Terracotta Far East Film Festival

The last episode of Lucky Cat Series 5 will air today on Resonance 104.4FM. Today I will be joined by Joey Leung of Terracotta Distribution to discuss the upcoming Far East Film Festival (5th - 8th May @ The Prince Charles Cinema, London).

Tune in at 3.30pm today! To be podcasted next week.

Lucky Cat Series 5 Ep10 (16th April 2011) Playlist & Podcast

Playlist:

• These Foolish Things (Remind me of you) - Etta James
  
• Rich As Slave Please - soundtrack CD for film 'Liu San Jie' (3rd Sister Jie)
  
• Shen Jing Mo Shao - AM444
  
• I Love A Go Go - Josephine Siao Fong Fong EP
  
• Mi Panda - Hiro (from 'The Detective' soundtrack)
  
• Don't Let Me Down - Marcia Griffiths
  
• Let Me Hold You Tight - Marcia Griffiths
  
• Dry your Tears - Prince Fatty feat Winston Francis
  
• That Very Night in Dub - Prince Fatty feat Hollie Cook
  

I recount my evening at the Cinema Museum for the Anna May Wong double bill: documentary 'Frosted Yellow Willows and silent film Song.
Oxide Pang's The Detective is reviewed and Chinese desserts are discussed in the Dim Sum Lunch Box.

Marcia Griffiths is playing this Sunday at the London International Ska Festival.

To Fu Fa on Lama Island Hong Kong

Refreshingly cool, delicate and delicious. Icy cold silken tofu with caramelised syrup.
To fu fa features in the Dim Sum Lunch Box on today's episode of Lucky Cat. Listen live at 3.30pm Resonance 104.4FM or www.resonancefm.com

Anna May Wong Evening @ The Cinema Museum

Just before I left for China I attended the Anna May Wong evening at The Cinema Museum in Kennington. Tucked a way in South London back street (aren't all the best thing?s!) I was bowled over by The Cinema Museum - old posters and lobby cards, ushers in stylish vintage get up, old projectors and even cinema carpet samples.

There was a nice little display of Anna May Wong stills and lobby cards and a cute little china figurine doll:








The evening began with a screening of Elaine Mae Woo's documentary film on Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows. I had heard that the film focused mainly on Anna May's professional life and was a little idealistic. I found this to be the case and was perplexed as to why Elaine had chosen to present such a formal account of AMW's life. After the film Elaine did a Q&A and explained that she is working on a part 2 which will cover the more personal aspects of AMW's life. I am not sure why she didn't do one comprehensive documentary instead. I know there is a lot of material but I think it would have been more balanced and well rounded. Elaine was a little vague in her answers during the Q&A and quite often went 'off piste', totally ignoring one gentleman's question about including an account of the song These Foolish Things (which was written for Anna May by writer and broadcasting executive Eric Maschwitz as an evocation of his longing for her after they parted) in the next film. To have a song written for you (and a good song at that) is pretty amazing - surely worth a play/mention in a documentary!

I did learn some new facts from the film and it was wonderful to see all the old footage, it is clear that Elaine Mae Woo is passionate about her subject and wants people to remember AMW as the great star she was. She was also a person, and people have flaws, it doesn't mean they are bad or they aren't worthy of being remembered or that they are not role models for a race (quite a burden anyway, I guess even more so in AMW's case as there just was not anyone else representing Chinese women on screen at that time).

After the Q&A it was time for a rare screening of the Anna May film Song - with live piano accompaniment - what a treat!
My favourite test excerpt from the silent film was when the character Carlotto was introduced and he was described as being "full of garlic and gaiety". What a wonderful description.
I really enjoyed the film - AMW shows her comedic potential in some silly skits and really steals the show. The knife throwing scenes are pretty hair raising - especially when the thrower is blind!
For a film of 1927 the special effects used were pretty good; an underwater sea fight, a flash back positioned on screen in a table and a scene shot underneath a steam train!

Back from China

I am back from my whirlwind trip to China - 3 cities in 11 nights! I ate my way around Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong; took plenty of photos, kept a food diary, partied, went sight-seeing, bought records, got a qipao made, made friends, visited old friends, took planes, trains, ferries, rickshaws, trams and taxis!

