Singha Light with O&P Worldwide join hands once again after the success from ‘EditionBangkok 2009,’ Asia’s first electronic music festival that pulled a crowd of 3,000 people from around for another massive event. Voted as the World’s #1 DJ eight consecutive times, Tiësto, the spin master behind classic dance anthems, ‘Silence,’ and ‘Traffic,’ returns to Bangkok with his latest album, ‘Kaleidoscope,’ on Friday 19th February 2010 at Zen, CentralWorld.
Born in Breda, North Bradant, Netherlands, Tiësto kick started his career in 1995, his ear-catching and unique productions led him to form ‘Black Hole Recordings,’ with Arny Bink, the record label which launched many of his critically albums from ‘In Search of Sunrise,’ to the ‘Elements of Life.’
In 2009, Tiësto released ‘I Will Be Here,’ with vocals by Sneaky Sound Systems from his fourth album ‘Kaleidoscope.’ On November 21st, 2009, the single reached the number 1 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay in the United States.
Tiesto released his third single from the album which features the voice of none other than Nelly Furtado; the music video of ‘Who Wants to Be Alone,’ was directed by Alan Ferguson.
Tiesto ‘Kaleidoscope,’ World Tour 2010 is set on Friday, February 19th 2010 at Zen, CentralWorld. Entry ticket is priced at THB1,490. Tickets available at Zen, CentralWorld, Grand Millennium, Sukhumvit, and online via www.opworldwide.com
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Sound of Jazz Sensation, “KOH Mr. Saxman” Live Concert at Glen Bar
Pullman Bangkok King Power will bring Mr Koh Saxman live concert at Glen Bar; do not miss! the best inspirations of one of the most talented Jazz musicians: Koh Mr. Saxman will play live for the release of its new album “Happy Moment” On Friday 12th February @ 10.30 pm until midnight. Free entrance!!!
Glen Bar opens everyday
Open: 8.00 am to 2.00 am
About KOH
Koh Mr. Saxman, or Sakepol Oonsamran as he is also known, is widely regarded as Thailand’s foremost jazz musician; a top saxophonist who has done much to popularize the jazz genre in the country. A naturally gifted musician, as a youngster Koh Mr. Saxman studied the flute before moving on to the sax and has played it professionally since he was just 15 years old.
In 2002, he released his first album under the name of Mr. Saxman. The moniker stuck and the album not only established his reputation as a major musical force in Thailand but also gained him recognition on the international jazz scene.
Koh Mr. Saxman is the recipient of numerous awards and has worked with Thailand’s top acts, including the Infinity Band and Boy Thai. He has also been invited to perform his inspirational sax solos alongside Thai artists and superstars such as Bird Thongchai, Jennifer Kim and Asanee Lae Wasan.
Glen Bar opens everyday
Open: 8.00 am to 2.00 am
About KOH
Koh Mr. Saxman, or Sakepol Oonsamran as he is also known, is widely regarded as Thailand’s foremost jazz musician; a top saxophonist who has done much to popularize the jazz genre in the country. A naturally gifted musician, as a youngster Koh Mr. Saxman studied the flute before moving on to the sax and has played it professionally since he was just 15 years old.
In 2002, he released his first album under the name of Mr. Saxman. The moniker stuck and the album not only established his reputation as a major musical force in Thailand but also gained him recognition on the international jazz scene.
Koh Mr. Saxman is the recipient of numerous awards and has worked with Thailand’s top acts, including the Infinity Band and Boy Thai. He has also been invited to perform his inspirational sax solos alongside Thai artists and superstars such as Bird Thongchai, Jennifer Kim and Asanee Lae Wasan.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Memorable Nights of Red Hot Jazz at The Living Room
Renowned as Bangkok's premier jazz venue, The Living Room at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection hotel, has a sparkling line-up of world-class international musicians to guarantee a swinging start to 2010.
One of the jazz highlights of 2010 is the formation of triolive! Veteran jazz drummer, Shawn Kelley teams up with fellow musicians, red hot pianist Randy Cannon and bassist, Therdsak Wongvichien. The veteran musicians will take to the stage from Tuesday to Saturday from 18.15 - 23.15 hours and Sunday Jazzy Brunch from 12.00 - 14.45 hours.
Jazz legend, Alice Day enchants listeners with her outstanding vocal artistry from January 13 to 31. During her anticipated residency Alice will be accompanied by triolive!
Randy Cannon, once described by the renowned jazz critic, Leonard Feather as "a pianist of formidable gifts, with rich dynamic variety and rhythmic sensitivity” teams up with brother, Steve Cannon, a gifted trumpeter. Enjoy memorable nights with the Cannon Brothers every Friday and Saturday only until the end of February from 21.30 - 00.15 hours.
One of the jazz highlights of 2010 is the formation of triolive! Veteran jazz drummer, Shawn Kelley teams up with fellow musicians, red hot pianist Randy Cannon and bassist, Therdsak Wongvichien. The veteran musicians will take to the stage from Tuesday to Saturday from 18.15 - 23.15 hours and Sunday Jazzy Brunch from 12.00 - 14.45 hours.
Jazz legend, Alice Day enchants listeners with her outstanding vocal artistry from January 13 to 31. During her anticipated residency Alice will be accompanied by triolive!
Randy Cannon, once described by the renowned jazz critic, Leonard Feather as "a pianist of formidable gifts, with rich dynamic variety and rhythmic sensitivity” teams up with brother, Steve Cannon, a gifted trumpeter. Enjoy memorable nights with the Cannon Brothers every Friday and Saturday only until the end of February from 21.30 - 00.15 hours.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Scratch Fever - DJ Seismic Shift at BarSu
Catch scratch fever with DJ Shifty as he swings into town to rock the BarSu crowd with his turntable magic on Saturday January, 23rd 2010.
A star of the European club scene, DJ Seismic Shift, aka Shifty will thrill the crowd with his stunning scratch techniques and unique mix of R & B fused with Soul, House, Rock, Reggaeton and Latin sounds.
The gifted young German DJ was the winner of the Coke DJ Culture Mix Tape Competition in 2008 and keeps the dance floor packed at all times. His ear for music, eye for the crowd and technical finesse on the decks has created a signature style that makes him a memorable addition to any DJ lineup.
DJ Shifty was discovered by DJ Cem S.K., one of the most renowned DJs on the German R&B scene. Together they founded the Black Steps Crew and have supported many international tours including 112, Masta Ace, EMC, Lil Eddie and DJ Pro Zeiko Shifty has also made radio guest appearances on Berlin's premier radio station, Big FM.
As well as being a dynamite club DJ, Shifty uses his breathtaking scratching techniques to help refine records for artists from around the world. In 2009, he performed to packed clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Now he’s here in Bangkok! Catch scratch fever with DJ Shifty’s dynamite and exclusive one night only performance at BarSu!
BarSu is renowned for its top DJs, funky music, fine wines, cocktails and cutting-edge cuisine. With its eatplaydance concept, the innovative and visually dramatic club has an established reputation as the coolest night venue in the city.
BarSu is located at 250 Sukhumvit Road on the ground floor of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in the heart of Bangkok’s lively downtown district. Just metres from the Asoke Skytrain station with a walkway leading straight into the hotel lobby, BarSu is a breeze to get to.
A star of the European club scene, DJ Seismic Shift, aka Shifty will thrill the crowd with his stunning scratch techniques and unique mix of R & B fused with Soul, House, Rock, Reggaeton and Latin sounds.
The gifted young German DJ was the winner of the Coke DJ Culture Mix Tape Competition in 2008 and keeps the dance floor packed at all times. His ear for music, eye for the crowd and technical finesse on the decks has created a signature style that makes him a memorable addition to any DJ lineup.
DJ Shifty was discovered by DJ Cem S.K., one of the most renowned DJs on the German R&B scene. Together they founded the Black Steps Crew and have supported many international tours including 112, Masta Ace, EMC, Lil Eddie and DJ Pro Zeiko Shifty has also made radio guest appearances on Berlin's premier radio station, Big FM.
