Podcast Archive: Lucky Cat Series 3, Episode 1

Lucky Cat 6th Jan 2009

Lucky Cat

Sugarpie De Santo

Great footage of the fantastic Sugarpie! Thanks Jak.

Christmas Music

Last week I bought the LP Merry Christmas from Motown, 1969. Quite a nice set of tunes on there with an unlikely cover of Ave Maria by Stevie Wonder.
Here's a good article about other groovy Christmas tunage:
www.sirshambling.com/articles/soulful_christmas.html
This Soul Christmas compilation LP looks good, it includes Carla Thomas' Gee Whiz It's Christmas (Atco label).

DJing at Messy Xmas Sat 19th December

The legendary Camberwell club night returns for one night only! I'll be on the decks alongside original Messy DJs and siblings, real Christmassy.

Let's hear it for New York

A contemporary tune I really like! No vocoder crap, great lyrics and catchy chorus. A celebratory anthem for NYC (baby).
Thanks Jay-Z and Alicia Keys for restoring my faith in contemporary black music.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga

This is top of my Christmas wish list, even above the Totoro seat belt covers I've been watching on the Bay of E.
Writer Helen McCarthy, has produced this wonderful looking homage to the creator of Astro Boy and godfather of Ghibli and indeed Manga's deity.
Helen came on my Resonance FM show earlier this year to talk about the Death Note films and it was clear she is very passionate about Manga and was a lively and insightful guest. I'm guessing that her passion and dedication to detail will be here in this book, which also comes with a DVD.

Available on Amazon.com and co.uk or from good bookshops.

Lucky Cat Dunny

Cute vinyl figure from Kidrobot. I just found this whilst doing one of my regular Lucky Cat image searches. This is a
Lucky Cat from the 'Dunny' Series 4.

2nd Pan Asian Film Festival @ Asia House

27th November - 11th December 2009

Asia House presents the 2nd Pan-Asia Film Festival at the Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Circus, London.

The festival opens with the new film by iconic Chinese director Zhang Yimou Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles.
Films by award-winning film-makers and emerging talent from China, Japan, Iran, Taiwan Bhutan and the Philippines will be shown. This year there will also be an evening of award-winning short films from Asia selected by Future Shorts.

For more information see the Asia House web site and download their events pdf.

Zhang Jian's Radio

Released recently to celebrate 60 years of the People's Republic of China this is not a buddha machine but a radio.
Zhang Jian from FM3 made a short-wave field recording 3 years ago in Bengal Bay and it has now been released as this small, beautiful red radio.

Check the web sites:
fm3.com.cn
subjam.org

Clive Chin Tours China

Reggae producer (Impact record label), collector and DJ Clive Chin (son of Vincent 'Randy' Chin (RIP) who was a Chinese Jamaican Reggae pioneer and Patricia Chin who is now the boss of VP Records) is heading out to China this Autumn with his killer diller Reggae selection. Clive will be in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai in November.
Check the myspace page for more info:
http://www.myspace.com/aboverockrecords

Mooncakes

I hope that everyone had a great Autumn Moon Festival. Here's a picture of some lovely mooncake packaging that I found on this Singaporean blog: http://blog.lemonshortbread.com/

Sweet and Sour Dinner

Sweet: Green bean and beansprout salad with crushed walnuts and sweet sesame dressing.
Sour: Baked haddock with fresh lime, pickled ginger, garlic and mooli.
Neutral: Rice.
Enhancer: Fish sauce.

Vinyl Pleasures - Sat 3rd October @ The Foundry

A reminder of tomorrow's gig no.2 (I'm on 9-10pm):

Saturday 3rd October - 2 DJ gigs

I have been asked to DJ for at two club nights on Saturday 3rd October:

1) Chinese Night @ The Raindance Film Festival Cafe (underneath the record shop Phonica, 51 Poland St Soho). I will be playing from 7 till 8pm, warming up for Chinese electro band New Pants (fronted by the director of The Panda Candy Peng Lei). You may remember that I played the track Golden Idol by New Pants on my Resonance FM show. Hear more New Pants: myspace.com/beijingnewpants
Peng Lei is also an artist ans toy shop owner, there's an interesting interview with him at Wallpaper magazine.

2) Vinyl Pleasures at The Foundry (86 Great Eastern Street, near Old St). I'm on 9-10pm playing a selection of vintage vinyl. It's a pub do so music finishes at 11. There will be a camera set up on the decks and screens aroudn the place so you can see the discs spinning as I play them.

