Music Press Asia Magazine Vol.2 No.1

EDITORIAL DESIGNS

A project celebrating love, passion & music

In 2022, Music Press Asia has created over 200 images for brands and content exclusively published on the platform. While its content has mainly focused on telling stories of great talents here in Asia-Pacific, we have also run content advertorial campaigns to satisfy the needs to promote artists and their creative efforts. Our in-house designers have crafted these images for the consumption of music lovers. If you are a designer and would like to participate in our projects, please write to us at art@musicpressasia.com.

Pedagogical approach when it comes to producing music podcast for kids are in many ways aren’t that complex after all. There must be at least a whimsical side to your approach to life where beats and rhythms are your friends. And at other times, great communications to help children make sense of music and the world. Modern literature for kids are as fun as it can be for kids and adults. So, why not let kids takeover during the season’s holiday series.

Music is relative to art. At least this is what we believe scientifically speaking. As long as we have existed, art creators and exhibitors have been our lifeline to the world that idiotically inspires the world of music and entertainment. Art is legitimately an expression that is truly partial when it ceased of its truest responsibility as a creative tool applied in music creation. For that reason alone, realizing post pandemic that we must face the challenge to filter what loudly calls out to us.

Celebrating Geography Awareness Week is inspired by how much there is still to be explored in Southeast Asia. Aimed at presenting the beauty some of these countries has to offer, and at its core revel in the landscape that has in myriads of ways creatively inspired us in the music world. These documentaries have indeed paved a way to how we’ve viewed landscape music - if there is such a genre.

Thispageisacollaborativeprojectbytheeditorial'sartdepartment.Formoreinformationaboutour campaignsandprojectsatMusicPressAsia,pleasesendemailtoart@musicpressasia www.musicpressasia.com

WHAT'SINTOWN

WHATTOSTREAM

TRADESINFILM

MarketplacePostPandemic

ARTISTONTOUR

TheRoadtoLasVegas How a lasting career in performing arts look like through professional training

LIVEINPICTURES(&15)

VIRTUALGIG

TheTranquilityfromBrooklyn Reimagining the voice of South Asia

PREMIUMSELECTION

Albumof2022

INTERVIEW

Touring2022 Akinshipthatchannelsgrowthandharmony

HazelSavage Celebrating2022withA.I

BACKSTAGE

TheBalladinJazz

Onachievingtheinnatesenseofwanderlust

DESIGN

ArtintheWild:InterviewingBillBensley

LETTERFROMMOTHERNATURE

TurningtheTide

PHOTOGRAPHY

ImageoftheYear

WEATHERMAN

TheWarning

REVIEW

EverythingIKnowAboutLove

AGenZer'soldjazzselection

COVER Cheng²Duo

TABLESFORTWO

135,PetalingStr.-TheHungryTapir

READING GhostsoftheTsunami byRichardLloydParry TopBooksToRead Alreadyinthebookstoresnearyou

EDITOR'SNOTES:

earlierthisyear,weanticipatedabustlingseason.Noone waitedfor2023toarrive,butinstead,chugalongmildly treatingthesubjectofadiseasethatwaslethaltousjustawhile agoalongsideourexcitementfortheholidayseasonIn SoutheastAsia,withmanymoreinternationaltoursmakingpit stopsinthisregion,venueoperatorsaredelightfullysatisfied withdatesbookedtillJuly2023

Artistswhohadalreadysoldticketsandpostponedtheir toursin2020arenowbackontheroadJoinedbythosewho hadreleasedalbumsduringthepandemicyears,there’sgoing tobealotofin-the-airtimeIntheWhat’sInTownsection, wehighlightedabusyscheduleatthePhilippinesCultural Centerpromotingtheirseason’sclassicsincludingtheItalian operaTurandotandTchaikovsky’sTheNutcracker.While televisionandstreamingisnowthemajordistributionchannel forfilmsandseries,largeboxofficefilmsaremakingtheirway directlytoourlivingroomcouch.Whilewemaynothave AroojAftabhereinAsiajustyet,herprominenceisfelt eastward.HerwinasaSouthAsianattheGrammyshas definitelysecuredinterestevenhereinAsia.