As well as being a dynamite club DJ, Shifty uses his breathtaking scratching techniques to help refine records for artists from around the world. In 2009, he performed to packed clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Now he’s here in Bangkok! Catch scratch fever with DJ Shifty’s dynamite and exclusive one night only performance at BarSu!
BarSu is renowned for its top DJs, funky music, fine wines, cocktails and cutting-edge cuisine. With its eatplaydance concept, the innovative and visually dramatic club has an established reputation as the coolest night venue in the city.
BarSu is located at 250 Sukhumvit Road on the ground floor of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in the heart of Bangkok’s lively downtown district. Just metres from the Asoke Skytrain station with a walkway leading straight into the hotel lobby, BarSu is a breeze to get to.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Concert Announcement: Poom's Piano Recital
Poom Prommachart is rapidly building a reputation as an outstanding performer and an artist of rare expressive depth. A student of Prof. Ian Jones at the Royal College of Music (RCM), he recently won the 1st Prize (The Kindersley Prize) and the Audience Prize donated by Leopold de Rothschild at the UK's Conservatories, Sheepdrove Piano Competition, featuring some of the brightest talents from all major UK conservatoires. Other recent successes include the 1st Prize in the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist of the Year Competition, youngest finalist in the RCM Concerto Competition, The Henry Wood Trust Award, the Esther Fisher Prize for best undergraduate (RCM) and the 2nd Prizes at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Budapest (where he was also awarded a special prize for the best performance of a work by Liszt), Moray Piano Competition, Scotland and Top-Prize, the Joan Chisell Schumann Award (RCM).
Poom gave his first solo recital when he was 14 and has since given regular recitals and concerto performances throughout Thailand, Singapore, Japan, UK, France, Switzerland, Hungary and Greece. Most recently, Poom performed Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra to great acclaim. Forthcoming engagements in 2010 include many recitals in Europe and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra at St. John’s Smith Square, London, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Thai Youth Orchestra, Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Newbury Symphony Orchestra, and Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 with North London Philharmonic Orchestra and Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Poom studied with Thailand’s foremost piano teacher, Peerapong Surawan, and then with Rena Phua and Boris Kraljevic at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. As a young student he won many awards and, at the age of 15, attained the FTCL Diploma from Trinity College. In 2007, he was awarded a full scholarship by H.R.H. Princess Galyani Vadhana and the Royal College of Music to continue his studies in London. Poom was also the last student of Yonty Solomon who described him as "A truly magnificent pianist POOM PROMMACHART ''.
Program
Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata BWV 208 J.S.Bach – Le Fleming
Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2 No. 2 Beethoven
Apres une Lecture de Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata Liszt
- Intermission -
Moments Musicaux No. 3 & 4, Op. 16 Rachmaninoff
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 Schumann
On Sunday, 20th December 2009, 7.00 p.m.
At Small Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre
Tickets: Baht 500 / 300 and 200 บาท (Students only) Available at Peerapong Music School
Poom gave his first solo recital when he was 14 and has since given regular recitals and concerto performances throughout Thailand, Singapore, Japan, UK, France, Switzerland, Hungary and Greece. Most recently, Poom performed Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra to great acclaim. Forthcoming engagements in 2010 include many recitals in Europe and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra at St. John’s Smith Square, London, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Thai Youth Orchestra, Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Newbury Symphony Orchestra, and Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 with North London Philharmonic Orchestra and Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Poom studied with Thailand’s foremost piano teacher, Peerapong Surawan, and then with Rena Phua and Boris Kraljevic at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. As a young student he won many awards and, at the age of 15, attained the FTCL Diploma from Trinity College. In 2007, he was awarded a full scholarship by H.R.H. Princess Galyani Vadhana and the Royal College of Music to continue his studies in London. Poom was also the last student of Yonty Solomon who described him as "A truly magnificent pianist POOM PROMMACHART ''.
Program
Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata BWV 208 J.S.Bach – Le Fleming
Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2 No. 2 Beethoven
Apres une Lecture de Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata Liszt
- Intermission -
Moments Musicaux No. 3 & 4, Op. 16 Rachmaninoff
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 Schumann
On Sunday, 20th December 2009, 7.00 p.m.
At Small Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre
Tickets: Baht 500 / 300 and 200 บาท (Students only) Available at Peerapong Music School
Saturday, November 21, 2009
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL, SHANGRI-LA AND ZHANG ZIYI INVITE VIEWERS ON AN INCREDIBLE ECO-ADVENTURE
A Personal Journey of Exploration to Wild Places with International Movie Star Zhang Ziyi
How do people develop their cities while honouring their history and preserving the natural environment? Can those with an ancient connection to the land nurture their distinct art, music and culture in the modern world?
Premiering on National Geographic Channel at 10pm on Saturday, 14 November 2009 in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series begins an exciting travel series in which the Beijing-born International movie star takes us on a personal journey of discovery with the help of local guides and famous friends such as globally acclaimed photographer Yu Tsai.
Originally created by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series is a local National Geographic co-production with the hotel group to unveil the exceptional landscape of Oman and Inner Mongolia, and to show us the determination of local people to nurture their heritage, culture, history, music art, and preserve Mother Nature. The new travel series continues Ziyi’s longstanding association with the world’s leading Asia-based hotel group. As global brand ambassador, she helps Shangri-La communicate the importance of preserving nature and cultural heritage.
“National Geographic Channel and Shangri-La share a commitment to showcasing and preserving the natural beauty of the world. This unique documentary series is a result of this joint aim,” says Choylin Mok, Supervising Producer, National Geographic Channel Asia. “In these documentaries, Ziyi is more of a central character than a traditional host by opening her heart as she takes us from glittering metropolises to the very edge of the world.”
In episode one, we journey with Ziyi to watch endangered turtles hatch on a beach in Oman and see her dance with Bedouin warrior-musicians. In a highlight of episode two, she stars in a stunning high-fashion photo shoot on the wild steppes of Inner Mongolia, and follows a herd of wild horses at dawn. Through it all, we are entranced by Ziyi’s ability to embrace the cultures she encounters and make real connections with the people she meets.
“Thanks to Shangri La that provided tremendous support on this National Geographic Channel project as part of their contribution to protect the environment, nature and wild life, I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to visit Oman and learn about how local people protect sea turtles and dolphins as part of their lives. Through this project, I fully appreciate how much nature gives us, which is why it is so important we give it back our care,” said Zhang Ziyi, Global Ambassador of Shangri-La.
“This opportunity for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to create a series with Zhang Ziyi on issues that will determine the fate of the earth and its people is a precious one. Partnering with National Geographic Channel is undoubtedly the best way to bring this awareness to the public. We are delighted to contribute to environmental awareness and conservation that makes people sit up and think about what they can do to care for the planet. These issues remain at the heart of Shangri-La’s social agenda,” said Madhu Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Filmed in high-definition, Zhang Ziyi’s Travel Series presents a variety of visuals and stills of art and historical images of the most stunning natural landscape in Ziyi’s unique perspective.
Episodes include:
Episode 1: Zhang Ziyi’s Oman
In Zhang Ziyi’s Oman, Zhang Ziyi explores themes of heritage and conservation. Landing in Muscat, the capital of this Arabian nation, Ziyi meets local guide- Hafidh and visits the city’s old Souq, or marketplace, to learn about its social and economic functions. Oman is an Islamic nation, and local guide Khalfan Al-Esry hosts a tour of the impressively modern Grand Mosque. The sultanate’s coastline and natural history is also featured, as Ziyi joins Mohammed, resident turtle ranger from Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on the water, where they encounter hundreds of dolphins, and on the beach, where they watch baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the sea. She also meets the Sultan’s niece, Her Highness Sayyedha Tania Al-Said, who explains other conservation efforts underway in Oman. Finally, Ziyi ventures into the stunning Wahibi sands for an encounter with the nomadic Bedouin, where she learns about life in the desert, rides a camel on the dunes, and dances to the music the musicians perform for her.
