Part 2 looks at: Chinese cinema’s ultimate bad girl ‘White Light’ Bai Guang, ‘White Rainbow’ Bai Hong (pictured), ‘Big Sister’ Gong Qiu Xia and the controversial star with an identity. Playlist below.
Novelty, humorous, kitsch 'stocking filler' plastic toys and gifts made in China. What does the production of these trinkets and our desire for them say about our culture and our relationship with China?
Mamer, whose wonderful debut album Eagle came out on Real World records last year, is in the UK for some gigs. The Chinagrass musician will play in London this Tuesday at The Lumiere in Kilburn. For the other tour dates and venues, check the schedule. I did a programme on Chinagrass (music from the grasslands of China) for Resonance FM last year when Mamer and Mongolian band Hanggai were over performing at the Union Chapel in London. Mamer sings in his native Kazakh and plays beautifully on the dombra (a lute/banjo like instrument). A taster of Mamer's music is on Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-7hl4Q6IH4
Tonight's programme looks at: Chinese cinema’s ultimate bad girl ‘White Light’ Bai Guang (pictured, thanks to Durian Dave), ‘White Rainbow’ Bai Hong, ‘Big Sister’ Gong Qiu Xia and the controversial star with an identity crisis Li Xianglan Playlist:
If Only - Li Xiang Lan
Candy Peddling Song - Li Xiang Lan
Shina No Yoru (from the film 'Chinese Nights') - Li Xiang Lan
Mei Hua, Plum Blossom - Li Xiang Lan
Sunset - Bai Guang
I'm a Female Bodhisattva (from the film 'Courage in the Spy World') - Bai Guang
Further reading: Beautiful Girls by Lisa See. A historical novel about two sisters who are models (beautiful girls) for the calendars and adverts in Shanghai in the late 1920s/early 30's. The sisters flee to America when the Japanese invade Shanghai. the first part of the book paints a vivid and insightful portrait of Shanghai and its inhabitants.
China Modern by Ou-Fan Lee (Harvard University Press). Contains chapters on early Chinese cinema, novelist Eileen Chang and Hong Kong films set in the Shanghai of the 1920s and 30s.
For last week's Dim Sum Lunch Box I cooked a Shanghainese recipe - Drunken Chicken. I'd never made it before and was pleased with how well it turned out. The chicken was slightly gelatinous and was infused with a subtle sweet,salty and boozey flavour. A perfect dish for a summer picnic I'll definitely be making this one again. I got the recipe from the blog Rasa Malaysia. It was a guest blog by Amy from Nook and Pantry. I thoroughly recommend this one. If you can be patient leave it for 2 days in the fridge, the flavour is even better.
Taiwan Cinefest is at Riverside Studios in London 17th -21st March. (poster for the film Step by Step is pictured). Apologies for not posting about this earlier but I just found out about it.
I'll be DJing some of my 80's and 90's Ragga/Reggae records this Friday at the lovely Arts Bar in Camberwell. I will also be doing a Lucky Cat night at the bar on the 30th April.
25 years ago the King Jammy's Sleng Teng rhythm was created so expect a bit of that, a bit of Bam Bam and a bit of butterfly-ing and bogling on the dancefloor. Don't forget your beer mat sweat rags! Nice.
Modern Chinese films set in Shanghai: Shanghai Triad dir by Zhang Yimou In the Mood for Love dir by Wong Kar Wai
*Lust, Caution dir by Ang Lee
*Eighteen Springs dir by Ann Hui(Anita Mui’s last film role)
* These films are adaptations of novels by Eileen Chang. Eileen is a 1920s Shanghainese novelist. Translated versions of her books are available. Find out more about her here.
Tonight's episode of Lucky Cat looks at the music of the Seven Singing Stars of Shanghai. Chinese chanteuses from the early 20th century. Part 1 starts with Zhou Xuan, Yao Lee and Wu Ying Ing. Listen live on 104.4FM or via www.resonancefm.com 7pm Thursday 11/3/2010.
Here's the podcast of the Park Chan-Wook special. Not much music this episode but lots of interesting discussion of the Korean film maker's work from Mira Stout and Alex Fitch. The lunch box contains Korean vegetable and crab stick sushi rolls, baby anchovies in a malt syrup and some rather strange looking chilli pickled vegetables (rhinzomes, carrots etc). All food was purchased from the Centre Point Korean supermarket.