Asanature-inspiredplatform,ourcoverageon conservationhighlightstheOrangutansinthearticle‘Turning theTide’Ourfeatureoftheoceanin‘Weatherman’isaclose remindertoallearthlings;ofourresponsibilitytoprotectthe environment Aswesoakinallthatwe’veenduredand enjoyedin2022,IwouldliketothankallofMusicPressAsia’s partners,writers,contributors,designers,distributorsand advertiserswhoseeffortshaveresultedinthecreationofthisemagazineOurhugsandkissestoyouall

-- Monica Tong , editor-in-chief

Ithasbeenanincredible yearforthelivemusicand entertainmentindustry WhenMusicPressAsia decidedtoresumeits electronicpublication

November/December2022Volume2,Number1

PublishedbyMusicPressAsia

MONICA TONG Editor-in-Chief&MagazineDirector

FARAH ADEN, MARY J. MARWAN Managing Editors

ALICE BOHN Senior Editor

STUART CHIN Web & Staff Editor

QUEENIE NGUYEN Social Media & Audience Development Editor

AIDA LIM, SORAYA EFENDI Assistant Editors

KEVIN LEE Art Director

TIMNA BECKER Copy Chief LUCAS TAN Business Operations Executive JENNIFER GOODWIN Editorial Assistant

Reviewers (Music, Books, Films)

BENJAMIN R. ZULKIFLI, MARY J. MARWAN, YUDA HARYANTO, AZUMI HARADA

BEN HUSSEIN Chief Revenue Officer, Circulations Operations Manager JONATHAN CHEONG Product & Merchandise Manager FAYE ZALEHUDDIN Marketing Executive RAMSOM KOAY Advertising Director, Advertising Accounts Operations

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REPRODUCTION:ThecontentsofMusicPressAsiaarecopyrighted.No partofthemagazinemaybereproduced,hostedordistributedinanyformor byanymeanswithoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromMusicPressAsia.To obtainpermission,pleasewritetoeditorial@musicpressasia.com

What's In Town

The Singapore Biennale is taking audiences past Singapore's coastline to the Southern islands. From now till 19 March 2023, the exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Distripark is featuring over 50 artists and collaborators to embark on a collective journey with Natasha, the title given to the exhibition this year. Among the offerings presented is Haegue Yang’s The Hybrid Intermediates - Flourishing Electrophorus Duo (Sonic Intermediate - Hairy Carbonous Dweller and The Randing Intermediate - Furless Uncolored Dweller) (above). It is selected as the 13th Benesse Prize winner by Benesse Holdings, Inc. (“Benesse”) and the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

OsakaKansaiInternational ArtFestival

OSAKA,JAPAN Artisaboutasking thebigquestions,butit’salsoabout investigating, studying and discovering, hence this festival’s theme. Taking place from Jan 28Feb13,theartistsparticipatinginthe 2023eventwillstudytherelationships between society, people and art. Exhibitions will take place across several facilities including unique venuesinOsakaandfeaturedozensof artists from Japan and abroad In addition,anartfairandconferences willbeheld.Thegoalistolauncha world-famousinternationalartfestival inOsaka,withthe2023editionasa starting point This event will be a partofthebuild-uptoOsakaKansai InternationalArtFestival2025,which will take place at the same time as Expo2025Osaka,Kansai,Japan By then, the cultural event aims to welcomeartistsfrom150countries -Aiko Watanabe

TeamLabFuturePark

JAKARTA, INDONESIA. TeamLab FutureParkisaneducationalproject basedontheconceptof"collaborative creativity,co-creation".Housedinthe exclusiveshoppingmallGandariaCity in South Jakarta is this digital amusement park installation. Featuringfiveinteractivethemes,they would all require a whimsical approach to enjoying them While you remain playful in the Animal FlowersandSymbioticLivesexhibit, the rest brings an educational perspective to how living creatures andnaturecoexist–allcreatedbythe visitorsthemselves Remembertoslide downthefruityfieldslopetoreach theoceanicsectionwherevisitorscan sketchtheirownanimalthatwouldbe immediately presented in the digital presentations.Thearchitectureinthe area focus on design merging old townBataviaandNewYork'sTime Square Until20December -- Soraya Efendi