I recorded some material whilst in China which I plan to share via my radio show and podcasts. I only have 2 episodes left of Lucky Cat Series 5 and I feel like I have so much to share now. I will podcast whilst off air and I will be back for series 6 in September.

You may be surprised to learn that this was in fact my first ever trip to China! For a Sinophile like myself it was a long awaited dream come true. It was only a snapshot of a huge country and I experienced a mixture of emotions, including amazement and at times disappointment - I will expand on this more in future posts. It wasn't all a bowl of cherries (or jujube berries?) but then China also inspired and astounded me too.



I wanted to interview the brilliant Chinese singer Cha Cha whilst I was in Shanghai but did not get the chance (though we did manage to do a little partying at the bassy basement club Shelter). Here is the video from the cool dubby track '神经末梢 (Shen Jing Mo Shao)' by AM444 (a collaboration between Cha Cha and Dutch producer Jay Soul). This is taken from the album 'Eye Wonder' . Really like the artwork for the album, done by local artist Nini Sum.

Cha Cha and soon to be hubby Gaz Williams will be over in the UK this Summer so I hope to catch up with her then for an interview and maybe some jamming in the studio....
For more Shanghai related shennanigans check out Gaz's web site for his Shelter nightclub:
http://subcultureshanghai.com/.
I was at the club for the release of SIG's new album, more to come on that in a future post...

Rabbit in a Spicy Bean Sauce

Jessie Levene made this spicy rabbit dish for the Dim Sum Lunch Box (Series 5 Ep9). Jessie lived in Chengdu, China for 3 years, where she developed a love of Sichuan cuisine. For mouthwatering photos and foodie travellers' tales check out her blog:Jessie and The Giant Plate.

This recipe is adapted from ‘Sichuan Cookery’ by Fuchsia Dunlop. Shaoxing wine, chilli bean sauce, black beans and Sichuan pepper can be purchased at most Chinese supermarkets.

About ½ a rabbit, with bones still intact
3 spring onions
1 small chunk of ginger (about half the size of your thumb), unpeeled
½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon fermented soybeans (aka black beans)
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1-2 tablespoons (1 sachet) chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
¼ teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chilli oil (optional)
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper


1. If your rabbit is a bit bloody, bring a pot of water to the boil and blanch the meat for about 30 seconds.
2. Bring a pot of fresh water to the boil, and add the Shaoxing wine, 1 of the spring onions cut in half and slightly crushed, along with the unpeeled piece of ginger, also slightly crushed.
3. Add the rabbit pieces and boil covered for about 15 minutes, or until the rabbit is cooked through. Remove the rabbit to a plate and set aside.
4. Now make the sauce. Rinse the black beans in a little hot water, drain and then mash to a rough paste with a fork. Finely chop the spring onions.
5. Heat the cooking oil in a small frying pan, and when hot add the chilli bean paste. Turn the heat to low-medium and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then add the black bean paste and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
6. Once the oil in the pan is a nice red colour, remove from the heat and pour the contents of the pan into a small bowl. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chilli oil, and salt to taste.
7. Strip the cooled rabbit meat from the bone, cut into strips and place in a serving bowl. Pour over the spicy bean sauce and mix the meat and sauce well together.
8. Spinkle the meat with the ground Sichuan pepper, sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onions and serve.

Podcast & Playlist Lucky Cat Series 5 Ep9 (12th March 2011)

Here's last week's show, which includes tracks from 2 of my all time favourite LPs (Aretha Franklin and Poon Sow Keng). I also review Ip Man 2 - worth seeing for the Donnie vs Sammo fight! Congratulations to competition winner Tom Elliot.

Cine Asia are having a mega sale - loads of martial arts and East Asian films for a Lady Godiva (fiver)! Check out: www.cine-asia.com

There has been a change to broadcasting at Resonance - this coming Saturday 26th March will feature live coverage from the anti-government cuts march in London. Lucky Cat Episode 10 will be broadcast on 2nd April and the last episode of Series 5 will now air on Saturday 23rd April.