Both events are FREE.

Happy 25th Birthday On The Wire

Tomorrow night (Sat 19th Sept) the ground breaking radio show On the Wire celebrates a quarter of a century on the air. The BBC Lancashire show was started by music journalist Steve Barker 25 years ago and always has a fresh and interesting playlist that includes plenty of Reggae (Steve has been the dub columnist for The Wire magazine for the past decade) and in recent years contemporary Chinese sounds, with Steve being based in Beijing. Tomorrow night the show will be extra special and extra long to fit in all the fabulous birthday celebration treats for your little ears. Here are just a few of the people providing mixes:

• Mick Sleeper from Toronto, controller of the net-based show Radio Scratch, exclusively featuring the work of the legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry both as artist and producer.

• Pete Holdsworth from the world's premier reggae revival label Pressure Sounds based in the UK and Japan.

• Alan Bishop from the Seattle based label Sublime Frequencies

• Steinski aka Steve Stein and his pal Doug DiFranco (aka Double Dee) were hip-hop producers who achieved notoriety in the early 1980s for a series of underground hip-hop sample-based collages known as the Lessons.

• Beijing-based Yan Jun, works in the realm of sound and language manipulating feedback, drones, voice and field recordings for site-specific sound installations, improvisations and environmental sound. He founded the Sub Jam and its sub-label KwanYin Records.

So tune in online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lancashire/hi/
or if you live in Lancashire on the FM dial
Saturday 19th Spetember 10pm - 2am Sunday.
Check the OTW Blog for previous shows and info.

Raindance Indie Film Festival, London

The 17th Raindance Film Festival kicks off on 30th September and runs until 11th October. Raindance celebrates independent cinema from around the globe and there are some interesting East Asian films being show. Jasper Sharp is curating the festival, you may remember he was on my radio show when Anna Chen hosted, discussing Anna May Wong. He actually specialises in Japanese cinema and is co-editor of web site Midnight Eye and the author of the recently published Behind the Pink Curtain – The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema.

For a full list of the Japanese films showing at this year's festival take a look at Jasper's site. This year there is a special focus on women directors, Sachi Hamano will be in attendance (Japan's most prolific female director who has worked mostly in the genre of the erotic pink film). She will be presenting her 2001 non-pink title Lily Festival, a comedy drama in which the inhabitants of a residential home for elderly women find their passions rekindled when the first male resident moves in amongst them.

Other titles to look out for in the Japanese section are:

Miki Satoshi’s comedy Instant Swamp (he directed the very funny Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers).

and

Lalapipo which was written by Tetsuya Nakashima (the brilliant director of Kamikaze Girls and Memories of Matsuko) and directed by Masayuki Miyano (his first film). The story is set in the heart of Japan’s outlandish sex industry.




With regards to Chinese films showing in the festival, The Pandy Candy is showing on Saturday 3rd October. The film was banned in China (it depicts a gay relationship between two young women) and is directed by musician Peng Lei of the electro band New Pants.

As a vinyl junkie I'll also be checking out the documentary I Want That Record!, which examines why over 3,000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade (boo).

For more details and to book tickets (the box office is now open) visit:
www.raindance.co.uk

2009 Japan Matsuri

This Festival celebrating Japanese culture is on Saturday 17th September at Spitalfields Market in East London (10am-8pm).
Expect food stalls, art and entertainment - including a Bon dance (pictured).

For all the up to date information check the web site:

http://japanmatsuri.com

Piccadilly Revisited

This is a free performance on Saturday 12th September (as part of the Thames Festival) at the East-facing facade of Royal Festival Hall, 8.15pm - 10.00pm.
The classic E.A. Dupont silent film Piccadilly starring Anna May Wong will be screened, accompanied by a new score from composers Suki Mok and Ruth Chan. The score is based on a storyboard developed by co-writers Alice Lee and David Tse Ka-Shing.

The performance is presented by Chinatown Arts Space and you may remember Suki Mok from the project in 2008 at the Royal Opera House with Beijing rappers Dragon Tongue Squad.
Ruth Chan is a London based pianist and film composer with an interest in ethnic fusion music.

David Tse Ka-Shing is the Creative Director at Chinatown Arts Space and has done a lot of good work in both encouraging and producing British East Asian arts. He has many fiddles to his bow, being an actor, writer, theatre director and film-maker.