BangkokArtBiennale

BANGKOK,THAILAND Setinthe capitalofThailand,seeBangkokArt Biennaletransformthebustlingcityof Bangkok into an immersive hub celebratingart,creativityandculture Itisnowopenatalltwelvevenues featuring 73 artists with over 200 piecesofartworks Takingplacefrom 22October2022to23February2023, thisedition’sthemeCHAOS:CALM invites artists to express the tumultuous conditions of the world around us as communities recover from covid-19. At the same time, defining urgent climate crises and socio-political uncertainties around the globe. One to watch is Tiffany ChungfromVietnam

Known for her interdisciplinary and research-based practice, watch her meticulous embroidered cartographic works and mixed media installations unpack geopolitical partitioning, conflict, and environmental crisis against traumatized topographies of histories Another radical creative from the region is Chitti Kasemkitvatana, whose recent curatorial work with the JWD Art Space discusses how differences in spacetime concepts influence social structures Slide into Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s vision to make the invisible, visible by exploring microscopicuniversestorevealingthe beautyof marginalizedcommunities.

-- Anchali Channarong

theirchildrentofleetothelandofthe Metkayina clan in the Pandoran oceans.Thefilmisthefirstoffour planned sequels to the 2009 film Avatar,settobereleasedonDecember 16, 2022. The film has been under development since 2010, and completed preproduction in 2017, withmuchofthemotioncaptureand principal photography completed by early2020. --

Amran Khan

TheWanderingEarth2

Thissci-fifilmisallaboutsavingthe planet earth The little dot in an expansegalaxy,howwillhumankind withstand this perilous journey? In thisFrantGwofilm,weseethe

MOVIES

TheSchoolforGood&Evil

Calling all aspiring heroes and antiheroes It’salmosttimetoenrollin theSchoolforGoodandEvil Afilm adaptationofSomanChainani’sbestsellingYAfantasyseries,TheSchool forGoodandEvilfollowsbestfriends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha(SofiaWylie)astheynavigate anenchantedschoolforyoungheroes andvillains andfindthemselveson opposingsidesofthebattlebetween good and evil. Calling this cast magicalwouldbeanunderstatement: We’ll get to see Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Michelle Yeoh and Laurence Fishburne as the School’s best and worst deans, professors and headmasters. Theron playstheSchoolforEvil’sLadyLesso whileYeohandWashingtonplaythe SchoolforGoodProfessorsAnemone andDovey,respectively -- Kate Lee

Avatar:TheWayofWater

Set15yearsaftertheeventsofthefirst film,TheWayofWaterfollowsthe journey of Jake Sully and Neytiri's newfound family of five children. Despitetheirbesteffortstokeeptheir family together, a familiar threat resurfacesandforcesJake,Neytiri,and

WolfWarriorcontinuestoringdeep impressionforthosewhohaveseenit Thefilmisadaptedandbasedonthe shortstorywiththesamenamebyLiu Cixinwhoisalsothefilmproducer Settoreleaseonthefirstdayofthe 2023’s Lunar New Year. The teaser poster repeatedly release the tagline Goodbye Solar System on its marketinghandlesandreferringtothe same phrase in its trailer To save planetearth,humansinthisfilmmake aperilousjourneytobumpourplanet outofitsownorbit -- Scott Wong

LoveDestiny:TheMovie

This romantic comedy has a huge following in Thailand when it was released as a 15-episode historical televisiondramaseriesin2018.Setin the Ayutthaya kingdom in the 17th centuryADduringthereignofKing Narai,itcaptivateditsaudiencewith actors clad in stylishly classic customary. Directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem,thefilmisararesuccess in Thailand and the region Thai singer Pete Pol sings the series’ original soundtrack ‘You’ (Aojaow) Hislusciousrenditiondrownslisteners in melodramatic infatuation for its characters -- Kittisak Sakdan

AmandaPhingbodhipakkiya

indelibleHongKongactorAndyLau alongside China’s superstar Wu Jing whoserecentworkinmartialartfilm