Episode 2: Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia
Award-winning Chinese actress and global celebrity Zhang Ziyi explores the frontiers of high fashion on the steppes of Inner Mongolia with internationally renowned photographer Yu Tsai in Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia.
We preview the ensemble design of emerging couturier Jason Wu, famous for the Inaugural Ball gown worn by the U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama; and fashion-forward Gucci, D&G, Hermes, Dries van Noten, Helmut Lang, Armani, Prada and Marc Jacobs – accented with an eclectic mix of indigenous accessories, against the stunning backdrop of Inner Mongolia’s rolling plains.
We watch as Ziyi, Yu Tsai and his team search for the perfect locations, lighting, and pose for this high-fashion shoot. Together, they explore the grasslands, battle the elements, and learn about local customs and traditions. Filmed in high-definition and presented with a sound track of powerful and emotive local music, Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia combines fashion, photography, travel and culture, with one of China’s most beautiful and charismatic stars at its centre.
About National Geographic Channels International
National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to re-think the way they see television - and the world - with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television (NGT) and FOX Entertainment Group, NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education through its six channels: National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Wild HD, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music.
Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S. which is a joint venture of NGT and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in 305 million homes in 165 countries and 34 languages. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com
About Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.
How do people develop their cities while honouring their history and preserving the natural environment? Can those with an ancient connection to the land nurture their distinct art, music and culture in the modern world?
Premiering on National Geographic Channel at 10pm on Saturday, 14 November 2009 in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series begins an exciting travel series in which the Beijing-born International movie star takes us on a personal journey of discovery with the help of local guides and famous friends such as globally acclaimed photographer Yu Tsai.
Originally created by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series is a local National Geographic co-production with the hotel group to unveil the exceptional landscape of Oman and Inner Mongolia, and to show us the determination of local people to nurture their heritage, culture, history, music art, and preserve Mother Nature. The new travel series continues Ziyi’s longstanding association with the world’s leading Asia-based hotel group. As global brand ambassador, she helps Shangri-La communicate the importance of preserving nature and cultural heritage.
“National Geographic Channel and Shangri-La share a commitment to showcasing and preserving the natural beauty of the world. This unique documentary series is a result of this joint aim,” says Choylin Mok, Supervising Producer, National Geographic Channel Asia. “In these documentaries, Ziyi is more of a central character than a traditional host by opening her heart as she takes us from glittering metropolises to the very edge of the world.”
In episode one, we journey with Ziyi to watch endangered turtles hatch on a beach in Oman and see her dance with Bedouin warrior-musicians. In a highlight of episode two, she stars in a stunning high-fashion photo shoot on the wild steppes of Inner Mongolia, and follows a herd of wild horses at dawn. Through it all, we are entranced by Ziyi’s ability to embrace the cultures she encounters and make real connections with the people she meets.
“Thanks to Shangri La that provided tremendous support on this National Geographic Channel project as part of their contribution to protect the environment, nature and wild life, I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to visit Oman and learn about how local people protect sea turtles and dolphins as part of their lives. Through this project, I fully appreciate how much nature gives us, which is why it is so important we give it back our care,” said Zhang Ziyi, Global Ambassador of Shangri-La.
“This opportunity for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to create a series with Zhang Ziyi on issues that will determine the fate of the earth and its people is a precious one. Partnering with National Geographic Channel is undoubtedly the best way to bring this awareness to the public. We are delighted to contribute to environmental awareness and conservation that makes people sit up and think about what they can do to care for the planet. These issues remain at the heart of Shangri-La’s social agenda,” said Madhu Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Filmed in high-definition, Zhang Ziyi’s Travel Series presents a variety of visuals and stills of art and historical images of the most stunning natural landscape in Ziyi’s unique perspective.
Episodes include:
Episode 1: Zhang Ziyi’s Oman
In Zhang Ziyi’s Oman, Zhang Ziyi explores themes of heritage and conservation. Landing in Muscat, the capital of this Arabian nation, Ziyi meets local guide- Hafidh and visits the city’s old Souq, or marketplace, to learn about its social and economic functions. Oman is an Islamic nation, and local guide Khalfan Al-Esry hosts a tour of the impressively modern Grand Mosque. The sultanate’s coastline and natural history is also featured, as Ziyi joins Mohammed, resident turtle ranger from Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on the water, where they encounter hundreds of dolphins, and on the beach, where they watch baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the sea. She also meets the Sultan’s niece, Her Highness Sayyedha Tania Al-Said, who explains other conservation efforts underway in Oman. Finally, Ziyi ventures into the stunning Wahibi sands for an encounter with the nomadic Bedouin, where she learns about life in the desert, rides a camel on the dunes, and dances to the music the musicians perform for her.
Episode 2: Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia
Award-winning Chinese actress and global celebrity Zhang Ziyi explores the frontiers of high fashion on the steppes of Inner Mongolia with internationally renowned photographer Yu Tsai in Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia.
We preview the ensemble design of emerging couturier Jason Wu, famous for the Inaugural Ball gown worn by the U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama; and fashion-forward Gucci, D&G, Hermes, Dries van Noten, Helmut Lang, Armani, Prada and Marc Jacobs – accented with an eclectic mix of indigenous accessories, against the stunning backdrop of Inner Mongolia’s rolling plains.
We watch as Ziyi, Yu Tsai and his team search for the perfect locations, lighting, and pose for this high-fashion shoot. Together, they explore the grasslands, battle the elements, and learn about local customs and traditions. Filmed in high-definition and presented with a sound track of powerful and emotive local music, Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia combines fashion, photography, travel and culture, with one of China’s most beautiful and charismatic stars at its centre.
About National Geographic Channels International
National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to re-think the way they see television - and the world - with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television (NGT) and FOX Entertainment Group, NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education through its six channels: National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Wild HD, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music.
Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S. which is a joint venture of NGT and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in 305 million homes in 165 countries and 34 languages. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com
About Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Black Crowes fly free
The Black Crowes may be "the most unlikely group of career-minded people ever", as singer Chris Robinson puts it, but that hasn't kept the band from outlasting any number of others along the way.
The Georgia-bred group's debut,Shake Your Money Maker (1990), introduced the classic-rock-influenced band with a pair of No. 1 rock singles,She Talks to Angels and a stomping rendition of Otis Redding's Hard to Handle , and logged worldwide sales of more than eight million copies.
It was a heady launch for a career that has since produced seven more studio albums, including the new Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze and a collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, as well as acknowledged feuds between Robinson and his younger brother, guitarist-co-writer Rich Robinson, and even a three-year hiatus.
"You just look at it and think about how lucky we are to still be here, at the level we are," the 42-year-old Robinson says."Far more talented people than us didn't get a chance to make as many records as we did, for whatever reason,so I'm very grateful."
Even declining sales since Shake Your Money Maker and occasional reviews that dismiss the Crowes as outdated "this archaic band", one critic called them- haven't dulled their enthusiasm or sense of purpose.
"I think we're happy with our cult status," Robinson says in the front lounge of the Crowes' tour bus, relaxing before a performance at the Rothbury Festival in western Michigan."I think it would be the silliest thing in the world if we tried to be something that we're not.We'd done a lot of different cycles and we've gone through a lot, and it's always been a hassle, in a way, because we're a real counterculture band. We're against the system on a number of levels, whether it's our liberal politics or the way we approach the music business.
"But you know what? I think it's more fun than it's ever been," the singer says."The pace is better, and it's more fulfilling,too."
His brother echoes that sentiment."I'm more than happy with the way things are," Rich Robinson says."With the newer guys we have [guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall], for the first time in a long time it feels like,'This is our band, this is where we're headed.' It's very positive."
