C.F.O.C - Paris shopping

As my earlier post states I visited a wonderful store whilst in Paris recently. It has been there since 1966 I think - Compagnie Francasie de l'Orient et de la Chine (170 Boulevard Haussman). Due to the bad exchange rate and my lack of funds in general I was unable to go totally crazy and buy an antique deco light or a wonderful cherry red 1950's fish shaped clock. I did however pick up these little gems:


A double happiness (shuang xi) mug perfect fro either beer or tea (the sight of soya-milky tea in a glass mug gives me a warm glow, can't explain why).


Monkey! I paid too much for this but my heart wouldn't let me leave the shop without it. I wondered if it had started life as a jar, like the nutella or mustard jars you get in France with cartoon characters on. I remember getting some lovely Chinese honey jars/glasses until Chinese honey was banned here in the UK for a while.

Paris

It was pouring with rain in Paris so I didn't stand around to take a photo but we saw this fabulous red Chinese building which is now some kind of a private gallery.
Picture on Flickr.
Nearby there's a Chinese department store, it has been trading for 20 years or so and has beautiful crockery, antique furniture and nick nacks and clothes. I found a Monkey (Journey to the West ) glass which I could not bare to part with so parted with some Euros and now it is mine, mwahh ha ha ha ha. Picture to follow when my holiday is over. Right, no more blogging, I'm en vacance!

Nina

No special reason, just found this great clip and wanted to share.
The one and only Nina Simone.

Vote Terracotta

The Far East Film Festival, Terracotta, comes to the Prince Charles cinema tomorrow (Thursday 6th May). The opening film is Jackie Chan's latest Chinese movie Little Big Soldier (which does not have any tie in deals with supermarkets but is a film worth watching).
All the films in the festival are being shown at the cult "Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square. Here are some of the movies that I am looking forward to:

• Development Hell: A documentary about the making of the historical epic martial arts film Bodyguards & Assassins. As the title suggests it was a rocky road and took 9 years to complete.
  (Friday 7th May 2pm)
  
  
  
  
• Bodyguards & Assassins: Director Teddy Chen will be in town to give an intro and Q&A on the film. A star studded production (Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bing Bing, Simon Yam) which tells the story of an attempted assination attempt on Sun Yat Sen in 1903 when he visited Hong Kong. Watch out for Eric Tsang playing the Chief of Police with a Poirot style moustache!
  This is an epic film which deserves to be seen on the big screen.
  (Sunday 9th May 6.10pm)
  
  
• Fish Story
  Can a Japanese band's punk rock song save the world? Mmm, perhaps, do you remember how yodelling saved the world from the martians in Tim Burton's Mars Attacks?
  (Friday 7th May 3.15pm)
  
  
• Accident
  Hong Kong thriller produced by Johnny To and directed by Soi Cheang. A team of professional killers whose work always looks like accidents are stumped when the tables are turned. Noir Hong Kong style.
  Q&A with Xavier Jamaux (soundtrack composer).
  (Friday 7th May 6pm)
  
  
  
  
• Antique
  A Korean movie on the big screens in the UK that isn't violent! Hurrah. A comedy based on a manga about a cake shop with romantic farce. Looks like delicious foodie fun (no live octopus eating).
  (Saturday 8th May 1pm)
  
  
• In the Mood for Doyle & Yakuza Eiga
  Documentary double bill: 1 Christopher Doyle, Wong Kar Wai's cinematographer of choice. 2 The impact of yakuza (Japanese gangsters) on cinema.
  Q&A with director Yves Montmayeur.
  (Saturday 8th May 3.25pm)
  
  
• Vengeance
  Johnny To action thriller starring the great HK stalwart Anthony Wong Chau Sang and French crooner and national treasure Johnny Hallyday. Expect gun shots a go go and serious male brooding!
  (Saturday 8th May 6.15pm)
  

For a full programme visit terracottafestival.com

On Saturday night there's a Japan Party at the Slug & Lettuce (or should that be the Eel & Mizuna?) Lisle Street (Chinatown). I'll be DJing before bands Peter Parker Rocks and Sunset Drive perform live. (Part of It Came From Japan). For full details see the Facebook Event Page.

cherry blossom

Resonance FM Fundraiser Weekend

Resonance FM has been on air for 8 years and to celebrate and ensure another 5 years of outstanding broadcasting they are having a fundraising marathon this weekend.

