Right now, I am currently addicted to the main theme from the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence composed by Sakamoto Ryuichi. To me, it’s one of those songs I hear all the time, and I know I have heard this somewhere . . . but regardless, this song is so pretty. I just discovered the composer and the title of this song mere few weeks ago, and I’m glad I did. Just in time for the end of the year. This song has this hopeful and optimistic feel to it that it actually lifts up my spirit. Right now, the world’s all suffering from the financial troubles. I hope by the end of next year, it will be somewhat stabilized.

Anyway, I hope 2009 will be a great year for everyone! To the world and to us at Ningin!
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Tags: film, music, sakamoto ryuichi

When Jerry posted this it reminded me of Nick and Sam Henline. These two performed a Nintendo Medley duet on the piano at their talent show and won first place. The medley consisted of songs from Mario, Zelda, and Kirby. Later, they also did a Legend of Zelda Medley. A copy of their sheet music can be found here and click on the cut to see their performances.

I’m thoroughly impressed by their talent. Makes me want to find someone to play video game music duet on the piano now!
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Tags: kirby, mario, music, nick henline, nintendo, piano, sam henline, video game, zelda

Last month, when I admitted my love for Dong Bang Shin Gi, I mentioned how I was “won over with its prettiness and its awesome vocals” for a particular song. That song is “Love in the Ice”, and even a month later, I am still obsessing over this song. Someone shoot me now.

Then again, it doesn’t help that I watched these two Youtube videos of them singing this, and after I’ve seen their emotional performance, I love it more. Damn you, DBSG, for your beautiful singing! Now I want all of you to come serenade me for the rest of my life. Either that or perform another one of those “stay away from porno” radio skit and make me laugh until I’m breathless!

Anyway, here are the two videos that I keep watching to listen to this song. Just, guh. Words cannot define how much I love this song. Seriously, once my sinuses are healed, I will drag a friend with me to the nearest no rae bang and sing this song! Hell will be unleashed if the no rae bang doesn’t have this song!
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Tags: dong bang shin gi, jpop, karaoke, kpop, love in the ice, music, no rae bang, south korea

Last month, I had used H.O.T.’s “Candy” as my “classics” series. This time, I shall bring back their “rivals”, the six-members group called Sechs Kies. Even though they were “rivals”, I liked both for different reasons. Well, more for the same reasons since they were awesome, cute, great music, and etcetera.

To get to the point of this entry, this song’s pretty neat. It’s catchy, fun to dance to, and come on, six guys singing and dancing? That’s fun to watch! Anyway, this song’s the first Sechs Kies song I have listened to and thus became a fan of them. It’s a shame, though, that they disbanded so quickly. Three years? Man. Ah, well. At least I got to seem them at a free concert, at a park in Dongdaemun Stadium area, Jongno-gu, before they quit!
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Tags: dongdaemun stadium, h.o.t., jongno-gu, kpop, music, pump it up, sechs kies, south korea

This article is what led me to discover this new Amerasian (1/2 Korean and 1/2 Caucasian I assume) singer. Born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft, she decided to change her last name to her Korean mother’s native name to reflect her Asian heritage. Born in Georgia and after a stint in Korea, she grew up in Pennsylvania. After high school, she was encouraged to expand her musical skills, so she went to Los Angeles, California.

She independently made an album, Priscilla Ahn, and Blue Note Records discovered her talents and took her in to their company. Her next album, A Good Day was released earlier this year, along with her first single, “Dream”. That song’s received more attention when it was used for season four finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

Amazingly, enough, she will actually be on a tour in Seoul, at Hongik University (Hongdae) on December 4, 2008. I actually took the time to listen to a few of her songs and discovered that I like her style. She’s like Norah Jones on the guitar, but better. I like her voice. It’s really pretty. It’s a darn shame that I can’t go to the performance, though. Something called work is my first priority.
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Tags: amerasian, california, georgia, grey's anatomy, hongdae, los angeles, mapo-gu, music, new york, pennsylvania, priscilla ahn, south korea

OMG. This is the group that got me into KPop way back in sixth grade, in 1996 for me. This group and this particular song, their first mega-popular single. Man, this is bringing back so much memories. H.O.T., standing for High-five of Teenagers, were like Seo Taiji, all revolutionary in their own ways to change the Korean media.