WhereTheWindBlows

Acclaimed stars Tony Leung Chiuwai(Shang-ChiAndTheLegendOf The Ten Rings) and Aaron Kwok (Port Of Call) lead this crime epic, whichisHongKong’ssubmissionfor theOscars DirectedbyPhilipYung, the long-awaited film received its premiere at HKIFF in August after being withdrawn from the same festivallastyear DadiCentury,Mei Ah Film Production and Bona Film Groupareamongthemaininvestors ofthe$38mfeature,whichrevolves aroundfournotoriouslycorruptpolice officerswhorosetopowerin1960s HongKong.DirectorYung’sprevious crimethrillerPortOfCallwonseven prizesattheHongKongFilmAwards in2016.n.Bythen,theculturalevent aims to welcome artists from 150 countries -- Dorothy Lau

DANCE

Ballet Philippines: The Nutcracker

Inits53rdseason,BalletPhilippines returnstotheholidayseasonwitha Christmas classic The Nutcracker follows the adventures and misadventures of a young girl to a magicallandonChristmasEve The scorewascomposedbyPyotrIlyich Tchaikovsky who was initially reluctant to write the score, finding the libretto based on ETA Hoffmann’s children’s tale, The NutcrackerandtheKingoftheMice, lacking in fantasy Today, The Nutcracker’s delightful plot and timeless music have made it a perennial favourite and most companies hold a version in their repertoire, including the Ballet Philippines FoundedbyAliceReyes andEddieElejar,BalletPhilippinesis anationalartsinstitutionthatbegan professionalizing dance in the Philippinesin1969 Itisalsothefirst resident company of the Cultural CenterofthePhilippines -– Gabriel Mendoza

It takes a village to mount grand opera so a village will mount this Puccini classic at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines this December.Aftermorethantwoyears,liveoperareturnsattheCCP main theater with Puccini’s monumental opera, Turandot. Nedy Tantoco, one of the producers representing Rustan’s Group of Companies,saidshedecidedtotieupwiththeCCPintimeforthe celebrationofthe75thyearofthePhilippine-ItalianAssociation(PIA) Filipinas Opera Society Foundation (FOSFI) is also participating to promoteappreciationofoperainthePhilippinesandsupporttalented Filipinos The Manila audiences will be watching the pomp and pageantryinancientChinaasimaginedbyItaliancomposerGiacomo Puccini Thisisthetimewhenoneoftheworld’smostfamoustenor aria, “Nessun dorma” will be presented with awesome stage sets and choralperformances -- G Mendoza

HeadInTheClouds

US record label 88 Rising is replicatingitsversionoftheHeadin theCloudsmusicandartsfestivalin Californiatodebutitsfirsteditionin JakartaandManilabeforetheyearend of2022 Fortwodays(Dec3-4),the CommunityParkPik2inJakartawill seeKaskadeperformalongsideVoice of Baceprot, Milli, Jackson and 88’s risingstarsJoji,NikiandRichBrian. OnDec9-10,theaudienceinManila will equally be entertained with a similar program as Jakarta but will have ZEDD perform live as special guest ArtistsWarrenHue,Bibiand EAJ steadfastly remain part of the threelivegigsorganizedby88Rising thisyear

Evita

EvaPerón,Evita(littleEveorEvie)to herbelovedpeople–virginalMarian saintorschemingJezebelharlot?Her story, as presented in this musical, begins at the end as the whole of Argentina is plunged into deepest mourningasEva’sdeathisannounced nationwide. The long awaited and welcomed return of Central QueenslandConservatoriumofMusic to Bentley Music Academy this Decembercollaboratinginoneofthe all-time great musicals, EVITA by AndrewLloydWebberandTimRice. Directed by Jason Langley and conductedbyKevinField,thissemi-

staged concert performance is the third such event between BMA and CQUandwillfeatureemergingtalent fromMalaysiaandAustralia,side-byside with the Orkestra Radio TelevisyenMalaysiaanddancersfrom SriWilayahBalletCentre -- Soraya Efendi