I recognised Alice Lee's name because last year she wrote and produced Dragon Lady: Being Anna May Wong which she performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

This is a work-in-progress and next year the cross-artform production will be completed completed next year; incorporating dance, drama and video against a backdrop of the original silent film.

I look forward to the screening and to seeing the completed work next year. Piccadilly is a wonderful film to watch and raises many questions about race and sexuality. Anna May Wong seems to be back in vogue in 2009, long may this trend continue.

Etta James - Something Got A Hold On Me

Etta James - Something Got A Hold On Me
Uploaded by soulpatrol. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Coronation Street Dub

I remember hearing this Reggae take on the theme to Britain's oldest TV soap Coronation Street a few years back. I liked it's cheesy novelty value back then and I still do now - I picked it up in a charity shop yesterday, result! Now to find Smiley Culture singing about Pat and Frank and of Eastenders and my life will be complete...Well, as chance would have it I spotted a Mike Reid Sings CD in another charity shop today, but I let that one go. Someone else can enjoy that gem.
Watch/hear the Corrie 45 by the I-Royals here:

Gamelan A Go Go

Multiple Gamelan albums played simultaneously on Benedict Drew's Unter Radio, broadcast on Resonance FM. Listen again here:
www.benedictdrew.com/unterradio5.html
It made me feel as if I was in a Jakarta based gangster film noir escaping the CIA and local mafia whilst sweating profusely and trying to escape the helicopter following me (or was that my Arak fuelled Gamelan induced paranoia kicking in?).

Anna Chen - Anna May Wong Must Die!

Anna Chen now has a web site for her illustrated lecture on the life of film star Anna May Wong.

www.annachen.co.uk/amw.html

Anna's tribute to the first Chinese American movie star takes the audience on a personalised journey of Anna May Wong's life and films. Her passion for the subject is clear and Anna reveals the impact of Anna May Wong's star presence on her own life. Many people know the images of this stunningly beautiful actress but nothing about her life story, here Anna Chen makes sure that her story is heard.

Photo above (of Anna Chen in homage to Anna May Wong pose) copyright Sukey Parnell 2004.

1963 Shaw Brothers Calendar part 2

Let's go back again to Hong Kong in 1963 when the Shaw Brother's leading ladies were glamour personified.

July - Margaret Tu Chuan
Bardot-esque pose from the beautiful star of Madam White Snake.


August - Ivy Ling Po
Co-star to Loh Ti in The Love Eterne, the Huangmei Opera singer is hugely popular and is still performing in concert today. In 2007 Ling Po led the celebrations for Shaw Brothers founder Sir Run Run Shaw's 100th Birthday. A good article on Ling Po can be found at the Action Queens blog.


September - Fanny Fan
Another hairspray tastic hairdo from the Hong King sex kitten. Stills from the movie Angel with the Iron Fists in which she starred with Lily Ho can be found here. Over at the blog Soft Film they are big Fanny Fan fans!



October - Yi Kuang
As with Julie Shih Yen from part 1 of the calendar, I confess that I know absolutely nothing about this actress. Please help if you can, thanks.


Novmember - Li Hsiang Chun
Another actress from the 1963 Shaw Brothers smash The Love Eterne.


December - Diana Chang Chung Wen
This pose reminds me of a 1950's Joan Collins glamour photo. Strange cardigan choice though. Diana Chang Chung Wen can be seen in the Shaw Brothers 1966 adaptation of the classic novel Journey to the West titled The Monkey Goes West.


Well, that's all folks. Check out Magicpoe's Channel on YouTube for some excellent 1970's documentaries on Shaw Brothers.

Support Investment in Community Radio

If you are a UK citizen who believes in community radio then please sign this online petition. There are many great community stations accross the UK who deliver original and diverse programming run by volunteers, including Resonance FM.

Lend your support to a campaign for greater public investment in community radio. Last month a letter signed by 82 community radio leaders, media scholars and experts was sent to the Prime Minister in which the case for higher public investment in community radio was made. It argued for an increase in the Community Radio Fund's budget (to view the letter, go to:
www.sheffieldlive.org/2009/07/open-letter-to-gordon-brown/). Pursuant to this action a petition was launched in support of this cause.

Show your support for greater investment in the Community Radio Fund by signing the following petition:
petitions.number10.gov.uk/allthevoices/

The Fund was initially set up in 2004 with a budget of £500,000 for 14 community radio broadcasters. However, since then community radio in Britain has blossomed while the budget has stagnated. £500,000 must now provide for over 200 broadcast licensees.