Sat 1st May 12noon-12midnight: Johnny Trunk hosts
Sun 2nd May 12noon-12midnight: Bob & Roberta Smith hosts

Special guests will drop by and some marvellous items are up for auction, check out the Resonance site: resonancefm.com/fundraiser

Or you can always donate right now!

Please help to support Resonance who work tirelessly to provide interesting, intelligent and exciting new radio programmes for London and beyond. All presenters and engineers work voluntarily to provide you the listener with something other, something a little different, something advert free and good for your soul!

Thank you.

Clive Chin

Last week I had the honour and the privilege of interviewing the legendary Chinese Jamaican Reggae producer Mr Clive Chin.

Clive is the son of Vincent Chin (whose Chinese father moved from mainland China to the West Indies in the 1920s). Vincent Chin opened the the music store and then recording studio Randy's in Kingston Jamaica way back in 1957. Artists to record on the Randy's label included Alton Ellis, John Holt and Lord Creator.

Clive Chin began working at the store and studio aged 15 and in the 1970s began to produce tracks of his own, starting up the Impact! record label. His first big record as a producer was with his school friend Augustus Pablo (aka Horace Swaby, the melodica playing dub legend!)- Java.

I talked with Clive about the influence of Chinese music in Reggae and he mentioned some tracks he produced with an Eastern flavour. One of which is this superb Tommy McCook number Harvest in the East which was the instrumental B side to Dennis Brown's The Cheater:


This track can be found on the compilation LP Impact! .

Clive took a break from music production when he left Jamaica in 1978. He moved to New York and had a Jamaican restaurant there for ten years or so. Now he is very much back in the music business and manages the Randy's back catalogue along with Impact! and some other selected labels. And what a catalogue of music, in 2007 Randy's celebrated 50 years and brought out the box set 2 CD anthology with documentary DVD:



I talked at length with Clive about his Chinese Jamaican roots, other notable Chinese Jamaicans in the music business and his historical knowledge of Jamaican music. I have recorded the interview for a future radio project which I hope to tell you about very soon.

In the meantime check out Clive Chin's Myspace page and listen to the FRESH NEW CHINESE REGGAE TUNE FEAT SHANGHAI's CHA CHA!!!! As you can tell I am very excited about this, Clive is pressing 500 10" vinyl copies of this tune which is a combination track with Cha Cha (singing in Mandarin) and veteran DJ Rankin Joe. When the discs are ready I will be sure to let you all know where you can get you hands on them (I'm first in the queue though, obviously!).

Fong Fong's got the moves!

Podcast & Playlist Lucky Cat Series 4 Episode 12 - Terracotta Film Festival

Lucky Cat Series 4 Episode 12 - 8th April 2010

Lucky Cat

For the last episode in the series I am joined by Joey from Terracotta Film distribution to discuss the upcoming Far East Film Festival (6-9th May, Prince Charles Cinema London).

Playlist:

She Does it to Me Right - Jimmy Cliff (produced by Leslie Kong, B side to Vietnam 7")

Jackie Chan - The Toasters (from the CD Don't let the Bastards Grind You Down)

The Ussuri Boatmen's Song - Kuo Sung, a Ho-chih nationality folk song (1964 LP Peking in Melody, China Record Company)

Hong Thong Daw Udon: Isan - (Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular vol 2, Sublime Frequencies CD)

Buttercup (I'm a Supergirl) - Shonen Knife (Powerpuff Girls: Heroes and Villains CD)

I Love Boh Boh Cha Cha - The Stylers feat Johnny Teo (7" EP of same name)

Footsteps - Hong Kong in the 60's (Last Skeptik Remix)

Links:
Lucky Cat blog
Terracotta Film Festival
Lucky Cat Radio Facebook Group

Terracotta Film Festival

On tonight's Lucky Cat radio show, I'll be joined live in the studio by Joey from Terracotta Distribution about the upcoming Terracotta Far East Film Festival.

This unique film festival features 15 hand-picked films from Hong Kong, China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Block busters such as the Jackie Chan film Little Big Soldier will be screened alongside lesser known nuggets such as the Korean musical comedy Antique.
I'm really looking forward to the epic Teddy Chan directed film Bodyguards and Assassins and am delighted to see there is also a documentary on the making of this film Development Hell (guess the title says it all!).

There's also a documentary on East Asian cinematographer of choice Christopher Doyle which is part of a double bill with another documentary by the same director, Yves Montmayeur , Yakuza Eiga (the history of yakuza cinema).