Currently the Black Crowes, who also include founding drummer Steve Gorman and long-time bassist Sven Pipien, record for their own label, Silver Arrow Records. That gives the group a level of independence to pursue any musical course it wants.
"There's an energy we can still have to be creative," Chris Robinson says."Our creative potential is always in what's happening now. I don't know how far this band could go just ... living on what was. Our greatest hits, I mean. You can do it, a lot of bands do it, but that's not how we ever saw ourselves.
"To me it's all about,'What can we do that we haven't done?"'
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze is a greater expression of that creative freedom than even Warpaint (2008), the Crowes'"comeback" album, which was the band's first in seven years and its first for Silver Arrow.
"The thing about Warpaint that made me the most excited is that we definitely dug into our roots vibe in a lot of the songs," Robinson says,"and added more folk and country elements, which has always been a big part. But I think sometimes we would get to the threshold and then we would back off and maybe make something a little more down-themiddle.
"This time we followed our instincts more."
For the new album Robinson wanted to follow those instincts even further.His idea, inspired by the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 concert album, was to record all-new material in front of a live audience.
"You listen to [Europe '72 ] and they play a lot of music that became iconic for them," the singer says."Even He's Gone , that's the first time they ever played it. I was like,'That's balls. We've got balls. We should do that!"'
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place while Robinson was holidaying in Woodstock, New York, with his girlfriend and Ryder, his son with ex-wife Kate Hudson. The three attended a "Midnight Ramble", a community-style jam session hosted by The Band's Levon Helm at his nearby barn-recording studio.
"We went over there and it was so much fun and the music was so great,"Robinson recalls.
"Here you are in Woodstock in a barn that's set up as a studio and a live venue,and it's ... perfect. We had been talking about logistics for [the album]- how do we do it? where do we do it?- and I'm sitting behind the console at Levon's place listening to what they're doing and I was like,'It's right here!"'
"It's independent in its spirit and the vibe of how committed everyone is to the music is important there," he says."The next day we all went over to see Levon."
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze
was recorded during five shows at Helm's barn in February and March.
The Georgia-bred group's debut,Shake Your Money Maker (1990), introduced the classic-rock-influenced band with a pair of No. 1 rock singles,She Talks to Angels and a stomping rendition of Otis Redding's Hard to Handle , and logged worldwide sales of more than eight million copies.
It was a heady launch for a career that has since produced seven more studio albums, including the new Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze and a collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, as well as acknowledged feuds between Robinson and his younger brother, guitarist-co-writer Rich Robinson, and even a three-year hiatus.
"You just look at it and think about how lucky we are to still be here, at the level we are," the 42-year-old Robinson says."Far more talented people than us didn't get a chance to make as many records as we did, for whatever reason,so I'm very grateful."
Even declining sales since Shake Your Money Maker and occasional reviews that dismiss the Crowes as outdated "this archaic band", one critic called them- haven't dulled their enthusiasm or sense of purpose.
"I think we're happy with our cult status," Robinson says in the front lounge of the Crowes' tour bus, relaxing before a performance at the Rothbury Festival in western Michigan."I think it would be the silliest thing in the world if we tried to be something that we're not.We'd done a lot of different cycles and we've gone through a lot, and it's always been a hassle, in a way, because we're a real counterculture band. We're against the system on a number of levels, whether it's our liberal politics or the way we approach the music business.
"But you know what? I think it's more fun than it's ever been," the singer says."The pace is better, and it's more fulfilling,too."
His brother echoes that sentiment."I'm more than happy with the way things are," Rich Robinson says."With the newer guys we have [guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall], for the first time in a long time it feels like,'This is our band, this is where we're headed.' It's very positive."
Currently the Black Crowes, who also include founding drummer Steve Gorman and long-time bassist Sven Pipien, record for their own label, Silver Arrow Records. That gives the group a level of independence to pursue any musical course it wants.
"There's an energy we can still have to be creative," Chris Robinson says."Our creative potential is always in what's happening now. I don't know how far this band could go just ... living on what was. Our greatest hits, I mean. You can do it, a lot of bands do it, but that's not how we ever saw ourselves.
"To me it's all about,'What can we do that we haven't done?"'
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze is a greater expression of that creative freedom than even Warpaint (2008), the Crowes'"comeback" album, which was the band's first in seven years and its first for Silver Arrow.
"The thing about Warpaint that made me the most excited is that we definitely dug into our roots vibe in a lot of the songs," Robinson says,"and added more folk and country elements, which has always been a big part. But I think sometimes we would get to the threshold and then we would back off and maybe make something a little more down-themiddle.
"This time we followed our instincts more."
For the new album Robinson wanted to follow those instincts even further.His idea, inspired by the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 concert album, was to record all-new material in front of a live audience.
"You listen to [Europe '72 ] and they play a lot of music that became iconic for them," the singer says."Even He's Gone , that's the first time they ever played it. I was like,'That's balls. We've got balls. We should do that!"'
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place while Robinson was holidaying in Woodstock, New York, with his girlfriend and Ryder, his son with ex-wife Kate Hudson. The three attended a "Midnight Ramble", a community-style jam session hosted by The Band's Levon Helm at his nearby barn-recording studio.
"We went over there and it was so much fun and the music was so great,"Robinson recalls.
"Here you are in Woodstock in a barn that's set up as a studio and a live venue,and it's ... perfect. We had been talking about logistics for [the album]- how do we do it? where do we do it?- and I'm sitting behind the console at Levon's place listening to what they're doing and I was like,'It's right here!"'
"It's independent in its spirit and the vibe of how committed everyone is to the music is important there," he says."The next day we all went over to see Levon."
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze
was recorded during five shows at Helm's barn in February and March.
Flower extravaganza set to return
The floral extravaganza Ratchaphruek Festival returns to Chiang Mai next month from Dec 1-10 to celebrate the 82nd birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King, the world's longest reigning monarch.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
KARAOKE BUSINESS AND ROYALTY FEE COLLECTING AGENCIES
Since their introduction, karaoke machines have been popular among Thai consumers and part of the restaurant business throughout the country. But karaoke machines cannot operate without musical content, most of which is copyright-protected.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
THE KING OF POP DEFIES RECESSION
Amidthe current economic downturn, one thing apparently can still sell like hot cakes: CDs of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
His movie and CD may generate as much as US$400 million (Bt13.3 billion) in sales worldwide as fans turn out to see and hear the last live performances by the great entertainer.
"Michael Jackson's This Is It" album, featuring one new song, went on sale yesterday. The movie with the same title opens tomorrow in more than 90 countries, including 3,400 theatres in the US, Bloomberg quoted Hollywood.com Box-Office as saying.
More than 1,000 US shows were sold out as of October 22, according to the online ticket vendor Fandango.com. Cinemas in London, Sydney, Bangkok and Tokyo also reported sell-outs, according to Sony, which is releasing the film and the album. In the UK, sales toppoed those of "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" at the Vue Entertainment chain.
"It's a true phenomenon," said Tim Richards, chief executive officer of London-based Vue, whose cinema near the 02 Arena, where Jackson was scheduled to perform a series of comeback concerts, is among those that sold out.
Jackson's work may be prized more after his death than it was in life, said Robert Sillerman, CEO of CKX, the New York-based operator of Graceland, Elvis Presley's Tennessee home, and co-producer of "American Idol".
"In death, people remember the best of somebody," Sillerman said. "Certainly that is turning out to be the case with Elvis and the Beatles. I think it will turn out to be the case in Michael's situation."
Jackson died at age 50 on June 25 in Los Angeles of a drug overdose, three weeks before he was to perform in concerts.
The film may generate $300 million to $400 million in global ticket sales, said Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst for Los Angeles-based researcher Exhibitor Relations. US sales in the first five days may be $55 million to $60 million, said Jeffrey Hartke, an analyst with Los Angeles-based Hollywood Stock Exchange, which forecasts film performance.