This matters because community radio provides a broadcasting platform to voices that would otherwise be overlooked by media outlets. Resonance FM is a paradigm of this model with regular shows for community interest groups. Furthermore, the community radio industry has created over 400 jobs, involving over 10,000 volunteers and serves a potential audience of over 10 million people. This is a social service for diverse groups across the entire country.

For a full list of UK community radio stations see Ofcom's list:
ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/Community/community-main.html

1963 Shaw Brothers Calendar part 1

I have been inspired by the truly magnificent blog Soft Film: Vintage Chinese Cinema to scan in my 1963 Shaw Brothers calendar for your viewing pleasure. I've split the calendar into two parts so you'll have to wait for July-December in my next post.
1963 was the year that The Love Eterne (The Butterfly Lovers) was made by Shaw and 3 of its stars appear in this calendar, though very much in modern attire and not in the period opera-style costume as in the movie. In these pictures the hair styles are big, the eye liner is heavy and the eyebrows are exquisitely plucked! Enjoy.

January - Lin Dai
Slightly weird eyebrows but love the rose motif. Lin Dai starred in many films, (listed here)but tragically committed suicide a year after this calendar came out in 1964.


February - Ting Ning
Aka Grace Ding Ning, had small role in Love Eterne


March - Ting Hung
My personal favourite, amazing beehive style hairdo. Known as Pat to her friends, she can be seen in the 1962 Shaw film adaptation of another classic Chinese tale The Dream of the Red Chamber.


April - Betty Loh Ti
Star of Love Eterne and award winning Shaw actress. Beautiful and yet tragically unhappy in her life. In 1968 Loh Ti also took her own life.


May - Shih Yen
I cannot find any information on this actress, perhaps she only starred in one or two films, please let me know if you have any info.


June - Yeh Feng
The Kim Novak of the East. (Wonder if she knew Sammy Davis Jr too?)

Waiting for Ghibli

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, the latest film from director Hiyao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke) is out in the US this summer, courtesy of Disney. I've been looking around the net for the UK release date and am disappointed to see reports that it will not be until early 2010. Why do we always have to wait so long for East Asian movies to get a theatrical release here? By the time they've come out most people have got sick of waiting and found an online copy or ordered the DVD from an overseas source. I've watched Totoro many times with my daughter and I want Ponyo to be the first film she sees at the cinema so I'm going to have to wait. In the meantime here is the Japanese trailer (above).

Ponyo Disneyfied trailer here
Ghibli Ponyo site

Questing Bandstand Site

I've been meaning to post about this excellent site for a while and then today I was browsing through and saw the lovely face of Siao Fong Fong.
Questing Bandstand is a wonderful resource for lovers of 1960's East Asian music.
Here is the Siao Fong Fong link where you can listen to her song Mama Hao (Good Mum or Mum is the Best).

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle's birthday is coming up soon (6th August), Many Happy Returns to my favourite living actress. Remember Michelle's fabulous film Wing Chun featuring the classic fight scene around a block of tofu ("if her beauty doesn't floor you then her drop kick will")? Well, I am happy to report that Michelle is working with the film's director Yuen Wo Ping once more - hurray! Yuen Wo Ping has directed some of the best martial arts films ever made (Drunken Master, Iron Monkey etc) as well as in recent years being action director on many Hollywood films (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix series). Now Wo Ping is directing a stellar cast (incl. pop prince Jay Chou, the late David Carradine and grand sifu supreme Gordon Liu) in True Legend. I can't wait!

Cast list, photos and news here: http://michelleyeoh.info/Movie/truelegend.html

Xinjiang

I heard on the radio today (BBC World Service) about the outbreak of violence in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. The artist Mamer, who I interviewed for my Chinagrass podcast heralds from Xinjiang. As you will see from my earlier post it is an area which borders many countries and is as rich in culture as it is in oil. It seems that the region has been troubled with alleged Han culture dominance for some years. The majority of people who live there are not Mandarin speaking Han Chinese and I think that the demonstrations started because of an unfair bias in the workplace towards Han Chinese. Information is sketchy and it is hard to know what really goes on there. The Chinese government are currently saying that 156 people have been killed in the riots. At the moment it has been noted by Western reporters that internet access in the region has been cut off.
I hope that this is not going to be another oil rich region where people suffer due to greed and lack of tolerance.
My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones.
You can follow the events through several news agencies:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/07/content_8384925.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8135203.stm
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/