All this and a Johnny To film starring Lucky Cat favourite Anthony Wong Chau San and French national singing treasure Johnny Hallyday - Vengeance!

Last Episode of Lucky Cat Series 4 Tonight!

Tonight the fourth series of Lucky Cat draws to a close - cue the violins (or should that be erhus?)! I have thoroughly enjoyed making this series and have had some great guests - Hong Kong in the 60's, Mira Stout, Alex Fitch and Jo Ho. Still there are many topics I didn't get round to covering - The 7 Princesses of Cantonese Cinema, readings from Wuxia novels, the image of Shanghai in Western cinema, interviewing Anna Chen (had to postpone dues to illness), the world of Doraemon & Hello Kitty - Japanese characters of cuteness. Hopefully I can include all these in series 5, watch this space.

In the meantime enjoy tonight's show, I'll be chatting to Joey from Terracotta Distribution about the upcoming Terracotta Far East Film Festival (see next post).

7pm Resonance 104.4FM www.resonancefm.com

To stay in touch please join the Lucky Cat Facebook group or email me luckycatzoe at gmail.com

Previous episodes of series 4 can be found here:
luckycat.podomatic.com

I'll be recording some exclusive podcast only mixes over the next few months so stay tuned.

Thanks for listening and thanks for all your interest and support I really appreciate it.

Lucky Cat Club - Fri 30th April @Arts Bar

To celebrate series 4 of the radio show Lucky Cat (last episode next Thursday 8th April) I'm having a party. I've invited special guest Jean-Paul Séculaire (Right On! club and author of the London Dossier) to do a DJ set. I'll be playing too of course, vintage sounds from Shanghai to New York - from Yao Lee to Brenda Lee! Chef Malcolm will be running an East Asian bakes n' cakes stall and I'll be screening Shaw Brothers films on the walls of the lovely Arts Bar.

Arts Bar is tucked away above the Funky Monkey in Camberwell, a great bar with plenty of room to dance as well as sofas to lounge on.

So get your cheongsams drycleaned now!

Exhibition of Contemporaray Chinese Art in London @ Iniva

Lu Chunsheng & Jia Aili : Counterpoints
31st March - 15th May 2010

Both artists are interested in the rapid modernisation of society and the individual's relationship to the machine.

• The first man who bought a juicer bought it not for drinking juice (2008)
  A film by Lu Chunsheng which mixes documentary and fantasy to theatrical effect.
  The film commissioned and produced by Artpace San Antonio and supported by ShanghART Gallery, China.
  
  
• Make Believe... at Rivington Place is Jia Aili's first solo exhibition in Europe, with new paintings and a site specific piece for the window overlooking Rivington Street (see picture above).
  
  Living and working in Beijing, Jia Aili presents monumental new paintings reflecting on the human condition, and the individual's vulnerability in a rapidly developing world.
  

FREE! @
Iniva, Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 4 Ep 10 (25/11/2010)

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 4 Ep 10 (25/3/2010)

Lucky Cat

Wu Jinglue
"Sunny Spring" (mp3)
from "Sunny Spring"
(Silverwolf)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Puretracks
Buy at Amazon MP3
Buy at mTraks
More On This Album



The recipe in the Dim Sum Lunch Box is a version of Thai Moo Wan. I found the original at the wonderful Chez Pim.

For show's fill Playlist please see below.

Lucky Cat Podcast - 7 Singing Stars of Shanghai 2 - S4 Ep 9 (18/3/2010)

7 Singing Stars of Shanghai - Part 2

Lucky Cat

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.

Playlist - Lucky Cat 25th March 2010

• i-Society - Madtone (http://www.myspace.com/onedeckmadtone)
  
• Media Control - Cha Cha (CD EP Bass Shelter now available to buy from Jahtari shop!)
  
• Drinking Song - Hanggai (Introducing Hanggai CD)
  
• Kargashai - Mamer (Eagle CD)
  
• Rain in London - Michio Miyagi (Masterpieces in Koto LP)
  
• The Love Eterne (aka The Butterfly Lovers opera) soundtrack extract - Betty Loh Ti (pictured) & Ivy Ling Po (from vinyl 10" LP, Shaw Brothers)
  
• Sunny Spring - Chinese Qin Master Wu Jinglue (CD on Silverfox label)
  
• Pussy, Pussy, Pussy - Lighcrust Doughboys
  
• Chinese Soldiers Song - Paul Robeson
  
• The soldier's Sweetheart - Jimmy Rodgers
  
• Wrong Impressions of A Soldier
  
• Moonlight on the Ching Yang River - Chinese Classical Instrumental Music by Chinese Cultural Theatre Group
  
• Buddhist Chanting - as above
  
  

Ann Chen on BBC Radio 4

Check out this recent R4 programme presented by Anna Chen:

China, Britain and the Nunzilla Conundrum

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?