While I still think Seo Taiji really paved the way for groups like H.O.T., I think H.O.T. were the ones who really made it popular. I mean, popular with a capital “p”. I mean so popular that their jerseys? The ones in the video belows? They were being sold as well as their hats. Seriously. One of my friends knew where to get those merchandises. She liked Tony, I liked Hee Jun, another friend liked Kangta, and another liked Tony as well, but we all took those merchandises, and we were even considering memorising the dance, the song, and everything and perform it at our school’s talent show. Luckily, that didn’t go through, but that’s how popular the group was.

Anyway, since I got into DBSK, I was actually looking back into the past boy bands like H.O.T. and decided that they are classic enough to warrant an entry. Anyway, watch and listen to the videos below. “Candy”, the song lyrics has NOTHING to do with the confectionery, is a happy-go-lucky song, catchy, and er . . . the boys were in very strange outfits now that I look back on it. Regardless, here’s “Candy” by H.O.T.
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Tags: big bang, h.o.t., kpop, music, south korea

Thanks a lot, Ningin. You did the most impossible thing to me. You influenced me into liking a boy band/group, something of which I shunned since my sophomore year of high school. The last boy band/group I was even remotely interested in happened to be G.O.D. Now, I like Dong Bang Shin Gi (Ki?! I like “g” better).

It all started with that Mirotic single. The song, which didn’t do anything for me at first, grew on me, and then after I paid more attention to the music video, I was hooked in a way. Then I listened to the whole album and the last song of the album, “Love in the Ice”, fully won me over with its prettiness and its awesome vocals.

However, it wasn’t until the “Dangerous Love” episode of Banjun Theatre that really cinched me to like them as a whole. The yaoi/slash implications, especially in the phone booth scene, made me swoon. Plus, Changmin/Max is just so adorable. He became my favourite member, and the image below the cut is made of the biggest, fantastic win ever.

So once again, THANKS A LOT NINGIN. You have created a monster of me! Even my close friend, when I told her about my new found love for this group, she was shocked. To be honest, I am shocked myself, but oh, this new found love is . . . so worth it. What a way to bring me back into the mainstream Korean media.
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Tags: banjun theatre, changmin, dong bang shin gi, kpop, max, mirotic, music, slash, south korea, yaoi

Other than this one musician who I consider more of my first Korean celebrity crush,Kim Gun Mo is probably the first Korean musician I grew to respect, adore, and love his music. I remember seeing him on television, this short funny looking guy who had a really unique sounding voice. He had enough charisma and humour, though, to win me over. While he didn’t win me over musically with his first couple songs, 잘못된 만남 (Jal Mot Dwaen Man Nam = Wrongful Meeting) did. This song, released in 1995 on his third album, then proceeded to turn into one of his best known songs. The catchy melody, the pretty fast rapping session, and the awesome sing-alongable chorus just rock my pants!

Ironically, though, for the longest time, I had the most troublesome time of trying to remember this song’s title. I knew who sang it, sure, but if anyone were to ask me what the title was, I was stumped. Even after my friends told me the title several times, I still couldn’t remember it! Luckily, now I do, and it’s a good thing, since I think this song is pretty much a “classic” in the Korean entertainment world. If not, it’s a classic for me.
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Tags: ayumi lee, kim gun mo, kpop, music, south korea

Mention Seo Taiji’s name to any one in Korea, and you will receive recognition for this guy. Even my father, a caucasian male over 60, who doesn’t listen to Korean music, knows of him. That’s how much influence this guy has on the Korean media, culture, and of course music. He was probably the one who really revolutionise the Korean music industry. Back then the ahjumma style music dominated the industry, but along came Seo Taiji, who brought with him rapping, the KPop dance style, and a new style of music to be included into the mainstream realm.
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Tags: ahjumma, kpop, lee ju-no, music, seo taiji, seo taiji wa aideul, south korea, yang hyeon-seok

All these news about the recent Korean celebrity suicides made me think about the past. My mind went down memory lane, and then I decided to Youtube videos of my favourite ahjumma style songs. Or at least the old songs from when I enjoyed as a child. One of the songs I entered was 인디안 인형처럼 (Indian Inhyung Chu-lum = Like an Indian Doll) originally done by Nami.
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Tags: ahjumma, bada, finkl, guam, karaoke, kpop, music, nami and boom boom, no rae bang, south korea