A.RRahmanLIVE

India’s Bollywood composer and singerA.R.Rahmanissettingfootat Kuala Lumpur National Stadium in BukitJalilMalaysiaonJan28,2023to performtoaliveaudience.Thetwotime Academy Award winner is known for his talent in writing contemporary Indian music for cinema predominantly in the Tamil and Hindi language Nicknamed Mozart of Madras, Rahman’s talent reaches the Far West and stamps a profoundstatureintheentertainment industryafterwinningBestOriginal ScoreandBestOriginalSongforthe movie Slumdog Millionaire Today, his soundtracks are known in the Tamil Nadu film industry for combining Western classical music, Carnatic and Tamil traditional and folk-musictraditions,jazz,reggaeand rockmusic.Hehascollaboratedwith Michael Jackson, Andrew Lloyd Webber,Marvel,andTheLordofthe Ringsproduction.Rahmancontinues to be one of the greatest Asian composersalive – Khushwant Bajwa

Backstreet Boys DNA WorldTour

Millennials,takenote:BackstreetBoys arebringingtheirhighlyanticipated DNA World Tour 2023 to Asia. If you’ve spent much of your youth beltingAsLongAsYouLoveMeand Quit PlayingGamesinfront of the mirror, you’re probably still a Backstreet Boys fan, whether you wanttoadmititornot.Theircandied ballads have profound power to squeezetearsfromoureyesandrender ourheartsachingly.Aftercompleting theLasVegasresidencyin2018,BSB announcedthereleaseoftheirninth studioalbumtitledDNA Analbum that combined harmony-driven contemporarypopsoundwithR&B, country,funk,andEDM Tourdates wereconsequentlypostponeddueto thecoronaviruspandemic.Earlierthis year,thebandheldavirtualconcert onChina’sWeChatfromPhiladelphia The live broadcast by Tencent saw over442millionviewerstunedinto theshow Theband’stourinAsianext year will include Singapore, Tokyo, Kaoshiung, and Manila -- Aiko Watanabe

WHAT TO STREAM

DCinConcert

Comics madeintofilmsarethehype these days In a joint collaboration between TCG Entertainment and Warner Bros Discovery Global ThemedEntertainment,asymphonyis abouttotoursomeofDC'sbestever music written for film Here's a chance to attend a symphonic performance of your favourite DC stories Starting March 2023, nine dates are announced for London, Zurich,Paris,Berlin,Dusseldorf,L.A., WashingtonDC,MiamiandChicago Althoughnoneoftheseliveconcerts (at least with the dates already announced) will be performing anywhere near us here in Southeast Asia The first concert scheduled in the tour would see Hammersmith ApolloinLondondebut"TheBatman in Concert" Tickets go on sale startingNov11thisyear ThisMatt Reeves film is already streaming on HBOMax -- Nina Golan

YearEndHolidaySpecial

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra returnstoTokyo'slandscapestructure SuntoryHallonDec29underthe

batonofJanathanNott Accompanied by the Tokyo Symphony Chorus, Beethoven's most famous Symphony No 9 has always been holiday favourites Ticket prices range from ¥15,000onward.TicketsviaSuntory isnowavailable -- Soraya Efendi

BornPink

Blackpink’sworldtourisnowonits waytoAsiafromthecityofChicago as we read Crossing continent to Europe, the tour will wind through Europe like snail passing through Cologne, Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and two more cities in Europe before landing in Southeast Asia–inBangkok BesidesJakarta’s datechangewhereitsstadiumisbe preparedforFIFAWorldCup,most majorcitiesinAsiawillseethisworld tourcompleteitscycleatHydePark, Londoninmid-summertimeof2023 Thetourwillbeasensationalparty when it arrives in town. Filling up stadiums once again, in which were partly ghost towns ever since the pandemic. Audience will once again see the formidable structures of AsiaWorld Expo (HK), Bukit Jalil National Stadium (MAL), Kaohsiung National Stadium (TW) and the PhilippineArena(PH)cometolive. -Ben Zulkifli

OceanSounds

The “Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” series has come to our shores. All 274 episodes of this manga -- originally written by Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto, and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto–isnowavailableoniQiyi.Afilminitiallycreatedin Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, in 2016. Yasuharu Takanashi is the original soundtrack composer, whose work in the anime scene and video game series are consideredprolific HeisalsoaleaderofthemusicgroupYaiba Takanashiisfive-timewinneroftheJASRACInternationalAward forNaruto’ssoundtrack