The two-disc album, with the new track "This is It", as well as "Billie Jean", "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller", may sell 200,000 to 500,000 copies in the US, according to Silvio Pietroluongo, director of sales charts at Billboard magazine.
His movie and CD may generate as much as US$400 million (Bt13.3 billion) in sales worldwide as fans turn out to see and hear the last live performances by the great entertainer.
"Michael Jackson's This Is It" album, featuring one new song, went on sale yesterday. The movie with the same title opens tomorrow in more than 90 countries, including 3,400 theatres in the US, Bloomberg quoted Hollywood.com Box-Office as saying.
More than 1,000 US shows were sold out as of October 22, according to the online ticket vendor Fandango.com. Cinemas in London, Sydney, Bangkok and Tokyo also reported sell-outs, according to Sony, which is releasing the film and the album. In the UK, sales toppoed those of "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" at the Vue Entertainment chain.
"It's a true phenomenon," said Tim Richards, chief executive officer of London-based Vue, whose cinema near the 02 Arena, where Jackson was scheduled to perform a series of comeback concerts, is among those that sold out.
Jackson's work may be prized more after his death than it was in life, said Robert Sillerman, CEO of CKX, the New York-based operator of Graceland, Elvis Presley's Tennessee home, and co-producer of "American Idol".
"In death, people remember the best of somebody," Sillerman said. "Certainly that is turning out to be the case with Elvis and the Beatles. I think it will turn out to be the case in Michael's situation."
Jackson died at age 50 on June 25 in Los Angeles of a drug overdose, three weeks before he was to perform in concerts.
The film may generate $300 million to $400 million in global ticket sales, said Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst for Los Angeles-based researcher Exhibitor Relations. US sales in the first five days may be $55 million to $60 million, said Jeffrey Hartke, an analyst with Los Angeles-based Hollywood Stock Exchange, which forecasts film performance.
The two-disc album, with the new track "This is It", as well as "Billie Jean", "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller", may sell 200,000 to 500,000 copies in the US, according to Silvio Pietroluongo, director of sales charts at Billboard magazine.
KARAOKE BUSINESS AND ROYALTY FEE COLLECTING AGENCIES
Since their introduction, karaoke machines have been popular among Thai consumers and part of the restaurant business throughout the country. But karaoke machines cannot operate without musical content, most of which is copyright-protected.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Vienna Mozart Trio gala concert
The Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok will host a gala concert,"Haydn Anniversary 2009", to be performed by the Vienna Mozart Trio, on October 21 at the Grand Ballroom of the hotel. The event will feature a 90-minute recital by the internationally acclaimed Auner family, namely Irina (piano), Daniel (violin) and Diethard (Cello). Their repertoire includes works by Haydn, Brahms, Schirk and Schumann. The Vienna Mozart Trio is known around the world and has performed on many prestigious stages from Asia to Europe. The Haydn Anniversary 2009 Concert is sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank in association with the Rotary Club of Bangkok and the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok.Proceeds will go to community-related projects under the patronage of the Rotary Club of Bangkok.
Tickets for 'Haydn Anniversary 2009' are 2,000 baht each. For reservations, contact the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok on 02-254-1234 ext 4324/5, from 9am to 5pm on weekdays,9am to noon on Saturdays.
Tickets for 'Haydn Anniversary 2009' are 2,000 baht each. For reservations, contact the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok on 02-254-1234 ext 4324/5, from 9am to 5pm on weekdays,9am to noon on Saturdays.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Boyzone pay tribute to their "brother"
Thousands of Boyzone fans gathered in Dublin on Friday when the body of singer Stephen Gately arrived home for his funeral following his death in Spain.
People lining the roads outside a local funeral home applauded as a hearse carrying his coffin arrived.
His body had been escorted back to Ireland by the other members of the group: Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham,Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy.
With them on the private plane was Gately's partner Andrew Cowles, whom he married in a civil union in 2006.
Before leaving Palma airport on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, Keating read a statement and spoke of the band's grief.
"Last Saturday, our world changed forever when we lost our friend and brother Stephen."
He said the band and Gately's family had been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support they had received.
"What the future holds for the four of us now is too hard to even think about but we know that nothing will ever be the same without our dearest friend Stephen."
Keating promised an "unforgettable send-off" for Gately,33, who was found dead on Oct 10 in his holiday apartment in the Majorcan town of Port Andratx.
Keating and his bandmates have had tattoos featuring Gately's birth and death years in commemoration of him.
Irish police issued a special traffic management plan to deal with the large crowds that were expected to attend yesterday's funeral at St Lawrence O'Toole's church in Seville Place, close to his family home.
Close family and friends paid their respects at the funeral home and there was a private family mass on Friday.Local residents have been cleaning and painting the church for the funeral, and the surviving members of the band held an overnight vigil with Gately's remains.
The band's website says that Mr Cowles has asked that rather than flowers people should make a donation to a children's charity for which Gately was an ambassador. A further memorial service will be held in London, where Gately and Mr Cowles lived.
An autopsy revealed Gately died due to excess fluid in his lungs, a court spokeswoman in Majorca said.
"He died a natural death of acute pulmonary oedema which had nothing to do with any consumption of alcohol or drugs," the spokeswoman said.
Pulmonary oedema, or water on the lungs, can be due to either the failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lungs or direct damage to the lung tissue.
Gately joined the Irish pop band Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin for an audition.
The band went on to enjoy huge inter-national success, but split up in 2000.
They reunited seven years later, but their recent 19-date "Better" tour failed to fill stadiums, despite offers of free tickets.Gately also starred in West End mu-
sicals in London, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .
People lining the roads outside a local funeral home applauded as a hearse carrying his coffin arrived.
His body had been escorted back to Ireland by the other members of the group: Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham,Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy.
With them on the private plane was Gately's partner Andrew Cowles, whom he married in a civil union in 2006.
Before leaving Palma airport on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, Keating read a statement and spoke of the band's grief.
"Last Saturday, our world changed forever when we lost our friend and brother Stephen."
He said the band and Gately's family had been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support they had received.
"What the future holds for the four of us now is too hard to even think about but we know that nothing will ever be the same without our dearest friend Stephen."
Keating promised an "unforgettable send-off" for Gately,33, who was found dead on Oct 10 in his holiday apartment in the Majorcan town of Port Andratx.
Keating and his bandmates have had tattoos featuring Gately's birth and death years in commemoration of him.
Irish police issued a special traffic management plan to deal with the large crowds that were expected to attend yesterday's funeral at St Lawrence O'Toole's church in Seville Place, close to his family home.
Close family and friends paid their respects at the funeral home and there was a private family mass on Friday.Local residents have been cleaning and painting the church for the funeral, and the surviving members of the band held an overnight vigil with Gately's remains.
The band's website says that Mr Cowles has asked that rather than flowers people should make a donation to a children's charity for which Gately was an ambassador. A further memorial service will be held in London, where Gately and Mr Cowles lived.
An autopsy revealed Gately died due to excess fluid in his lungs, a court spokeswoman in Majorca said.
"He died a natural death of acute pulmonary oedema which had nothing to do with any consumption of alcohol or drugs," the spokeswoman said.
Pulmonary oedema, or water on the lungs, can be due to either the failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lungs or direct damage to the lung tissue.
Gately joined the Irish pop band Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin for an audition.
The band went on to enjoy huge inter-national success, but split up in 2000.
They reunited seven years later, but their recent 19-date "Better" tour failed to fill stadiums, despite offers of free tickets.Gately also starred in West End mu-
sicals in London, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The saga drags on
The National Telecommunications Communications (NTC) finally confirmed that a lot of people have a lot of interest in thirdgeneration (3G) yuppiephone service,and not very many of them have kind thoughts about the regulators; about 1,000 people from the phone companies,financial advisers and phone suppliers showed up for what the NTC would be the one and only public hearing on its plans to auction and regulate 3G services;not so fast, said the private business leaders, such as Athueck Asvanont, who is chairman of vice at True Move ; he explained to the NTC that the constitution (Article 84-1) bans the government from competing with telecoms firms,and what are AIS (of Shingapore) and DTAC (of Norway) but foreign state companies?; then the lawyers took a crack at the commission, explaining that it is actually illegal for the NTC to get involved in 3G, because it is a matter for the National Broadcasting Commission, which doesn't exist yet - and any action by the NTC could be overturned by a court decision, sinking 3G even further behind high technology countries like Laos and Cambodia.
