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

Sophie Yau plays live on Lucky Cat Tues 7th April

Singer songwriter Sophie Yau will join me on tomorrow's Lucky Cat for a live performance.
Sophie has also agreed to take part in the Dim Sum Lunchbox tasting - this week it's Chez Pim's Thai-marinated fried chicken.

For more info on Sophie Yau go to: www.myspace.com/sophieyau

Japanese Cinema and Art Festival @ The National Gallery

Strength from Adversity
A Contemporary Japanese Cinema and Art Festival @ The National Gallery in London 15-17 April 2009.
A celebration of contemporary Japanese cinema. The festival has been organised by Japan Care for the Elderly.

Takeshi Kitano's Kikujiro is showing on Friday 17th April, the film was nominated Golden Palm at Cannes in 1999. Other films include the UK premiere of 2009's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner Departures.

Varifair Film Festival

The brand new VARIFAIR Film Festival will be showcasing current Chinese Cinema in London this month.
The festival will run for one week, 18th - 25th April. There is a competition to find a 90 Second Short Film.

The VARIFAIR Film Festival aims to bring a completely different vision of Chinese film and to discover and develop the next generation of film makers.

Films showing include The Sun Also Rises directed by Jiang Wen and Post Revolutionary Era a documentary on Chinese indie rock music and bands.

For the festival diary see the post at dimsum.co.uk.

Radiodiffusion Blog

A few nights ago whilst doing some late night searching for images of the Taiwanese girl group The Petals (as you do) I found this amazing blog:
http://radiodiffusion.wordpress.com
I can't believe I didn't know about it before, the information on there is incredible, it catalogues recorded popular music of the '60's and '70's from many, many countries including East Asia (which obviously I am particularly interested in). What a brilliant resource: cover art, mp3s and historical and cultural information.
Just take a look, for instance, at the Singapore page.
The creator Stuart Ellis compiled the excellent Bollywood Steel Guitar CD for Sublime Frequencies and he will be doing some other compilations for them soon.
I found this picture of Cai Mi Mi & Five Petals Guitar Band too (see above) on the Taiwanese page too.
For more info see: http://radiodiffusion.net

King Boxer & 36th Chamber of Shaolin, new DVD editions

Weinstein label Dragon Dynasty has released two Kung Fu classics on DVD with new interviews, commentaries and extras:

• King Boxer aka The Five Fingers of Death starring Lo Lieh
  New commentary by Quentin Tarantino. Classic Shaw Brothers action from 1972, check out the glowing red fists! Lo Lieh gets to play the hero in this one, he went on to play a lot of villains, as in the next release....
  
• 36th Chamber of Shaolin
  The 1978 classic that should be on every true martial arts film lover's shelf. Gordon Liu in an iconic role as the young hero.
  New commentary from Wu Tang Clan's RZA.
  

Brian White, formerly of the now dissolved Hong Kong Legends DVD label, is working with Dragon Dynasty. Read all about it here.