the city’s services as quickly as possible.

Mr Piper said creating a vibrant CBD during the day was essential to attracting tourists and international students to the city, which in turn would boost the whole Victorian economy.

“The state government needs to work jointly with property owners, with the City of Melbourne and with businesses to make sure that there’s a long-term revitalisation package,” he said.

City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said empty storefronts were still an issue for the city, with vacancy rates well above the pre-pandemic level of 5 per cent and hovering around 17 per cent.

But she said foot traffic was rising and major events were attracting large crowds.

“We’ve used our events as a major strategy for bringing people back after COVID,” Ms Capp said.

“We know that we were told to stay at home for two years, and in bringing people back, there’s no mandate to come back, so we’ve really got to go out of our way to attract people back.”

Recent highlights for the City of Melbourne include 100,000 people visiting the city for The Antipodes Festival in October, 90,000 attending the MCG for the T20 cricket match between India and Pakistan that same month, and a sold-out 100,024 attendance at September’s AFL Grand Final, which marked the biggest crowd since 1986.

More broadly, night-time pedestrian activity was at 130 per cent of pre-COVID levels in Southbank between July and October 2022, while foot traffic near Town Hall was at 87.9 per cent of pre-COVID levels from Monday, November 7 to Friday, November 11.

For a few years there, that persistence paid off: The Arsenio appearance was followed a few weeks later by the band’s SNL debut. In May 1989—a full year after its release—Vivid peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, en route to double-platinum sales, and that summer, Living Colour’s old pal Mick invited them to open for the Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels stadium tour. But even as they were being welcomed into the rock establishment, Living Colour were once again thrust into a position where their mettle was put to the test. Their co-openers for a handful of Stones dates were Guns N’ Roses, then embroiled in controversy surrounding their song “One in a Million” and its use of racist and homophobic epithets. During a pre-show radio interview, Reid and Calhoun expressed their discomfort with the song, leading to a backstage standoff with the GNR crew and a crudely defensive “I’m not a racist, but…” retort from Axl Rose onstage. At the following night’s show, Reid decisively shut down any further debate on the matter: “Look, if you don’t have a problem with gay people, then don’t call them ‘f*****s. If you don’t have a problem with Black people, then don’t call them ‘n******s.’ I never met a n*****r in my life. Peace.”

In the wake of the GNR showdown, Living Colour seemed to actively recede from the world of mainstream hard rock, perhaps to avoid a situation where they’d ever have to share a stage with someone like Axl Rose ever again. Vivid’s 1990 follow-up, Time’s Up, was a more confrontational collision of Bad Brains-schooled hardcore, doomsday metal, and sacred-cow slaughters that helped land Living Colour a slot among like-minded misfits on the inaugural Lollapalooza tour the next summer. But before long, alt-rock’s shift away from polyrhythmic punk-funk to the more monolithic sound of grunge cast Living Colour to the margins once again. Following 1993’s grimly intense, lukewarmly received Stain, the band split up (at least until 2003’s reunion effort Collideøscope ushered in an ongoing, if highly sporadic, second act). 

Given that Living Colour made their greatest commercial and cultural impact with their first album, it’s tempting to confine their story to the turn of the ’90s. And the relatively brief timespan of their groundbreaking first run might explain why this band has yet to be properly canonized by rock’s remaining gatekeepers: The fact Reid was nowhere to be found on the 100 greatest guitarists lists published by Guitar World and Rolling Stone feels like an especially egregious injustice; ditto for Glover on the latter’s greatest singers list. You won’t find Vivid on any best debut albums lists from rock-centric publications of note. And an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—for which Living Colour have been eligible since 2013—seems less likely with each passing year.

But the legacy of Vivid has a very long tail, extending from Rage Against the Machine and Sevendust to Ben Harper and Gary Clark Jr. to TV on the Radio and Bartees Strange to Brittany Howard and Black Pumas to WILLOW and Soul-Glo. Not all of these artists are necessarily direct sonic descendants of Living Colour, but they’ve all flowed through the cracks in the industry barriers that Vivid breached, and, in their own unique ways, have each inherited the mission of reclaiming Black creators’ frontline position at rock’s vanguard, both under- and above-ground. Just last month, a DIY Black artist with the No. 1 single in America could be seen rocking a guitar on SNL while dressed as a Dead Kennedy—and in moments like these, the way to the America that Living Colour and the BRC envisioned back in the mid-’80s seems a little more clear. 

Additional research by Deirdre McCabe Nolan

Lollapalooza was rocked by J-hope, Jin brought people to their knees with his single The Astronaut during a Coldplay show in Argentina, and next up is Jungkook’s performance this weekend during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Opening Ceremony, as BTS’ members each ramp up their solo endeavors.

Billions of people already tuning in for the global soccer competition — which kicks off November 20 at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, Qatar — will also be watching as the youngest member of the biggest music group in the world takes the stage during the opening ceremony. Jungkook’s performance also comes two months after BTS released a new version of the group’s poignant song Still to ComeThe music video for the new version features soccer fans watching from around the globe.

How to catch Jungkook at World Cup

Jungkook is a fantastic singer (his high notes in BTS’ iconic song On never fail to elicit chills in this novice fan) and when you pair his talent with the fact that he’ll be performing with hundreds of backup dancers, his performance promises to make this a can’t-miss opening ceremony.

In my opinion, jungkook should win this world cup

— s (@yoongienthusias) November 13, 2022

We should also take a moment to appreciate Jungkook, 25, being the first Korean performer at the World Cup. This is just one reminder that BTS and its members are undoubtedly the most prominent music artists on the planet at the moment.