Withitsround-the-clockemphasisontrendytelevisionseriesand classicsinSouthAsia,iQiyiisthevirtualAsiancinémathèque This coming months, the movie streaming platform offers rare masterworks, such as Wang Xiao Shuai’s “The Pavilion”, and a romantic film for Saturday late-night special “The Queen” depictinganine-tailedfoxspirit,alongsideHongKong’sclassic comedy “The Miracle Spy” starring filmstar Benny Chan WeekendmiddayshowcaseisCantonesefilm“MyDad”–astory aboutanaccidentalsoulexchangebetweenawidowedfatherand his daughter. Separated by distance, they must now learn to understandeachother’sfeelingsanddreams. -- Nina Golan

SummerisuponthelandofAustralia ThismusicfestivalonPhillipIslandin Melbourne has your Saturdays covered Afamily-friendlyfestivalin nature,itisallaboutthepicnicrugs, stunning local wines and gourmet foodatasunsetconcert Itsorganisers acknowledge the Boon Wurrung Peopleasthetraditionalcustodiansof the land This picturesque environmentisofferingmusiclovers two dates: one on Dec 10 and the otheronJan7nextyear Headlining thisoceanvieweventisTashSultana andJohnButler JoiningthemareThe Waifs, Mama Kin Spender, Steph Strings, Carissa Nyalu, The Laing Brothers, Pierce Brothers, Kim Churchill,Kee’ahn,LittleGreenand MarkHoward -- Johanna Lopez

Rodgers&Hammerstein

The success of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical movie, The SoundofMusicisstillacaptivating touringmusicalproductioneversince itwentontheroadsixtyyearsago PremieringatKualaLumpur’sIstana BudayathisDecember(from27Dec), theworld’sbest-lovedmusicaltellsthe truestoryofMariawhosefun-loving demeanor changed the lives of Captain von Trapp and his seven children.Thesongsandmusicflows withgreatlyricismanddepictsagedold passions reignited through the intensityinyouthfulromance,fearof the unknown and childhood upbringing.Watchingitliveonstage willbeafun-filledeveningwiththe family -- J L

TRADES IN FILM MARKETPLACE POST PANDEMIC

American Film Market & AsiaTelevisionForum

The AFM Sessions put on at the LoewsBeachHotelinSantaMonicaas part of the 43rd edition of the industry’s only independently producedsalesmarketsawoverthirty plus panels bring together over 100 speakersinNovember,includingfilm industry thought leaders Howard Cohen(RoadsideAttractions),Ashley Stern (Picture Perfect Federation), Martin Moszkowicz (Constantin Film), Jeff Annison (Legion M), Jeffrey Greenstein (Millennium Media) and George Hamilton (ProtagonistPictures)

Welcoming the global industry backtoSantaMonicaforthefirsttime since2019,thesix-dayexhibitionsaw film finance, production, sales and distribution executives from seventy countriesattendscreenings,meetings, networking, and panels. Here’s the place where deals are closed for completedfilmsandprojectsdestined toreachaudiencesaroundtheworld. If they are serious enough to cover Asia, they will all meet again at Singapore’s Asia Television Forum (Dec7-9)

AFM’sprogrammingkickedoff the morning of Nov 2 with the Finance Conference “The Risk Takers”, featuring Jason Cloth (Creative Wealth Media), Basil Iwanyk (Thunder Road Pictures), Laura Lewis (Rebelle Media), Milan Popelka (FilmNation), and Erich Schartzel (The Wall Street Journal) Exhibitors and LocationEXPO partnersputtingonpresentationsfor participantsincludeTheItalianTrade Agency, The Polish Film Institute, TheNorthFinlandFilmCommission

and the Louisiana Office of EntertainmentIndustryDevelopment

The AFM welcomed over 300 exhibiting companies representing thousands of films and projects in everystageofproduction.TheUnited Statesisthebiggestexhibitorfollowed bytheUnitedKingdom,Italy,France, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia Japan and South Korea remain the largest delegatesvisitingfromAsia HeadingbacktoATF’sprogram in Singapore. This December, the three-day conference is featuring nothingelsebutgoodqualitycontent that transcends boundaries. Focusing on exclusive insights and strategic visions for 2023, the event is highlighting what it means in the evolution of the industry today, its creativechallengesandtheingenuity of business models. Attending from Indonesia include executives from SuryaCitraMedia,ScreenplayFilms

and Vidio. TikTok’s panel sees its Global Head of Sports & Gaming Content–HarishSarma–inapanel on Defining ROI, Impacting Tech, Affecting New Business Models moderatedbyJustinAngfromIMDA. The Chinese pitch panel includes Senior VP of iQIYI, Chen Xiao Warner Bros. Discovery has Thailand’s content on high fever conductsaThaidramapitchbehind closeddoorinvolvingcolleaguesfrom SoutheastAsia

