Scholarship set up to remember Gwangju expat Michael Simning

A scholarship to help female high school graduates in Kenya has been set up in memory of Gwangju expat Michael Simning, who died in February aged 39.The scholarship will support vocational training for girls who finish high school in Kenya’s Ndwara community, which Simning had been involved in helping. Margaret Law, Simning’s mother, said that she and her son had talked about helping girls in the community through vocational training. “In that part of Africa, girls don’t get any training. There’

Expat LivingMarch 25, 2014

Indians in Korea celebrate Holi

Holi, the festival of colors, is one of the most enjoyed and celebrated festivals in India, marking the beginning of a new season and a new year for some. Indians in Korea clinched a deal to provide a colorful, jovial atmosphere for the IIK Holi Dhamaka 2014 celebration on the banks of the Hangang River in Seoul’s Ichon-dong on March 16. Holi has its roots in ancient Indian cultural rituals and is celebrated across all communities in India regardless of social background. Holi is a festive day t

Expat LivingMarch 25, 2014

New choir to be launched in Gwangju

Gwangju Performance Project is starting a choir, with an opening meet-and-greet session for the new members to be held Saturday.The choir will be directed by Heather Mary Aitken and Caitlin O’Neill, who were both heavily involved in choirs in their home countries.Aitken said that there would not be auditions, and that the choir would be open to anyone interested in singing.“We want to have a fun and relaxed atmosphere where people can be involved in something new or restart something that they h

Expat LivingMarch 25, 2014

Composer Schwartz talks ‘Wicked’ politics

While the popular musical “Wicked” is largely promoted in Korea as a fairy tale-like story about two witches, its composer Stephen Schwartz put the show’s political interpretation in the spotlight during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. “The other day in America, somebody died recently,” he told reporters. “His name is Fred Phelps. He was a very angry person who used to organize pickets at funerals. And he caused a lot of trouble. When he died, someone wrote an article for one of our major

PerformanceMarch 25, 2014

Public art on display in Anyang

Diverse art displays and programs will open to the public starting Friday in the city of Anyang, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul.Held every three years and hosted by the Anyang Foundation for Culture and Arts, the 4th Anyang Public Art Project (APAP) will take place at the newly-built Kim Chung Up Museum, the refurbished Anyang Pavilion and Anyang Art Park.As an internationally established public art event, the 4th APAP aims to reflect on the past decade of the project and explore solutions t

CultureMarch 25, 2014

Vocal maestro Jang Sa-ik to perform in New York

Jang Sa-ik, Korea’s vocal maestro, will return to New York next month to present once again the unique world of his music that blends traditional Korean harmonies and rhythms with modern jazz, pop and blues. This time, he will perform with four of his longtime colleagues with whom he just “loves to have fun.” “For me, the ultimate fun has to involve some dancing. After all, don’t we all sing and dance when we’re happy?” Jang said at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. “So, it’s going to be m

PerformanceMarch 25, 2014

Jeremy Piven returns as ‘Mr. Selfridge’

PASADENA, California ― Jeremy Piven was 37 years old when he was anointed with “The Fresh Face of the Year” acting award. At that point he’d been performing for 29 years.He’d co-starred in nearly 40 movies and negotiated TV series like “Ellen,” “Cupid” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” But his wasn’t a household name. “I was a late bloomer compared to other people,” he says, in the board room of a hotel here. “But for me it was the right journey.”Piven actually grew up in the theater. His parents ra

TelevisionMarch 25, 2014

Shakira’s new album should be much better

Shakira’s domination in America has dwindled since she became a hip-swiveling goddess of festive pop hits like “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” Already a superstar in her native Colombia, the multitalented singer-songwriter-instrumentalist took the American pop scene by storm when she made her U.S. language debut in 2001 with personal, rich songs about romance and more. But her recent albums haven’t matched the spark, edge and charisma of her work a decade ago, and her new self-titled

PerformanceMarch 25, 2014

‘Married ladies’ group challenges girls’ dominance

Fighting against all odds and the stereotype that girls wishing to debut in the K-pop industry have to be young and single, the new group Girl Hood is looking to break down those barriers. The quartet is making a splash in the K-pop world because the ladies are not in their teens, or even in their early 20s. The average age of a Girl Hood member is 34, with the ages ranging from 28 to 35. Also, it is not just their ages that makes them stand out from other groups: All four are married and three

March 25, 2014

Jo Sung-mo returns after 4 years with ‘Wind of Change’

Ballad singer Jo Sung-mo returned to the music scene Monday with his latest EP, “Wind of Change,” his first extended release in nearly four years. The singer partnered with former entertainer-turned-producer Hyun Jin-young, who is often credited as being one of the first to introduce hip-hop to Korea. Although Hyun was an iconic dancer in the early stages of his career, he has slowly moved his interests toward jazz and art house music. After meeting Hyun through a TV program, Jo said the two bec

PerformanceMarch 24, 2014

Incheon airport offers music festival

Incheon International Airport is holding a public music festival featuring diverse, renowned artists this week, in celebration of the airport’s 13th founding anniversary and the 9th anniversary of consecutively ranking No. 1 in airport service quality.The airport’s “Orchestra Festival” is scheduled to last for five days from March 26-30. Each day, an open-air performance will be staged for roughly one hour starting at 4 p.m. at the Millennium Hall on the ground floor of the passenger terminal. T

PerformanceMarch 24, 2014

Pittsburgh exhibit features Negro League pictures

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― A new exhibit at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art shows the vibrant world of Negro League baseball through the eyes of legendary black photographer Teenie Harris. The “Baseball in Pittsburgh” exhibit opened Saturday and runs through Sept. 22. It includes 25 pictures and 650 more are available for online viewing.Harris photographed legendary players such as Jackie Robinson but also captured fans of the era and even youth league hopefuls. “It wasn’t just famous people. It was

CultureMarch 24, 2014

Shinhwa marks 16th anniversary

Shinhwa, the longest-running boy band in South Korea, on Sunday returned to the stage with a show at the Olympic Gymnastics Hall, where they held their first-ever concert in 2001. Entitled “Here,” the show celebrated their 16 years as a band with the fans who have stood by them through the ups and downs. In the dimly lit concert hall, thousands of orange glowsticks welcomed five of the six members of Shinhwa ― Eric, Hye-sung, Min-woo, Dong-wan and Jun-jin. Andy did not show up, in accordance wit

March 24, 2014

Aretha Franklin celebrates birthday with Denzel

NEW YORK (AP) ― The fellas love Aretha Franklin: Denzel Washington helped the Queen of Soul celebrate her 72nd birthday in style, and Andre 3000 and Babyface are working on new music for the icon. Franklin held an exclusive and small party Saturday in New York City for her birthday, which is on Tuesday. Washington entered the Ritz-Carlton Hotel quietly, though the crowd got excited after realizing it was the Oscar winner under a baseball cap. Franklin thanked the actor for attending. Just hours

PerformanceMarch 24, 2014

Embracing the alien spaceship

The alien spaceship that landed smack in the middle of Seoul opened its doors on Friday with much fanfare. And judging by the crowd that flocked to the cavernous belly of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza on the first two days of its opening ― more than 58,000 visitors on Friday and 168,000 on Saturday, according to its overseer the Seoul Design Foundation ― the latest Seoul landmark, often ridiculed as a “spaceship,” may win over the skeptics who argue that the “monstrous building” costing some 500 b

CultureMarch 23, 2014