Spirit Warriors - CBBC Goes East!

Here's the trailer for the new children's drama series Spirit Warriors created and written by Jo Ho for CBBC. Watch the first episode this Friday 22nd January 5:45pm on CBBC (freeview) or tune in to BBC 2 on Sunday 24th Jan at 9:30am.
Links:
www.missjoho.com
Dimsum.co.uk review

Chinatown London 1947

I've only recently discovered this excellent resource site - Pathe newsreels are archived and available to watch online. Whilst doing a random search for 'calypso' on the site (as you do) I came up with this little gem and what do you know, London's Chinatown is featured straight away! The calypso nightclub is in Reel 2 and well worth checking out (great jiving moves from the customers). It is a little like a round the world tour, designed to show the capital as a multicultural entertainment zone where you can eat chop suey followed by Russian vodka and Calypso Be-Bop dancing.
After the war rationing was still in place and this is mentioned in the film - rice was not available for instance. I love the line about the pandas in the zoo being the only ones who could get real bamboo shoots!
I have searched for further info on the Chinese restaurant Leyons but not come up with anything so far. It looks like it opened in the late 1930s because of its wonderful Art Deco style.

LONDON'S NIGHTWORLD - reel 1

Lucky Cat 13th January 2009 Podcast

Lucky Cat 13th January 2009

Lucky Cat

The missing Episode 2 of Series 3 now intact! Thanks Robin for recovering it from the Resonance FM archive for me.
This episode is Tetsuya Nakashima special with reviews of 'Kamikaze Girls' and 'Memories of Matsuko'. I am joined by the editor of 'Electric Sheep' film magazine Alex Fitch and comic artist Dan Lester.
The Dim Sum Lunchbox contains a Japanese pickled herring dish.

Playlist: # Isechoukou Blues - Aoe Mina # Talkin' Girls - Shonen Knife (Let's Knife LP) # I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song) - The Ikettes (Hairspray soundtrack LP) # Since He Likes You - Kayama Yozo # Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall - Ella Fitzgerald (Ella: The Best Coral LP) # Yesterday's Memories - Lillian Leach & The Mellows # 九ちゃんのﾂﾝﾂﾝ節 - Sakamoto Kyu / 坂本九 # I am Coming Home - Pat Kelly (PAMA 45 b side) # Munasurabi Tokyo - The Peanuts # If It Don't Work Out - Pat Kelly (PAMA 45 a side) # 禁じられた恋のボレロ - Mizuhara Hiroshi / 水原弘

East Asian Film Season at the Prince Charles Cinema

The Prince Charles Cinema in London's twinkling West End is putting on an East Asian Film Festival:
http://www.princecharlescinema.com/events/#asian
Starting with the ultimate monster movie from Japan (Godzilla) and ending with everybody's favourite cheongsam chocked Chinese romance In The Moood for Love.
18th Jan - 22nd Feb, handily located near my favourite Chinese restaurant Mr Kong's in Lisle Street.
(Takeshi Kitano's Hana-Bi is pictured above, showing on 8th Feb)

Podcast - Lucky Cat, Ep 3 Series 3 (20th Jan 2009)

Lucky Cat 20th Jan 2009

Lucky Cat

I am joined in the studio by Mark Wu, graphic designer and creator of Visible Chinese and One Inch Punch. Sweet and Sour Sauce showdown in the dim sum lunch box.
To follow mark's East Asian travel adventures visit mangovine.net

RIP Wu Yingyin (吳健秋) 1922-2009

Shanghai born singer Wu Yingyin passed away December 2009 in Los Angeles. She was one of the seven great singing stars of Shanghai in the 1940s (along with Yao Lee and others found on the Shanghai Lounge Divas compilation CD). Wu Yingyin sang in nightclubs in Shanghai and was signed to Pathe/EMI in the late 1940s. She had many hits and was still performing into her 80's. There is a clip of a Shanghai 2003 concert of her on Youtube.

I love this style of singing and music, thank you Wu Yingyin may you sing in the stars.

Tribute to Nasal Song Queen

Live Journal article

NYE Menu

Snacks:

• Wasabi Peas
  
• Green Pea Crisps
  
• Cuttlefish Crisps
  
• Mixed Salted Nuts

First Course:

• Edamame Beans
  
• Mini Veg Spring Rolls
  
• Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mon Pla)

Second Course:

• Kimchi Dumplings
  
• Prawn Dumplings

Third Course:

• Vietnamese Sticky Spare Ribs
  
• Mini Roast Potatoes

Drinks:

• Cosmopolitans
  
• Sidecars
  
• Lots of Cava and Prosecco

Most food was purchased at the excellent large See Woo shop in Greenwich. I also found there an amazing crispy chilli prawn condiment made by Tean's Gourmet of Malaysia. I have been looking out for a chilli oil laced with crispy prawns for a while, this one is great as there is not much oil plus the added bonus of crispy anchovies, shallots and garlic.

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):