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K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
Hong Kong gigs
album reviews
Percussive finger-style guitarist, composer, and social media star Marcin Patrzalek. Photo: AFP
Music

Meet Marcin, the guitar genius so good people think he’s faking it

Marcin Patrzalek, 24, plays percussion, melody and rhythm at the same time on his acoustic guitar, and is an Instagram sensation.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | The life and legacy of Roman Tam, Hong Kong’s ‘godfather of Cantopop’

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Music

Canadian rock giants Rush release 50-song box set for 50th anniversary

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Music

Less rebellion, more depression and apathy. Welcome to punk in China today

As the Chinese punk scene soldiers on, bands increasingly perform to relieve pressure and release negativity, one insider says.

A punk attends a punk festival in Hangzhou, China, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A punk attends a punk festival in Hangzhou, China, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Beethoven meets space battles in ‘first manga opera’, coming to Hong Kong

Conductor Laurence Equilbey and her Insula Orchestra will perform Beethoven Wars: A Battle for Peace at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in March.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Refined Mozart, inspired Bach from Andras Schiff and his ensemble

Schiff and the Cappella Andrea Barca’s playing of Mozart exuded grace and refinement, and they were on point in Bach’s keyboard concertos.

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Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Deliciously terrifying David Boring show mixes post-punk sounds with horror

The underground indie group’s one-off event included them live-scoring horror music videos by local filmmakers and a Butoh performance.

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Janice Lau of David Boring performs at Current Plans in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, on March 15, 2025. The one-off show, titled “Stare Out From Your Own Burning”, included the band live-scoring horror music videos by local filmmakers with new songs. Photo: Elton Fung
Janice Lau of David Boring performs at Current Plans in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, on March 15, 2025. The one-off show, titled “Stare Out From Your Own Burning”, included the band live-scoring horror music videos by local filmmakers with new songs. Photo: Elton Fung
Music

Top pianist cancels US tour, asks ‘Have we learned nothing from the 1930s?’

Andras Schiff says he feels morally obliged to withdraw from his 2025-26 season US concerts, noting that arts and politics are inseparable.

Music

Why Sufi music lovers in Kashmir still swear by cassette players

Listened to by artisans as they work or at gatherings of Sufi music aficionados, cassette players hold sway in Indian-administered Kashmir.

K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

G-Dragon’s back, and he’s rewriting the rules of K-pop with his success

G-Dragon’s triumphant comeback sees him topping charts and selling out concerts, proving his enduring appeal in spite of past challenges.

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South Korean rapper and singer G-Dragon at Paris Fashion Week in 2025. His comeback sees him topping single and album charts and selling out concerts. He has also made his TV variety show debut. Photo: AFP
Music

If music be the food of love, spray on. Conductor’s perfumery sideline

Dallas Symphony Orchestra music director describes his love for perfumery as well as how music and fragrance can evoke the same emotions.

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Fabio Luisi, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He explains his lifelong love for perfumery as well as how music and fragrance can evoke the same emotions. Photo: FL Parfums
Fabio Luisi, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He explains his lifelong love for perfumery as well as how music and fragrance can evoke the same emotions. Photo: FL Parfums
Music

Dead set and then some: Grateful Dead to release 60-disc concert anthology

Spanning 25 years, Enjoying the Ride will include more than 450 live tracks from the US west coast band’s long career.

Music

‘Pretty neat’ or ‘gimmicky collector bait’? New Bon Jovi LP splits fans

The special limited-edition vinyl disc reissue of the rock band’s bestselling Slippery When Wet album features actual liquid in the record.

K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Review | Ruby, solo album from Blackpink’s Jennie, shows singer’s ambition

From the empowering ‘Mantra’ and ‘ExtraL’ to the acoustic ‘Twin’ that rounds off the album, Ruby is a solid solo album from the K-pop singer.

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Jennie from her Mantra music video. From the empowering Mantra and ExtraL to the acoustic Twin, Ruby is a solid solo album from the singer. Photo: captured from Mantra music video
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Cantonese opera or J-pop? Hong Kong’s Rika Woo does both. Here’s why

To some, Rika Woo is a J-pop singer. To others, she is a Cantonese opera performer. The Hong Kong artiste explains why she does both.

To some, Rika Woo is a J-pop singer. To others, she is a Cantonese opera performer. The Hong Kong artiste explains why she does both. Photo: Reuters
To some, Rika Woo is a J-pop singer. To others, she is a Cantonese opera performer. The Hong Kong artiste explains why she does both. Photo: Reuters
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Compelling drama from Chiaroscuro Quartet in Hong Kong debut

Quartet notable for using gut strings open HKU MUSE festival with concert full of arresting detail and captivating use of light and shade.

Art

They’re not the Taliban. Syria’s Islamists encourage artists

When new rulers with jihadi roots took power in Damascus, artists, singers and dancers held their breath. They can relax, the regime says.

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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Are Jennie’s songs too feminist? Blackpink singer draws Korean ire

Korean internet users are split over Jennie’s solo tracks ExtraL and Mantra. Some love them, some say they are too feminist, others too sexy.

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Jennie, bottom, performs with Doechii in the music video of the singer’s latest single, ExtraL. Photo: captured from the ExtraL music video
Jennie, bottom, performs with Doechii in the music video of the singer’s latest single, ExtraL. Photo: captured from the ExtraL music video
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend Feb 28-Mar 2

The stars are aligned for a super weekend of outdoor and indoor fun. Get up close with wildlife, take your dog for brunch or hit the cinema.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Sam Hui, the ‘father of Cantopop’ whose music and film roles struck a chord

He popularised Cantopop and helped revive Hong Kong cinema after Bruce Lee died. We look at the enduring legacy of the ‘Elvis of The Orient’.

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Music

Zubin Mehta to conduct West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Shenzhen, Guangzhou

Mehta will take the podium instead of Daniel Barenboim for the south China performances. The orchestra is the latest to skip Hong Kong.

Zubin Mehta, 88, will conduct the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Shenzhen and Guangzhou on March 2 and 3 respectively. Photo: Marco Brescia
Music

It’s not pop music these Gen Zers listen to, it’s devotional music

Hindu devotional singing – the repetition of Vedic mantras – is rising in popularity among young people in the Krishna community and beyond.

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(From left) Eru Matsumoto, Wouter Kellerman, and Chandrika Tandon accept the award for best new age, ambient, or chant album for “Triveni” during the 67th Grammy Awards. The album is an example of Hindu devotional singing. Photo: AP
(From left) Eru Matsumoto, Wouter Kellerman, and Chandrika Tandon accept the award for best new age, ambient, or chant album for “Triveni” during the 67th Grammy Awards. The album is an example of Hindu devotional singing. Photo: AP
Asia travel

Winter festival in Mongolia’s capital celebrates nomadic culture

Event in Ulaanbaatar highlighted traditional culture through dance, music, food and more and was intended to boost tourism in coldest months.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Buoyant Beethoven from Kolesnikov and Hong Kong Sinfonietta

Soloist finds musical insights in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4, while orchestra shows its growth in Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

At Guangzhou music camp, rising Chinese stars learn from the best

British conductor says Chinese musicians especially learn from Youth Music Culture The Greater Bay Area as many struggle to play in a group.

Daniel Harding provides guidance to YMCG musicians during a rehearsal. Photo: Youth Music Culture the Greater Bay Area
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