Lucky Cat Mix 2009 - Typhoon

Lucky Cat Mix 2009

Lucky Cat

A recent mix of music I put together for a CD to be played at Typhoon, Yellow Earth Theatre's play reading festival.
Track listing:
1.'Drinking Song' - Hanggai ('Introducing Hanggai' CD)
2.'Kargashai' - Mamer ('Eagle' CD)
3.'Rain in London' - Michio Miyagi ('Masterpieces in Koto' LP)
4. 'The Love Eterne' (aka 'The Butterfly Lovers' opera) soundtrack extract - Betty Loh Ti & Ivy ling Po
5.'Kiss of Spring' - Yao Lee ('Miss Yao Lee' vinyl LP)
6.'Daegeum Solo (Peaceful Times)' - Kim Seong-jin (Victrola Fvourites CD)
7.'Aaj Ki Raat' - Mhd. Rafi ('An Evening with Mohd. Rafi' vinyl LP)
8.'Dragons Play With Pearl' - track from 'Cantonese Mental Music' vinyl LP
9.'Shaolin Temple' - Barrington Levy ('Reggae Meets martial Arts' Trojan CD)
10.Vietnamese track from 'Hot Women Singers from the Torrid Regions' CD)
11.'Musical War' - Roy Shirley ('Roy Shirley: Legend' CD)
12.'Voice of Spring' - Deng Bai Ying
13.'I Love Boh Boh Cha Cha' - The Stylers (vinyl 45 EP)
14.'Sixteen Tons' - Chang Loo
15.'Sukiyaki' - Kong Ling & The Fabulous Echoes (LP of Hits Vol 2)

Bodyguards & Assassins Poster - Eric Tsang

Excellent moustache.

Bodyguards & Assassins

This looks great! Can't wait...

Grace Chang - Costume Party

Typhoon 6 - Playreading Festival

Yellow Earth Theatre's annual International Playreading Festival - Typhoon - starts this Sunday 21st June in Greenwich. Showcasing the best of contemporary East Asian theatre writing, the festival features work from China, Singapore, Vietnam, America, the UK and more.
Fringe events include family fun on Sunday at the storytelling session, for ages 5+.

Sunday 21 – Thursday 25 June
Check the Yellow Earth web site for complete listings info:
www.yellowearth.org/site/whatson-item/typhoon_6/

All tickets £5 Concessions £3
Book 3 or more plays for £3 each (£2 concessions)

BOX OFFICE 020 8858 7755 www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES

Dengue Fever Live in London - New DVD & CD Release

Sleepwalking Through The Mekong
New DVD Documentary & CD Soundtrack
Out on 15 June 2009 (Real World Records)

Live at London's Scala on 18 June
Plus: Exclusive New Music via B&W Society of Sound Subscription Service to Coincide with European Tour Dates in June

Los Angeles-based Cambodian-American rock band Dengue Fever have announced their first European tour dates of 2009, in support of their new documentary Sleepwalking Through The Mekong on DVD & CD soundtrack, to be released on 15 June. The tour kicks off at London’s Scala:

Dengue Fever - with DJ support by Don Letts
Thursday, 18 June 2009, 7.30pm
Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NL
Admission: £13.50 in advance from Ticketweb (08700 600 100)

Sleepwalking Through The Mekong follows Dengue Fever - Chhom Nimol (vocals), Ethan Holtzman (keyboards), Zac Holtzman (guitar), David Ralicke (horns), Senon Williams (bass) and Paul Smith (drums) - on their recent journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian rock’n’roll in the country where it was created and very nearly destroyed.

http://www.myspace.com/denguefevermusic

Hong Kong in the 60's

The coolest name ever for a band? Yes, Hong Kong in the 60's are a band from London, comprising of Mei Yau Kan, Christopher Greenberg and Tim Scullion. Mei Yau and Christopher came along to the last Lucky Cat club night and introduced themselves to me. Their sound is electro/indie/soundtrack/60's HK influenced. Their new CD Willow Pattern Songs is out now on Proper Songs.
Check out their website and myspace for audio samples and gig dates.

Hong Kong Mermaids

Found on ebay, lovely. I was always a big Esther Williams fan.