Mira Stout's best selling novel One Thousand Chestnut Trees in soon to be republished. The film that Mira mentions at the end of the programme is Treeless Mountain, by female director So Yong Kim, find out more here.
Alex Fitch interviewed Park Chan-wook for Wheel Me Out magazine, now available online.
Playlist:
Chang'gu Dance (Dance Solo) - Chung Woong ('Traditional Music From Korea' CD)
Vampire - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra ('Ska Para Toujou' CD)
Korean folk song from a vinyl LP of a trio of female Korean singers.
Jesus Gave Me Water - Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers ('Gospel 1939-1952' CD)
While The Blood Runs In Your Veins - Josh White ('Les Triomphes du Blues' CD)
Lucky Cat radio programme Thursday 25th Feb 2010 7-8pm 104.4FM (London) www.resonancefm.com (anywhere)
Tomorrow's programme is a Park Chan-Wook special to coincide with the UK DVD release of the Korean auteur's vampire film Thirst. I will be joined in the studio by Mira Stout (author of bestselling novel One Thousand Chestnut Trees, playwright, and film critic) and Alex Fitch (broadcaster and assistant editor of Electric Sheep film magazine) to discuss Thirst and Chan-Wook's oeuvre. Korean tea and snacks will be sampled for the Dim Sum Lunchbox.
There will also be a competition to win some film posters of I'm A Cyborg But That's OK, details to follow. . . .
Here's the podcast of last week's show, playlist is below. On the programme I say that the track Valorian is by Hong Kong in the 60s when in fact it is a remix by them and the track is by Arthur & Martha. I got a lot of good feedback about this track, love that bossa nova beat! The original tune is on Athur & Martha's debut album Navigation (pictured). The Chinese Reggae on the podcast is by Cha Cha, I have the lyrics translated for both tracks if you would like them please let me know: luckycatzoe@gmail.com
Films, Lion Dance, and Family Activities at Museum of London in Docklands. A chance to see the brilliant Arthur Dong documentary Hollywood Chinese
Sunday 14th Feb at V&A Museum 10.30-17.00 Drop-in Design: Chinese New Year Join us in celebrating Chinese new Year by designing a fabulous headdress, mask or badge inspired by tigers, dragons and zodiacs you find in the China Gallery.
Saturday 13 February 2010 @ National Portrait Gallery, Ondaatje Theatre & St Martin's Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields Church The Confucius Institute for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) would like to invite you to join in a great, big family celebration of the Chinese New Year. We will be bringing in the year of the tiger with a sensational Chinese dance and martial arts performances, storytelling of ancient Chinese legends, as well as a few crafts and games for those who like to get a bit messy. Times: 11:30 – 5:00, shows start at 12pm, 2pm,4pm.
I've just stumbled across this great Rocksteady soundtrack, really enjoying it. The CD was released by John John Records a couple of years ago. The lead singer is Zoe Devlin (Devlin Love)of Alabama 3. It accompanies the film After the Rain by Gaelle Denis which you can see here:
Now I'm excited, this looks pretty fantastic. Forget all the disappointments, all the times you've seen Yuen Wo Ping's name attached to a film and it has turned out to be yet another epic martial arts bag of blah. Beautiful but boring and worthy (The Banquet), given the Hollywood schmaltz treatment (The Forbidden Kingdom) or maybe you're just tired of slo-mo action shots, billowing costumes, wire fighting, lame story lines and CGI phonieness. Perhaps you have epic martial arts film fatigue? It is a common condition these days.
Those were projects that Yuen Wo Ping merely action-directed, he is directing this film. Let us not forget the legacy: Drunken Master, The Buddhist Fist, Iron Monkey, The Tai-Chi Master and Wing Chun.
Yuen Wo Ping has also been action director on some great films Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (I know some will argue with this one but it's my list and I love Michelle Yeoh!), Fearless, Kung Fu Hustle and Kill Bill 1&2.
Not sure when True Legend (aka Beggar Su - I prefer that title, too many films with 'Legend' in the title already) will get a UK release but I'll keep you posted. Talking of UK releases, Ponyo is coming.......
Wu Jinglue
"Sunny Spring" (mp3) 
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