For those who missed it, lawyer Wirot Poonsuwan wrote an excellent review in a certain daily newspaper of the dogand-pony show known as 3G licensing and operation; it is online at www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/24707.
The Energy Ministry announced field tests on biodiesel B10 fuel will soon begin, supervised by PTT and the ministry's own Department of Energy Business; if everything goes as expected,the new fuel could win approval as soon as early next year; B10 is 90 percent regular diesel and 10 percent methyl ester, produced from palm.
Your CAT Telecom is no longer a long-distance telephone company, it is an "integrated wireless services provider"; so says your CAT president Jirayuth Roongsrithong, who figures the state enterprise can boost income by spreading out a bit here, tweaking a bit there, and reap the benefits of broadband Internet; but what CAT really is waiting for is issuing licences for thirdgeneration phones, because broadband services will really grow, then; Mr Jirayuth predicted CAT will gross 52 billion baht by the end of the year, even though international call income is certain to slide again.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority slogged along on its lonely quest to bury power lines in Bangkok; all it has to do is to coordinate with City Hall, telecoms firms and mass-transit operators; MEA governor Pornthape Thunyapongchai noted the "poor city development plan" of previous Bangkok administrators; for now, the only underground power lines are around the Grand Palace and along Silom Road;the MEA is trying to herd the cats into a 3-billion-baht plan to bury wires along Phaya Thai, Sukhumvit and Phahon Yothin, and their sois.
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp said flatly it would capture a quarter of the Thai smartphone market volume and value - by New Year's Eve; country manager Nattawat Woranopakul figured it would be easy to sell about 100,000 of the phones Thais will buy this year, and grow HTC revenues by 20 percent to 1.8 billion baht; overall,he expects Thais to buy 10 million yuppiephones for 27.9 billion baht - a huge drop from the record 47.3 billion baht in 2006; part of the reason for the drop is falling phone prices, with the cost of smartphones this year alone dropping from a 2008 average of 16,000 to 12,000 baht.
The company formerly known as Philips of Holland, now called China Electronics Corp (CEC) of Shenzhen,vowed to make a comeback in the Thailand yuppiephone market and get into the world Top 5 again by 2014; Philip Lee, who handles overseas affairs for CEC subsidiary Shenzhen Sang Fei Con-sumer Communications, predicted confidently he would double sales in Thailand and globally this year, selling six million phones in total; Philips sold the phone business to the Chinese firm in 2007.
Entertainment giant GMM Grammy signed a deal with Chunghwa Telecom of Taiwan to provide Thai and other Asian workers to download music from the Internet trough their phones; managing director Surachai Sensri of GMM International was so devastated by all that homesickness by the 350,000 immigrant workers in Taiwan that he decided to cash in on it with music from the homeland; the exclusive deal allows Grammy to provide a "buffet service"of continuous music for the equivalent of 52 baht a month, and Grammy also expects to get streaming rights to Vietnamese and Philippines music for the service.
Thailand crunched the numbers on a single production base for the electrical and electronics industry in Southeast Asia - and gave a big smile; eliminating all import tariffs and facilitating trade with the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta)will give a big boost to the Thai industry;Charuek Hengrasmee, president of the Electrical and Electronics Institute, and Katiya Greigarn, chairman of the Electrical, Electronics Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries, noted the currently strong position of Thailand in the making of hard drives and electrical appliances - air conditioners,refrigerators and microwaves, say and figured that in international eyes,Thailand will be "the manufacturing centre of the region."
For those who missed it, lawyer Wirot Poonsuwan wrote an excellent review in a certain daily newspaper of the dogand-pony show known as 3G licensing and operation; it is online at www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/24707.
The Energy Ministry announced field tests on biodiesel B10 fuel will soon begin, supervised by PTT and the ministry's own Department of Energy Business; if everything goes as expected,the new fuel could win approval as soon as early next year; B10 is 90 percent regular diesel and 10 percent methyl ester, produced from palm.
Your CAT Telecom is no longer a long-distance telephone company, it is an "integrated wireless services provider"; so says your CAT president Jirayuth Roongsrithong, who figures the state enterprise can boost income by spreading out a bit here, tweaking a bit there, and reap the benefits of broadband Internet; but what CAT really is waiting for is issuing licences for thirdgeneration phones, because broadband services will really grow, then; Mr Jirayuth predicted CAT will gross 52 billion baht by the end of the year, even though international call income is certain to slide again.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority slogged along on its lonely quest to bury power lines in Bangkok; all it has to do is to coordinate with City Hall, telecoms firms and mass-transit operators; MEA governor Pornthape Thunyapongchai noted the "poor city development plan" of previous Bangkok administrators; for now, the only underground power lines are around the Grand Palace and along Silom Road;the MEA is trying to herd the cats into a 3-billion-baht plan to bury wires along Phaya Thai, Sukhumvit and Phahon Yothin, and their sois.
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp said flatly it would capture a quarter of the Thai smartphone market volume and value - by New Year's Eve; country manager Nattawat Woranopakul figured it would be easy to sell about 100,000 of the phones Thais will buy this year, and grow HTC revenues by 20 percent to 1.8 billion baht; overall,he expects Thais to buy 10 million yuppiephones for 27.9 billion baht - a huge drop from the record 47.3 billion baht in 2006; part of the reason for the drop is falling phone prices, with the cost of smartphones this year alone dropping from a 2008 average of 16,000 to 12,000 baht.
The company formerly known as Philips of Holland, now called China Electronics Corp (CEC) of Shenzhen,vowed to make a comeback in the Thailand yuppiephone market and get into the world Top 5 again by 2014; Philip Lee, who handles overseas affairs for CEC subsidiary Shenzhen Sang Fei Con-sumer Communications, predicted confidently he would double sales in Thailand and globally this year, selling six million phones in total; Philips sold the phone business to the Chinese firm in 2007.
Entertainment giant GMM Grammy signed a deal with Chunghwa Telecom of Taiwan to provide Thai and other Asian workers to download music from the Internet trough their phones; managing director Surachai Sensri of GMM International was so devastated by all that homesickness by the 350,000 immigrant workers in Taiwan that he decided to cash in on it with music from the homeland; the exclusive deal allows Grammy to provide a "buffet service"of continuous music for the equivalent of 52 baht a month, and Grammy also expects to get streaming rights to Vietnamese and Philippines music for the service.
Thailand crunched the numbers on a single production base for the electrical and electronics industry in Southeast Asia - and gave a big smile; eliminating all import tariffs and facilitating trade with the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta)will give a big boost to the Thai industry;Charuek Hengrasmee, president of the Electrical and Electronics Institute, and Katiya Greigarn, chairman of the Electrical, Electronics Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries, noted the currently strong position of Thailand in the making of hard drives and electrical appliances - air conditioners,refrigerators and microwaves, say and figured that in international eyes,Thailand will be "the manufacturing centre of the region."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Guy Ritchie says he still loves "retarded" Madonna
Call it delayed reaction.A year after Madonna called him "emotionally retarded", former husband Guy Ritchie said in an Esquire interview that hit the Web on Wednesday that he still loves her, but that she is "retarded" herself.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
TAIWANESE POP STAR A-MEI GOES BACK TO HER ROOTS
It is the worst kept secret in Chinese pop. Newcome Guililai Amit is none other than Taiwanese singer A-mei.
The album title "Amit" already gives the game away as it also stands for A-mei-"Music is transformed".