Manga Cross Stitch Book

Writer Helen McCarthy has a new book out next month, the wonderfully original Manga Cross Stitch.
Helen was a guest on my show earlier this year and was very insightful on the subject of live action manga adaptations (we were talking about the Death Note movies and 20th Century Boys). It seems that not only is Helen an expert on manga, anime and Shochu cocktails she's pretty good with a needle and thread too. The book shows that these world's need not be separate - you can stitch a yakuza wielding a bloody samurai sword whilst sipping on a Shochu cocktail and watching My Neighbour Totoro. Sounds like a fun night in to me!
More about Helen McCarthy and the new book here at her web site:
www.helenmccarthy.org
Check out the Facebook page here.

Chinagrass Podcast

Chinagrass - Documentary on Contemporary Chinese Folk Music

Lucky Cat

Chinagrass Documentary on Resonance FM Tonight

Monday 18th May
8pm 104.4FM in London or at www.resonancefm.com everywhere.

In tonight's programme I talk to the singer/songwriter Mamer whose debut album Eagle is released today on Real World Records. Mamer is from the Xinjiang province in Western China and sings in his native language of Kazakh. You can hear the folk influences from the countries that surround Mamer's birthplace (Russia, Tibet, Kazakhstan...) in his music – a reminder of the size and diversity of China.

The album Eagle has been produced by English musicians Robin Haller and Matteo Scumaci and I discuss the genre of Chinagrass with them on tonight's programme.
Robin and Matteo also produced Mongolian group Hanggai’s album Introducing Hanggai released last year.

Both Mamer and Hanggai performed in concert at the Union Chapel last Saturday. I was lucky enough to make it to the unforgettable gig. The artists have very different styles - Hanggai are real showmen, bringing more of a party vibe and Mamer connects with the audience on a more emotional melodic level. Both acts were musically outstanding. If you missed the concert, part of the Barbican's Beyond the Wall festival, then you can catch them both in July at WOMAD.

Links:
realworldrecords.com/artists/mamer
myspace.com/mamermusic1
hanggai.co.uk
matteoscumaci.co.uk

Tsui Hark Exhibition in Hong Kong

Thanks to Mark Wu's excellent travel blog Mangovine I found out that there is an exhibition covering the work of film maker Tsui Hark on in Hong Kong now. Although I wont actually be able to visit (due to being in the UK and not, unfortunately, about to jet off to HK) I can look at the photos Mark has posted and be envious of him!
The exhibition is entitled A Tribute to Romantic Visions, find out more here:
http://www.mangovine.net/site/entry/tsui_harks_film_workshop_exhibition_at_agnes_b/
Trivia: Tsui Hark had a small role in the Michelle Yeoh/Cynthia Rothrock movie Yes, Madam, as a character called Panadol (along with sidekicks Strepsil and Aspirin!). 1980's Slapstick kung fu in jumpsuits and denim. Nice. A million miles away from the stylish epics Tsui Hark directed himself (eg the Once Upon A time in China series) but good fun nonetheless. Tsui Hark is currently working on Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame starring Andy Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau (the lucky Mrs Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and the legendary Sammo Hung Kam Bo.

Terracotta Far East Film Festival

The Prince Charles Cinema in London's glittering West End (handily positioned near my favourite Chinatown restaurant Mr Kong's) presents the Terracotta Far East Film Festival.
The programme runs from 21st - 24th May and features zombies, anime, wuxia martial arts, schoolgirl martial arts, muay thai, Taiwanese drama, Korean noir and Cantopop prince Aaron Kwok. Check out the web site:
www.terracottafestival.com
Legendary Assassin will be screened on Sat 23rd May and it looks like a good old school martial arts film from Hong Kong. It's directed by Jacky Wu Jing and Li Chung Chi and Jacky also stars. I remember Jacky from the excellent Yuen Wo Ping movie Thai Chi Boxer back in '96. Some great calligraphy with ponytail in that! He was also in the ultimate crazy wuxia epic Zu Warriors from Magic Mountain directed by Tsui Hark. Talking of Tsui Hark, see my next post......

Anna May Wong Must Die! Film Screening + Talk + Music

I'm DJing at this fabulous event on Tuesday 26th May @ The Roxy, Borough High St SE1. 7pm onwards, £4 entry:

Glamour, sex, beauty, fame – Hollywood legend Anna May Wong had it all. She was the most famous Chinese woman in the world during the 1920s and 30s, and yet she struggled to get decent parts while white actors played the juiciest Chinese roles in “yellowface”.