Chinagrass - Xinjiang musician Mamer on tour in UK

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

Lucky Cat Podcast - 7 Singing Stars of Shanghai - S4 Ep 8 (11/3/2010)

The Seven Singing Stars of Shanghai Part 1

7 Singing Stars of Shanghai - Part 1

Lucky Cat

Featuring music from Zhou Xuan (pictured), Yao Lee and Woo Ing Ing. Playlist is below.

The 7 Singing Stars of Shanghai - Part 2

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
  
• Listen Up - Bai Hong
  
• Spring Love song - Gong Qiu Xia
  
• Longing for You - Gong Qiu Xia
  
• The Flavour of Yearning - Zhou Xuan
  

Listen live 7pm Resonance 104.4FM

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.

Websites:
Mirror Cities, Fascination & Nostalgia
Ambuscade from Ten Sides
Shanghai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
The Golden Age of Chinese language Cinema
Soft Film: Vintage Chinese Cinema

Drunken Chicken

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.

Taiwanese Film Festival

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.

DJing at MESSY this Friday (19th March)

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.

7 Singing Stars of Shanghai (Part 1) Playlist

• Ye Shanghai – Zhou Xuan (Shanghai Divas Lounge CD)
• Clip from the film Street Angel, the song Four Seasons is sung by Zhou Xuan.
• The Wandering Songstress – Zhou Xuan (Shanghai Divas Lounge CD)
• When Will We Meet Again – Zhou Xuan (Pathe 100 CD)
• Tell Me – Zhou Xuan (Pathe 100 CD)
• Picking Betel Nuts - Zhou Xuan (Pathe 100 CD)
• This Love is Not For Me - Yao Lee (Shanghai Divas Lounge CD)
• Who Does Not Care – Yao Lee (Miss Yao Lee Sings, vinyl LP)
• Kiss of Spring – Yao Lee (Miss Yao Lee Sings, vinyl LP)
• 3 tracks from the Woo Ing Ing Pathe 100 CD
• Jin Xi He Xi - Bai Guang
• Forgotten Woman - Bai Guang

Youtube resources:
Hsiamoon’s Channel
Durian Dave’s Channel
Clip of Tang Wei singing the Zhou Xuan song Four Seasons to Tony Leung in Lust, Caution.

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.

The Seven Singing Stars of Shanghai Part 1

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.

Anna May Wong tribute by Chinatown Arts Space

I missed the outdoor screening last year on the Southbank, hoping to go to this performance at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House on 30th March.

More info @: www.chinatownartsspace.com

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 4 Ep 7 (4/3/2010)

Lucky Cat Series 4 Ep 7 (4/3/2010)

Lucky Cat

Playlist:

• Everybody Wants to be a Cat - Phil Harris from The Aristocats Disney film
  
• Wu Tang Kung fu sample - RZA Liquid Swords album
  
• Hung Tsai Girl - Stephen Cheng (Traditional Chinese Folk Music cassette)
  
• Wet Look Crazy - Macka B(Reggae Steady Go LP)
  
• Anita Mui Yim-Fong medley: (taken from her greatest hits 2xCD):
  
• Marriage Fat is Detained
  
• Don't Envy Goddess, envy Mandarin Ducks
  
• Love You 1100 Times All through Life
  
• The Season of Wind
  
• All will Love
  
• Ital Stew - Augustus Pablo(Meets Rockers Uptown CD)
  
• White Snow in Early Spring - Wong Ching (CD of same name)
  
• Baby, Shame on You - Wynonie Harris
  
• Howling at the Moon - Hank Williams
  
• Ye-Ye - Eiko Shuri (Nippon Girls CD)
  
• Wa Do Dem - Eeek-A-Mouse
  
• Women - Zhou Xuan (Pathe 100 CD)
  

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 4 Ep 6 (25/2/2010)

Lucky Cat - Series 4 Episode 6 25th February 2010

Lucky Cat

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)
  

Park Chan-Wook Week

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. . . .

New Year New Logo

Thanks to Milo.

Me Name Tiger

Now that's a grrrrrrrrrreat suit! I knew this LP would come in handy one day. Happy Year of the Tiger!