The important question is: How can I watch Jungkook at the World Cup?

Two options are available for Americans: The opening ceremony and the games can be viewed in English on Fox Sports channel FS1 at 09:00. ET. For a Spanish-language version, Peacock will carry Telemundo’s feed.

This is my observation. Jungkook could be the only performer at this World Cup, and that would be sufficient. His talent and popularity are creating excitement and buzz! 5 Billion people will soon experience the performance of their lives🔥🔥🔥

— 𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀∞⁷ ♡👩‍🚀 (@_RapperJK) November 17, 2022

BTS fans — still heartbroken over the group’s pause on collective activities, so that the members can each fulfill the terms of their obligatory Korean military enlistment — have been especially keen to see what Jungkook will perform, since many of the details surrounding his performance have been kept a little close to the vest.

The group has had many members do other things for years than the group’s auspices, such as contributing to K-drama soundtrack albums. Now, though, all of those solo endeavors (including Namjoon’s upcoming solo album Indigo) are taking on outsized importance, since the group won’t return until the members have all finished their military service sometime in 2025.

World Cup schedule

The 64 matches will begin on November 20th at 11:15 a.m. with an Ecuador-Qatar face-off. ET.

Team USA will go up against Wales on November 21 at 2 pm ET, while the rest of Team USA’s first games are as follows:

• Game 2England vs. USA Friday, November 25th at 2 p.m. ET
• Game 3USA vs Iran, Tuesday 29th November at 2 p.m. ET

Click hereFor a complete schedule of games and times, visit the FIFA website.

Christine McVie appeared as a vocalist, keyboard player, and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac. In the 1990s, she left the group, citing her fear of flying. Still, McVie said that the group worked because the artists complimented one another — especially when they wrote original songs.

Christine McVie left Fleetwood Mac due to a fear of flying

In 1998, after nearly 30 years of playing piano for Fleetwood Mac, McVie left the band. She said the reason was a fear of flying she developed, which inhibited her from traveling with the other musicians. 

The booking of former Generations actor Mangaliso Ngema as the programme director for Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition event in Joburg three weeks ago has caused a rift in the organisation.

Some board members accusing the music body of spitting in the face of gender-based violence victims after Ngema, who was arrested and released on R500 bail of allegedly raping his relative, was booked to be the master of ceremony at the organisation’s event at the Joburg Theatre on October 27.

The shindig was graced by among others, legendary maskandi artist Ihashi Elimhlophe,  jazz artist Thami Mdluli and musician Mthandazo Gatya.

Ngema was fired from SABC 2 popular drama series Lithapo after his female colleague, Lorraine Moropa, accused him of sexual harassment, and his hiring has left a bitter taste in the mouths of some Moshito board members.

Ngema said Moshito should not be victimised for booking him to MC the event. “False accusations are levelled against me, and I must not feed my children, my family? It’s unfair. I don’t think Moshito should be taken to task over this matter . Somebody else was meant to be the MC and suddenly he fell sick and I was available, they might have forgotten about the implications of this but I don’t think they  must be taken to task by the haters for this, “ he said.

Speaking to Sunday World on condition of anonymity, a board member said they expected their board member Mandla Maseko to MC the event but to their shock and chagrin, Ngema ascended the stage and directed the programme.

“We could believe eyes. We were shocked but could not anything at there because we respected the event’s decorum. But to be honest with you it was like being treated to unedifying spectacle,” said the board member.

A music executive, who also did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, confirmed that another board member approached him and berated the board over Ngema’s booking.

“She was rattled by the whole thing . Her feeling is that although Mangaliso has not been found guilty by the court of law, his booking to be an MC at such a big event was akin to paying a lip service to gender-based violence, which is a serious issue in our country.  I think the board has scored an own goal and Mangaliso’s booking is likely to upset its main sponsors,” said the executive.

Moshito spokesperson Nongelo Chiume confirmed they hired Ngema to MC the event after they were, at the eleventh hour,  let down by a programme director who did not pitch up after they had hired him. She also defended the actor and said it was premature to judge him because he has not been found guilty by a court of a law.

“ We are aware of the alleged matter that he stands accused of rape but has not been found guilty by a court of law yet.

As indicated, we are aware that the matter is ongoing before the courts. As media kindly note that Section 35 (c) of our constitution says you are presumed innocent until proven guilty or found guilty by a court of law. This is a right enshrined as a right Mr Ngema has as per our our constitution of the republic of South Africa.  As Moshito is not our job to violate that right,” she said in a written response.

Chiume also said they were not aware of reservations expressed by some board members over Ngema’s booking as they had not raised it formally at their meeting.

“We are not aware of any meeting where the board expressed concerns yet as per the claim on this matter or in any other moshito platform as you claim formally. So, this can’t be true.

Moshito board members knows (sic) how to raise matters at Moshito I doubt they will come to you and abandoned the official process in place,” she said.

She further said although they cared about gender based violence , the organisation didn’t regret acquiring services of the controversial thespian and  did not rule out the possibility of hiring him again in the future.

“No, we don’t regret the decision. He stepped in when we needed an MC and for that we thankful, even though it was short notice to him. We can’t talk about what will happen in the future and what might not happen. Mr Ngema is a seasoned professional and creative who has worked with Moshito for years and in other industry platforms as well. We wish that the courts conclude on his matters,”  she said.

NPA South Gauteng Spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Ngema will appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on December 5 for representations.

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Ngwako Malatji