Film critic Jasper Sharp, of the website Midnight Eye, introduces a screening of Piccadilly (1929), her best known British film.

Writer and performer Anna Chen presents an illustrated reorientation of Anna May Wong. Extending her recent BBC Radio 4 profile of the actress, Celestial Star of Piccadilly, Anna reveals how Wong and the Chinese were depicted in films and what they were up against during Yellow Peril fever in this personal appreciation of the world’s first Chinese movie star.

Shanghai sounds from me, Lucky Cat.

Drinks provided by the Akashi Sake Brewery.

Hope to see you there! Facebook event page here.

Mamer - in concert & CD release

Mamer heralds from the Chinese province of Xinjiang but now lives in Beijing. He is a singer/songwriter who sings in his native Kazak in a deep barritone voice. Over the years he has become a fixture on the Beijing folk music circuit. Now he is coming to London to play at the Union Chapel on 16th May as part of the Barbican's Beyond The Wall festival. His new CD Eagle is out on Real World Records on 18th May.
I played a couple of tracks on my Resonance FM show from Eagle; I'm really enjoying listening to the CD. It is quite varied, modern folk music with a range of musical instruments and sounds. At times it is reminiscent of Sa Ding Ding's style. Xinjiang province in China borders many other countries and the majority of people there are not Mandarin speaking Han Chinese. You can hear the folk influences from the countries that surround Mamer's birthplace - Tibet, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Reminding us again what a huge and diverse country China is.
The album has been produced by Robin Haller & Matteo Scumaci.

Last show in present series

The last show in the present series of Lucky Cat will be on tonight at 9pm on Resonance 104.4FM (www.resonancefm.com).
To join my mailing list for info on club nights and future radio spots please email luckycatzoe at gmail.com

Playlist 21st April 2009

New music from China

• Blood & Fire - Niney
  
• Rice Shop 米店 - Zhang Wei Wei & Guo Long
  
• Dead Flower - Jeff Zhang 守望 (Is It Real EP)
  
• That Long 那么久 - Wu Ning Yue 吴宁越 小南瓜
  
• Goo goo night - Ourself Beside Me
  
• 47 Rockets For Wan Hu - White (Shenggy from White is pictured)
  
• Why Punish Me Kneel Down - Unknown Hong Kong 1950s singer
  
• Proverbs - Mamer (Eagle CD)
  
• Who Say Me Done? - Cutty Ranks
  
• Soulful Dress - Sugar Pie DeSanto
  
• Also played a coupel of tracks from the excellent CDBollywood Steel Guitar
  

Check out new Beijing label MicroMu:
http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/micromu-an-innovative-new-record-label-in-china.html
http://www.buchadian.com/
Information on new music from China:
http://wiki.rockinchina.com

Technicolor Delight

Grace Chang Ja Jambo

Playlist 14th April 2009

• I Love Boh Boh Cha Cha - The Stylers
  
• My Darling Doll - Siao Fong Fong (pictured)
  
• Lion of Judah - Laurel Aitken
  
• Kalenda March - The Lion
  
• Talk About Love - Pat Kelly
  
• Track from the I Know EP - Wong Ching Yian
  
• The Dark End of the Street - Pat Kelly
  
• I Love You - Siao Fong Fong
  
• Young Love - Siao Fong Fong
  
• Let's Go Gay - The Rocking Skippers
  
• Eggs and Sausages in a Cadillac - Tom Waits
  
• Vietnamese Title - Song from the Robert Crumb compilation CD Hot Women, Singers from the Torrid Regions of the World
  
• Mr Ska Beena - Alton Ellis
  
• Electrified - Max & Cha Cha (Beijing)
  
• Here I Come - Ourself Beside Me
  

The Lion - New Sculpture in Chinatown

Apologies for the poor quality of these images - taken with my phone. The Lion is above Little Wu restaurant on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Wardour Street. In the bottom picture you can see (L-R) Someone from Shaftesbury PLC, David Tse of Chinatown Arts Space, artists Hsiao-Chi Tsai and Kimiya Yoshikawa, the Mayor of Westminster and Christine Yau from the London Chinatown Association.
I thought the new sculpture looked pretty good. I was worried before that it would be a bit cliche but actually it was quite contemporary and apporpriate for the space. So look up when you're on Shaftesbury Avenue!
For more info on the artists see their web site: www.hsiaochikimiya.com