No matter, recording the new album under her Puyuma tribal name seems to have fried up the 37-year-old singer, and fans have taken to the slightly more adventurous offerings. Tracks such as alter Ego"and"After the Sentimental Love of Animals" have topped Radoo 100.3's singles chart.
Controversy over a risque music video from the album for "Black Eat Black", which featured masochistc amd sexual themes, does not seem to have hurt either.
Since her debut in 1996 with the massive hit album "Sisters", the rhrid youngest child in a family of nine has had more than her fair share of highs and lows.
She was banned from performing in China for two years after singing at former president Chen Shui-bain's inauguration ceremony i n 2000, graced the over of Newsweek in 2001, had a disappointing album in "Maybe Tomorrow" (2004) and then bounced back with "I Want Happiness!?" in 2006.
This year was looking hgood for her, afte a well-received new album as well as relationship with basketballer He Shoucheng. Then tragedy struck: she lost her uncle and grother-in-law when Typhoon MOrakot hit Taiwan in August.
Nothing can keep her down, though. She spoke to the Straits Times by phone from Tiapei recently.
Is it true that you are a fan of former F1 champion Michael Schumacher?
It takes a high level ofskill and quick relfexes to take part in an F1 race and every racer is amazing.
I'm envious. I love to drive but I can't drive that fast so I love the thrill of watching them race.
How eid you approach the recording of "Amit"?
Everything from the songs to the themes to the visuals was conceived as a totality. It was not meant to be different for the sake of being different.
I didn't want Amit to come with too much baggage, that she should sing or not sing certain kinds of music. Whether picking the songs or recording in the studio, I needed to discard what was associated with A-mei and my usual style of expression.
Were you worried that you fans would not be able to accpet this change?
People have already associated A-mei with a certain style of music and have not been able to accept something new.
I thought that using a different persona would overcome that. But if you worry about album sales, then you might as well not make albums anymore.
How did your family react to the risque video?
I prepared them for it beforehand. They know that I have very strict demands of my music Whatever I wish to do or express, I want it to be conveyed 100 per cent and they were supportive of me.
What can we expect from Amit in future?
I think the starting point for each Amit album will be a diffeent theme. Maybe the next one could be vry folkish and easy-going or it could be an A-mei release, a very mainstream pop album with either dance tracks or love ballads.
Music is about being led by my emotions and expressing what I want to express.
Complete this sentence: If I could live my life all over again.
I think I would make the same choices but live with greater passion. Looking ahead, I hope that I'll continue to be as passionate about music and performing on stage.
The album title "Amit" already gives the game away as it also stands for A-mei-"Music is transformed".
No matter, recording the new album under her Puyuma tribal name seems to have fried up the 37-year-old singer, and fans have taken to the slightly more adventurous offerings. Tracks such as alter Ego"and"After the Sentimental Love of Animals" have topped Radoo 100.3's singles chart.
Controversy over a risque music video from the album for "Black Eat Black", which featured masochistc amd sexual themes, does not seem to have hurt either.
Since her debut in 1996 with the massive hit album "Sisters", the rhrid youngest child in a family of nine has had more than her fair share of highs and lows.
She was banned from performing in China for two years after singing at former president Chen Shui-bain's inauguration ceremony i n 2000, graced the over of Newsweek in 2001, had a disappointing album in "Maybe Tomorrow" (2004) and then bounced back with "I Want Happiness!?" in 2006.
This year was looking hgood for her, afte a well-received new album as well as relationship with basketballer He Shoucheng. Then tragedy struck: she lost her uncle and grother-in-law when Typhoon MOrakot hit Taiwan in August.
Nothing can keep her down, though. She spoke to the Straits Times by phone from Tiapei recently.
Is it true that you are a fan of former F1 champion Michael Schumacher?
It takes a high level ofskill and quick relfexes to take part in an F1 race and every racer is amazing.
I'm envious. I love to drive but I can't drive that fast so I love the thrill of watching them race.
How eid you approach the recording of "Amit"?
Everything from the songs to the themes to the visuals was conceived as a totality. It was not meant to be different for the sake of being different.
I didn't want Amit to come with too much baggage, that she should sing or not sing certain kinds of music. Whether picking the songs or recording in the studio, I needed to discard what was associated with A-mei and my usual style of expression.
Were you worried that you fans would not be able to accpet this change?
People have already associated A-mei with a certain style of music and have not been able to accept something new.
I thought that using a different persona would overcome that. But if you worry about album sales, then you might as well not make albums anymore.
How did your family react to the risque video?
I prepared them for it beforehand. They know that I have very strict demands of my music Whatever I wish to do or express, I want it to be conveyed 100 per cent and they were supportive of me.
What can we expect from Amit in future?
I think the starting point for each Amit album will be a diffeent theme. Maybe the next one could be vry folkish and easy-going or it could be an A-mei release, a very mainstream pop album with either dance tracks or love ballads.
Music is about being led by my emotions and expressing what I want to express.
Complete this sentence: If I could live my life all over again.
I think I would make the same choices but live with greater passion. Looking ahead, I hope that I'll continue to be as passionate about music and performing on stage.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Looking for "Easy Love"?
Masters of the remix - if not spelling - MSTRKRFT will flail the Fist of God tonight on the Royal City Avenue
Canadian electronic duo MSTRKRFT debuts in Bangkok tonight with music like you've never heard before.
Jesse Keeler and Al-P are the terrible spellers behind the tune unit pronounced "Mastercraft". They met as punks in 1997 and together goosed up studio recordings for Black Cat #13, Femme Fatale and Death from Above.
Their own first LP, "The Look", came out in 2006, featuring hits like "Easy Love" and "Work on You" and several remixes of tunes from other bands.
We pried the headphones off Al-P long enough for a chat in advance of tonight's gig on RCA.
What's in the backpack?
We're finishing up the tour cycle of our just-released album "Fist of God", playing Australia, Japan, South Korea and of course Thailand.
We're also preparing for our next album when we get back home to Toronto.
So it's true - there's music in Canada.
Canada actually has quite a few internationally successful acts right now, as we're seeing on our Australian tour. Besides us, there's DJ A-Trak from Montreal, who was a DJ for Kanye West.
The funny thing about Canada, and Toronto specifically, is that you never get big at home first. You have to become successful outside of Canada, and then people at home will notice you.
What's your favourite remix?
Recently it's the mix we did for Usher, which was - much to our disappointment - never officially released, because it contained elements of Eric Clapton's "Layla". But I think any music connoisseur would agree that our usage was clever, insightful and tasteful.
That's more than I can say for most of the sample-based music being released today. It's quite frustrating for us in that we've never dared use any samples, out of respect for the original artists, and out of respect for ourselves and our dying craft.
How did you get John Legend singing on "Heartbreaker"?
We'd done a remix for his "Green Light" that he actually liked, and he told us so personally. That rarely happens when we remix an artist, let alone an artist of John's calibre.
Instead of paying for that mix, we agreed that John would do vocals on our album. He liked the "Heartbreaker" instrumental, and he liked the lyrics that Nick [from Space Cowboy] wrote for it, so we ended up in the studio in New York City with him for two days.
Canadian electronic duo MSTRKRFT debuts in Bangkok tonight with music like you've never heard before.
Jesse Keeler and Al-P are the terrible spellers behind the tune unit pronounced "Mastercraft". They met as punks in 1997 and together goosed up studio recordings for Black Cat #13, Femme Fatale and Death from Above.
Their own first LP, "The Look", came out in 2006, featuring hits like "Easy Love" and "Work on You" and several remixes of tunes from other bands.
We pried the headphones off Al-P long enough for a chat in advance of tonight's gig on RCA.
What's in the backpack?
We're finishing up the tour cycle of our just-released album "Fist of God", playing Australia, Japan, South Korea and of course Thailand.
We're also preparing for our next album when we get back home to Toronto.
So it's true - there's music in Canada.
