Steampunk Opium Wars

Thursday 16th Feb, 6:30-10pm
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Lates: Anna Chen Presents 'Traders' : Steampunk Opium Wars

A satirical extravaganza about China, Britain, imperialism and drugs in the 19th century in verse & music. See narco-capitalists & Chinese lawmakers slug it out, take part in a poetry slam, and watch the weirdest tea ceremony ever.

I am going to be DJing at this fantastically eclectic evening. I'll be playing Chinese music from the 1920s and 30s (Zhou Hsuan, Bai Guang etc) and a few opium themed tracks.

Hope that you can come and play on 16th Feb. It's free but you do need to reserve tickets:
http://www.rmg.co.uk/visit/events/lates-anna-chen-presents-traders

More info on the event:
Ann Chen's Blog
Facebook Page

Dragon Mix Podcast

Due to a technical failure the mix was not played on Resonance today. Here's the podcast, hope you enjoy.

Dragon Mix

Today's Dragon Mix Playlist:

• The Dragon King - from Monkey: Journey To The West "Instrumentals" CD promo track (Damon Albarn and co.)
  
• Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Tan Dun and Yo Yo Ma fromt he soundtrack of the film of the same name
  
• Enter the Dragon - The Upsetters (from the LP King Fu Meets the Dragon a Lee Perry classic)
  
• Theme from Enter the Dragon
  
• Escape from Dragon House - Dengue Fever
  
• Pete's Dragon - Excerpt from the Disney Read-A-Long record
  
• Double Dragon - Soundtrack excerpt fromt he classic arcade game
  
• Riding the Dragon - Paul Robeson
  
• Dragon (Wood) - Shanghai Traditional Orchestra (from the CD Chinese Feng Shui Music
  
• Dragon Weapon - Don Drummond
  
• Exit the Dragon - The Upsetters
  
• Dragon Dance - Festical celebration - Han Shin Chinese Folk & Danse Ensemble
  
• Dragons Play With Pearl - track from Cantonese Mental Music LP
  
• Walk Like a Dragon - Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires
  
• OST Pete's Dragon - song from the Disney film of the same name (starring an old Mickey Rooney)
  
• The Final Sword Battle - The Dragon vs The Transience - from the Tsui Hark film Seven Swords
  
• Ba Xing Bao Xi He He Xi - Twins and friends
  

Dragon Mix on Today's Lucky Cat

On today's show I'll be playing my deadly dragon mix to welcome the Year of the Dragon. Remember the old arcade game Double Dragon? We also had this on the Atari, classic fighting game, happy times!

Tune in at 3.30pm UK time on 104.4FM in London or via www.resonancefm.com anywhere.

Podcast and Playlist RIP Etta James

Here's the podcast of Lucky Cat Series 6 Episode 11.
The show starts off as a repeat as for the first time in 6 years I was running late! I arrive about 8 mins in to pay tribute to the late great Etta James and wish you all Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Playlist:

• Tell Mama - Etta James (Chess LP Security)
  
• Tough Lover - Etta James (R&B Greats CD, Not Now label)
  
• Hey Henry - Etta James (Modern label 7")
  
• Security - Etta James (Chess LP Security)
  
• Pushover - Etta James (Argo label 7")
  
• WOMAN - Etta James (Chess 2XLP The Sweetest Peaches: The Chess Years)
  
• All I Could Do Was Cry
  
• Welcome Happiness- Tsui Ping & Friends (EMI label 7" EP)
  
• Year of Happiness from the of Folk Instrumental Music (China Records 10" LP)
  
• The Willow Plays Like a Zither from Chinese Opera Songs & Music (Folkways label LP)
  
• Down in the Basement - Etta James & Sugarpie De Santo
  
• Nula Dua Mumur Mumur from Sumatra of Today and Yesteryear (Claude Jannel LP)
  
• Please, Please, Please - James Brown (R&B Greats CD, Not Now label)
  

Happy Year of the Dragon

Gong Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Gong Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone!