Playlist:

• Thank You For the Many Things You've Done - Cassandra (from the Babylon soundtrack LP)
  
• Uptown Top Ranking - Dub Colossus (from the EP Rockers Meet Addis Uptown)
  
• Crazy He Calls Me - Aretha Franklin (Soul 69 LP)
  
• Where Have All The Flowers Gone - Poon Sow Keng(It's Spring in Autumn LP)
  
• La Vie En Rose - Clara Rockmore (Theremin music)
  
• Media Control - Cha Cha (on the Jahtari label)
  
• Chilli Was Hot - Ruth Wallis (Party Favourites EP on Wallis Recordings, Ruth's own label, not bad for a woman in the 1950's to have her own record label eh?)
  
• Grant Avenue - from the Flower Drum Song soundtrack LP
  
• Welcome to My Heart - The Bouquets (Girls, Girls Girls CD compilation)

Japan - Ways To Help

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan has been a tragedy of epic proportions, too heartbreaking for words. Japan needs our help, there are lots of ways we can donate, here are a few:


1)Special screening of Beyond Anime: CALF Animation for Play for Japan

In collaboration with the Play for Japan project, Zipangu will be doing a special London re-screening of the awesome CALF Animation programme.

This selection of innovative and uplifting shorts from the minds of young award-winning animators Atsushi Wada, Mirai Mizue, Kei Oyama and TOCHKA (Takeshi Nagata and Kazue Monno) will challenge your conceptions of Japanese animation in popular culture.
Head down to the Roxy Bar and Screen on Borough High Street, London SE1 on Sunday 3rd April @ 6pm.

All admissions proceeds will go to the Japan Society Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund.


Still from Handsoap by Kei Oyama, 2008.

2) Play For Japan - Full listings of other charitable gigs, screenings and events at:
www.playforjapan.com/

3) Donate a Shelter Box via Justgiving.com (nearly at their target £30K - come on!)

4) Make an Online Donation Now via The Japan Society

5) Or via Save The Children

6) US Readers: LivingSocial will match your donations; for each $5 donation through this offer they will also donate $5 to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. See http://livingsocial.com/redcross

Resonance FM Fundraiser this weekend - please help

It's that time of year again when I ask for your help:

Resonance FM is devoting the entire weekend to its annual on-air
Fund-Raising Marathon. Over 100 experiences, items, artworks, rarities and more than your heart’s desire – all donated by generous supporters and all up for grabs this weekend.
The reason?
The cuts have affected Resonance already and the future looks uncertain for all arts organisations. All prorgamme makers and engineers on the station work for FREE! There are no adverts on the station and all content is offered to you FREE throughout the year. If you have ever enjoyed listening to an episode of Lucky Cat please dig into your pockets and

OFFER A DONATION via the Resonance FM web site

OR

BID IN THE AUCTION:
Short details - http://resonancefm.com/auction
Images of what's on offer - http://tinyurl.com/resauction
Follow the bids - http://tinyurl.com/resauction2

You can also phone in on +44(0) 20 7407 1210 or +44(0) 207 089 2170 or +44(0) 207 089 2172 or
email: auction@resonancefm.com

Thank you so much for your support.

Today's Lucky Cat - Sat 12th March 2011

Some info about today's show but first I would like to say my thoughts are with the Japanese people at this time of great crisis. Hoping that all friends and listeners are OK.



It was International Women's Day this week and my show has an all female playlist today incl. tracks from 2 of my favourite LPs: Aretha Fanklin's Soul 69 and Poon Sow Keng's It's Springtime in Autumn. Also new music from Ethiopian Reggae outfit Dob Collossus (pictured) and a recent vinylfind from Queen of 1950s risque Ruth Wallis.

It's competition time - I'll be reviewing martial arts movie Ip Man 2 and I have 2 copies to give away so stay tuned for the question...

Guest contributer Jessie Levene gives us a tasty rabbit recipe in the Dim Sum Lunch Box.