Canada actually has quite a few internationally successful acts right now, as we're seeing on our Australian tour. Besides us, there's DJ A-Trak from Montreal, who was a DJ for Kanye West.
The funny thing about Canada, and Toronto specifically, is that you never get big at home first. You have to become successful outside of Canada, and then people at home will notice you.
What's your favourite remix?
Recently it's the mix we did for Usher, which was - much to our disappointment - never officially released, because it contained elements of Eric Clapton's "Layla". But I think any music connoisseur would agree that our usage was clever, insightful and tasteful.
That's more than I can say for most of the sample-based music being released today. It's quite frustrating for us in that we've never dared use any samples, out of respect for the original artists, and out of respect for ourselves and our dying craft.
How did you get John Legend singing on "Heartbreaker"?
We'd done a remix for his "Green Light" that he actually liked, and he told us so personally. That rarely happens when we remix an artist, let alone an artist of John's calibre.
Instead of paying for that mix, we agreed that John would do vocals on our album. He liked the "Heartbreaker" instrumental, and he liked the lyrics that Nick [from Space Cowboy] wrote for it, so we ended up in the studio in New York City with him for two days.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Juanes holds "peace" concert in Havana
Hundreds of thousands of people filled Havana's Revolution Square for a "peace" concert on Sunday in which Colombian singer Juanes and other musicians sought to bridge the political divide that has separated Cubans for 50 years.
The concert was shown live on international television, including to viewers in Miami, the heart of the Cuban exile community and centre of opposition to Cuba's communist-led government.
A small group of exiles, who say Mr Juanes legitimised a government that denies its people basic human rights,staged a protest in Miami's Little Havana against the concert.
Mr Juanes organised his "Peace Without Borders" concert in conjunction with the Cuban government. He had insisted the show was not political, but raised eyebrows at the end of the concert when he shouted "one Cuban family" for Cuban unity and "Cuba libre", words that have been a rallying cry in the exile community for years.
The concert was shown live on international television, including to viewers in Miami, the heart of the Cuban exile community and centre of opposition to Cuba's communist-led government.
A small group of exiles, who say Mr Juanes legitimised a government that denies its people basic human rights,staged a protest in Miami's Little Havana against the concert.
Mr Juanes organised his "Peace Without Borders" concert in conjunction with the Cuban government. He had insisted the show was not political, but raised eyebrows at the end of the concert when he shouted "one Cuban family" for Cuban unity and "Cuba libre", words that have been a rallying cry in the exile community for years.
iMusic targets B60m sales
Fledgling music business iMusic Intelligence Melody plans to spend 15 million baht to launch itself locally in a bid to generate 60 million in sales next year.
The firm, which was established last January with registered capital of 2 million baht, plans to list on the Market for Alternative Investment by 2014, said CEO Pawadol Kliewakradet.
Content provider IM2 Co has a 70%stake in the firm with the remaining 30% held by individuals.
iMusic sees high growth potential in local digital music downloads, he said.
"We have strength as our major shareholder is a content provider. We believe our innovative product -4 Smart Convergence (All-in-one CD), which consists of audio files and other data such as MP3s, music videos and wallpaper, will attract customers, particularly teenagers," he said.
The company this year has set a gross margin target of about 15%.
Its "Real Time Monitoring System"targets composers, artists and producers,allowing them to monitor sales online.
The increasing threat from piracy has prompted major players such as GMM Grammy and RS to focus on the digital music segment.
The total digital music market is estimated at about 55 billion baht, he said.Grammy is the market leader with a 56% share, followed by RS with 26%.
iMusic said its all-in-one CD will be priced at 99 baht. Affordability will be a a key driver of future growth, he said.
"I strongly believe that it [the product]is value for money and meets customer needs as well. We also have quality artists and celebrities to join with our company,"he said.
One of iMusic's first two artists is MR Mannarumas Yukol, niece of the famous film director M.C. Chatreechalerm Yukol.
The firm expects digital content to account for 40% or revenue, management fees 35% and all-in-one CDs 25%.
4-smart convergence will grow to 50%of revenue in the future, said Roongroj Tochanchai, managing director of iMusic.
The company plans to launch two albums this year and at least seven next year.
CDs will be available from music stores and B2S stores. iMusic will also collaborate with mobile phone giants AIS,DTAC and True. Downloads will be available from www.imusic.co.th.
The firm, which was established last January with registered capital of 2 million baht, plans to list on the Market for Alternative Investment by 2014, said CEO Pawadol Kliewakradet.
Content provider IM2 Co has a 70%stake in the firm with the remaining 30% held by individuals.
iMusic sees high growth potential in local digital music downloads, he said.
"We have strength as our major shareholder is a content provider. We believe our innovative product -4 Smart Convergence (All-in-one CD), which consists of audio files and other data such as MP3s, music videos and wallpaper, will attract customers, particularly teenagers," he said.
The company this year has set a gross margin target of about 15%.
Its "Real Time Monitoring System"targets composers, artists and producers,allowing them to monitor sales online.
The increasing threat from piracy has prompted major players such as GMM Grammy and RS to focus on the digital music segment.
The total digital music market is estimated at about 55 billion baht, he said.Grammy is the market leader with a 56% share, followed by RS with 26%.
iMusic said its all-in-one CD will be priced at 99 baht. Affordability will be a a key driver of future growth, he said.
"I strongly believe that it [the product]is value for money and meets customer needs as well. We also have quality artists and celebrities to join with our company,"he said.
One of iMusic's first two artists is MR Mannarumas Yukol, niece of the famous film director M.C. Chatreechalerm Yukol.
The firm expects digital content to account for 40% or revenue, management fees 35% and all-in-one CDs 25%.
4-smart convergence will grow to 50%of revenue in the future, said Roongroj Tochanchai, managing director of iMusic.
The company plans to launch two albums this year and at least seven next year.
CDs will be available from music stores and B2S stores. iMusic will also collaborate with mobile phone giants AIS,DTAC and True. Downloads will be available from www.imusic.co.th.
iMusic turns to digital albums
Set to tap the growing popularity of digital content, iMusic yesterday introduced itself as a provider of digital music.
"We expect to launch our first two albums this year and seven next year," CEO Pawadol Kliewakradet said.
The company expects to achieve sales of Bt60 million next year and more than Bt100 million in five years, when it plans to list on the stock exchange.
The company yesterday unveiled its stable of singers - mannaruemas Yukol, Alex Rendell, Keerati "Gypsy" Mahaprukpong and Haward Wang.
"We have created an online real-time monitoring system to show all returns to our artists, music composers and producers in real time," Pawadol said.
"We have also launched an all-in-one CD called 'Four Smart Convergence' featuring various audio files and data, including MP3, Fullsong, Truetone, MV, and wallpaper, in one disc.
"The files can be played on DVD and CD players, car audios, computers and mobile telephones," he said.
The disc will be available at a price of Bt99.
The music industry in Asia is worth about Bt36 billion, of which Bt10 billion is in Thailand, he said.
The music industry is growing by 10-15 per cent per year, he added.
"We expect to launch our first two albums this year and seven next year," CEO Pawadol Kliewakradet said.
The company expects to achieve sales of Bt60 million next year and more than Bt100 million in five years, when it plans to list on the stock exchange.
The company yesterday unveiled its stable of singers - mannaruemas Yukol, Alex Rendell, Keerati "Gypsy" Mahaprukpong and Haward Wang.
"We have created an online real-time monitoring system to show all returns to our artists, music composers and producers in real time," Pawadol said.
"We have also launched an all-in-one CD called 'Four Smart Convergence' featuring various audio files and data, including MP3, Fullsong, Truetone, MV, and wallpaper, in one disc.
"The files can be played on DVD and CD players, car audios, computers and mobile telephones," he said.
The disc will be available at a price of Bt99.
The music industry in Asia is worth about Bt36 billion, of which Bt10 billion is in Thailand, he said.
The music industry is growing by 10-15 per cent per year, he added.
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