Here's a free download from long-time Lucy Cat listeners Quadrilles.
Check out the cool accompanying video featuring the Yellow Dragon Lion Dancing group.

Red Light Revolution

I mentioned last year that Terracotta Distribution were going to release China's first sex shop comedy feature film Red Light Revolution. The time is now, the revolution is almost upon us and it will not only be televised but on the big screen too.

The film, directed by Sam Voutas (a Greek Australian who has lived in Beijing for many years), focuses on a group of guys who open a Beijing sex shop when their regular day jobs don't bring in enough cash. Apparently Beiijng really does have the most sex shops per square mile than any other city!
The comedy mainly arises from Chinese tradition colliding with modern sexual values.
The film was voted audience favourite at last year's Terracotta Film Festival and now Terracotta will bring the film back to The Prince Charles for one night only! Just in time for Chinese New Year, get yourself down to the cult Leicetser Square cinema for a few chuckles on Monday 23rd of Jan at 9pm.

DVD release will follow in Feb.

I'll be giving my review of the film my Resonance radio show Lucky Cat (Saturdays 3.30pm 104.4 Resonance FM).

Lucky Cat S6 Ep10 (14th Jan 2012) Playlist & Podcast - Happy New Year!

Happy 2012 to you all. For the first episode of the year I was helped out in the studio by my daughter.
Hope you enjoy the podcast, here's the playlist:

• When Are You Coming Again - Miss Mary Leung
  
• Auld Lang Syne - Miss Carmelita Gevar
  
• Lady Lan Hua-Hua - Wong Ching (from the CD White Snow in Early Spring available here: www.hugocd.com)
  
• Maria - The Mighty Sparrow (RCA LP, pictured)
  
• Teke Song - from Discover Indonesia, Smythsonian Folkways CD
  
• Unchain my Heart - Nancy Sit (7" EP, Squirrel Records)
  
• Megumi Project - Miss Megoo & Yahman Allstars feat Derrick Morgan (10" Vinyl only) available here: www.johnjohnrecords.com)
  
• Gong Ensemble Piece - Sumatran song, Smythsonian Folkways CD
  
• Blue Lagoon - Miss Megoo & Yahman Allstars (10" Vinyl only)
  
• Leanna - Stranger Cole (PAMA 7")
  
• Pepito de Mallorca - Trio Guadalajera (7")
  
• Gondang si Monag-Monag- from Discover Indonesia, Smythsonian Folkways CD
  

Chinese New Year Films @ BFI London

The British Film Institute are showing some films to celebrate Chinese New Year. Quite a cool and diverse selection; I am really keen to see the award winning Ann Hui film A Simple Life. China Culture Connect will present a series of documentaries in the Unseen China screening which also looks really interesting. Most of all I am bowled over at the prospect of seeing Woman Basketball Player No. 5, a technicolor 1957 Shanghai film by director Xie Jin.
If you heard my on air review of Confucius starring Chow Yun Fat then you'll know I wasn't a fan. Beautifully art directed but overblown and rather tedious with scholarly name dropping a go-go.

Films are showing in February, details here: www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/events/chinese_new_year

Cha Cha's Chinese Bass Culture Music Picks

Happy New Year everyone. Already looking like this is going to be a fantastic year for my favourite Chinese singer Cha Cha!
Check out this fantastic playlist she has compiled for the Red Bull Music Academy web site:

www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/cha-cha-chinese-countdown

Cha Cha and MC Webber's new demo is out now, take a listen to some cool Chinese Hip Hop here:
http://soundcloud.com/chachachina/prod-chacha-webber

Cha Cha and Jay Soul have also been teaming up again so expect some killer beats and soulful singing in your lug holes pretty soon.

I'm still on an Xmas break from Resonance FM, will be back broadcasting Sat 14th Jan. Zaijian!