I will not be broadcasting next week as Resonance are having a fund raising marathon. Please tune in to find out how you can participate, there will be lots of art works and collector's items up for auction. You can always donate to Resonance via the web site: www.resonancefm.com very easy to do, using PayPal.

After today's show there is only one more episode of Series 5 of Lucky Cat left!!! This will air on Sat 26th March and will feature a biog of writer Eileen Chang.

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

Thanks for listening.

Lucky Cat Podcast & Playlist Series 5 Ep 8 (5th March 2011)

Last Saturday's episode of Lucky Cat my interview with Clive Chin (see previous post for more info).

Playlist:

• The Big Beat - Fats Domino
  
• Don't Stay Out Late - Lord Creator
  
• You Can't Fool Me Again - Peter Tosh & The Wailers
  
• Sugar Sugar - Bob Marley & The Wailers
  
• Java - Augustus Pablo
  
• Harvest in the East - Tommy McCook
  
• One Day You'll Know - Cha Cha & Ranking Joe
  
• Woman of the Ghetto - Hortense Ellis
  

More Linkage:
Reggae Vibes Interview with Clive Chin
Places to Buy Represses of Randy's and Impact! label 7"s:
Dub Vendor
Sounds of the Universe (Soul Jazz)
Juno

Comments? Please email me: luckycatzoe at gmail.com

Manga Jiman - Kharis Brown

A few weeks back I mentioned on my show that I had been to the Japanese Embassy for the awards ceremony for their Manga Jiman (pride in Manga) competition.
I was particularly impressed with the work of teenager Kharis Brown, I took a photo of her work which I have been meaning to post - here it is. The manga is entitled Wave of Fate - the wave / 'nami' was the theme of the competition. Kharis has referenced the Hokusai wave and there is also a definite Ghibli influence (Ponyo?).

You can still see Kharis' work on display along with all the other mangas at the Japanese Embassy in London (exhibition closes 31st March).

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 5 Ep 7 (26th Feb 2011)

Steve Barker in the mix...


For details of playlist etc see my previous post.

More on Steve Barker here and here.

Clive Chin interview on this week's Lucky Cat Radio Show

This coming Saturday 5th March I will air my interview with 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 the1970s began to produce tracks of his own, starting up the Impact! record label. His first big record as a producer was 'Java', which he recorded with his school friend Horace Swaby (aka Augustus Pablo, the melodica playing dub legend!).

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.

Recently Clive has been tracing his Chinese roots; touring China and collaborating with Chinese singers (see www.myspace.com/aboverockrecords).

In an interview recorded last year I talk with Clive about his Chinese Jamaican roots and the influence of Chinese music in Reggae and his life in the music business.

This will be broadcast on Saturday 5th March at 3.30pm (UK) on 104.4FM in London and online anywhere via www.resonancefm.com.

Today's Lucky Cat - Sat 26th Feb 2011

This week I play an exclusive mix from broadcast journalist and fellow Reggae
loving Sinophile Steve Barker.

Steve Barker has presented and contributed to the BBC Lancashire radio
programme On The Wire for over 25 years. Guests on the show have
included Lee Perry, Adrian Sherwood, REM, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and
Joy Division.

Since 2003, Steve Barker has been contributing from Beijing, where he
works for the British Council. He also regularly writes for The
Wire magazine.

On the Wire Blog: http://otwradio.blogspot.com/



Steve Barker’s Mix:

* Kill Me Sweetly (Love Me Sweetly Remixed By Sulumi)
* Traffic Report – White
* Day trip – ME:MO
* Beijing Taxi – Peter Cusack (Beijing Sounds)
* Chinese Bang Bang – Betty Chung
* Chinese Brush – Wong Ping
* Beijing bus - Peter Cusack (Beijing Sounds)
* Rice Shop Zhang - Wei Wei & Guo Long
* Zhao Mu Yang – Zhao Yi Yang
* Beijing Beer – White
* Moon Town Moon Colour No.1 – Huan Qing
* English School – White
* Dusk Blackdown - 8 Million Minority



Zoë’s Mix:

* Track 1 & 9 from SIG’s debut album. SIG is from Qingdao, China. The album will be out in April, more info to follow.
* Cobb’s Box – Hong Kong in the 60s
* Theme From King of Chinatown - Hong Kong in the 60s (both these tracks are from the bands debut album My Fantoms – out now!)
* Goldfinger – Josephine Siao Fong Fong
* Rain Rain Go Away - Zhuang Xue Fang (aka Chong Sit Fong)
* Ali Baba Riddim Dub – Augustus Pablo, King Tubby & John Holt

Asia House - Pan Asian Film Festival

The Pan Asian Film Festival will be mostly at the Appollo cinema in Piccadilly. With the exception of the UK premiere of the Murakami adaptation Norwegian Wood which is at BAFTA on Tuesday 1st March.

The festival runs from 1st - 13th March and includes a screening of Taipei Exchanges, directed by Hsiao Ya-Chuan and executive produced by Tawianese auteur supremo Hou Hsiao-Hsien. See the trailer below.

For the full line up see:

http://www.asiahouse.org/net/Events.aspx

DJing this Sunday 27th Feb

The birthday's gone but the fun is to come
ECLECTIC LX

60 years of life and musical taste

Sunday 27 February approx 3pm –8pm

OLD SCHOOL YARD, LONG LANE, LONDON, SE1

£5 on door all for the musicians. Students, claimants and senior citizen rates available.
BANDS:

• ALBERT NEWTON = Charles Hayward, Pat Thomas, John Edwards
  World-class improvisers
  www.myspace.com/charleshayward
  
• GERTRUDE= Zoe Gilmour, Dawn Rose, Iona Tanguay, Ayesha Taylor
  All women, multi-instrumentalist, feminist punksters
  www.gertruderock.com
  
• THE CRACKED = Ian T, Tom, Neill, JP.
  London style Latinesque Pop
  www.the-cracked.com
  
• Eiko Itoh
  Singer songwriter
  www.eiks.co.uk
  
• Mark Knoop with Adam
  World Class Modern Classical pianist and accordionist with singer/clown
  www.markknoop.com
  

+ DJ LUCKY CAT ZOE BAXTER East Asian sounds and recipes. That's me!

Youngsters welcome until 9pm
Food available – platters

Lucky Cat Podcast Series 5 Ep 6 (19th Feb 2011)

• Beautiful Taiwan - Grace Chang (I Want Your Love Pathe 100: The Series Vol.15)
  
• Sunset - from the I Hate You Deeply soundtrack (vinyl LP)
  
• Scenery Of Taiwan - Jin-Long Fang(The Sound of Pipa CD)
  
• That's The Way It Is - Ella Fitzgerald and The Inkspots (Ella and Her Fellas LP on Brunswick)
  
• Men With Broken Hearts - Hank Williams (Complete Hank Williams Disc 3 CD)
  
• Hold What You´ve Got -Joe Tex (Look Out! - 10 Scorching Classics From 1961 - 1970 CD from Bear Family label)
  
• Stone Cold Dead in the Market - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan (Ella and Her Fellas LP on Brunswick)
  
• My Only Lover - Gregory Isaacs(from the upcoming Giants - early Randy's compilation. This track is available to download FREE now from Clive Chin's myspace!)
  
• Feeding Chickens - Liu Yun( Cai Hong Ling Pathe
  100: The Series Vol.10). Credit where credit is due - I heard this on the brilliant WFMU show Give the Drummer Some presented by Doug Schulkind)
  
• Put The Stereo On - Gappy Ranks (Peckings label 7" 45)
  

Bunny Logo

Kitty bunny for the Year of the Rabbit.
Thank you Milo.

Today's Lucky Cat - Sat Feb 19th 2011

Today I will be joined by Daney Hsu of Mr Hsu's Taiwanese Kitchen to discuss Taiwanese cuisine. Daney (pictured above - he works on the oyster stall in Borough market) will be bringing in some of the delicious products that he makes for on air sampling. All I know about Taiwanese cuisine is oyster omelettes and milk pearl ball tea so I'm intrigued to know more...

Today is also about free music and songs with talking in.
Expect Grace Chang, The Ink Spots and Taiwanese film soundtracks (and you will not be disappointed).