Onthesecondday,SouthKorea’s very own creative agency KOCCA leads the K-Formats Showcase: The NextBigHitsfromCreativeHotspot panel. The panel for this includes executives from CJ ENM, Kakao Entertainment, SBS, Diturn, FormatEast, Munhwa Broadcasting Corp,andK7Mediaamongothers Tom Gennari from BB Media moderates Top Asian Buyers with Rakuten Viki and Studio Wavve Childrenanimationisdiscussedatthe animationpitchinapanelwithAstro, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, Kartoon Channel! Worldwide, Mediacorp and True Digital Group Other speaker highlights:FumiNishibashi,Business Development,GlobalBusinessDeptof Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), Jay Yang, CEO of TVING, and Marianne Lee, Chief of Content Acquisition&DevelopmentofViu.

ATF 2021 saw 2506 unique attendees from 61 countries and regions participating, including 16 official pavilions and 139 speakers, judges, and speed daters The first three days saw more than 11,738 meetings arranged, underpinning ATF’s importance as a key industry platformtofacilitatebusinessdealings. Anextensivelistof3,983programmes islistedontheATFOnline+platform

Thisyear,ATFisheldatMarina Bay Sands in Singapore Themed ‘ContentisStillKing”,theconference isagatewaytoAsia’sbustlingfilmand contentmarketforindustryleadersto acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and coproduceacrossallplatforms Perhaps thebestplacewheremindsmeetand thefutureofAsia’scontentisshaped -- A W

BBCStudiosviaAstro

In 2021, BBC Studios’ plans to expand its relationship with Malaysia’s pay TV giant Astro launches linear channels BBC Earth and BBC Lifestyle together withon-demandchannelsBBCFirstand BBCBrit.Forthefirsttime,Malaysian audiencescannowviewJoannaLumley’s travel in China and the Silk Road alongsideFrozenPlanet,adocumentary narratedbyDavidAttenborough.While further investing in global streaming services, Astro Malaysia is also looking for opportunities to provide more local contentviaAstroOriginals -- J L

Financing a recovering marketplace of independent films and the importance of unique content post pandemic

THE ROAD TO LAS VEGAS

How a lasting career in performing arts look like through professional training

JoeyYungmakesanappearanceatthe ArenaOfStars,a5,000-seatlivemusic venueinGentingHighlands–nottoo farfromthecityofKualaLumpur A weeklaterand8,000milesawayfrom herfirstshow,YungisinVancouver performing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.Hersecondperformanceina CanadiancitywillseeherLIVEatthe OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls. From then on, she movesspeedilyacrosstheUS

astoppingatHarrah’sResortAtlantic City Among others who made the samepitstopincludecelebrityartists Pink Floyd and Engelbert Humperdinck TheEncoreTheatreat WynnLasVegassawherperformfor two nights alongside other concerts including Lionel Richie’s. The tour endsonDec3atReno’sEventCenter

JoeyYungisaCantopopsinger signed to Emperor Entertainment Group,acompanyfromalineof

diversified group of companies founded by Albert Yeung in Hong Kong whose original business came from starting a watch shop by his fatherin1942

HerlatestalbumtitledSchrödinger’s Catseeshermagicalpresentationofa thought experiment devised by physicistErwinSchrodingerin1935,a topic related to quantum mechanics

JoeyYungisadivaintheCantopopworld.In2014,thisfemalesuperstar ranked 63rd on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 – making her the most influentialHongKong-basedsingerthatyear.Today,Yungisconsideredone ofHongKong’sricheststarswithanetworthofHK$500million.Oneofher mostsuccessfulworldtourtodateisYung’s“CrazyJoeyYungConcertTour” in2019.ItlaudedanexclusivespecialguestlisttoincludeJackyCheung,JJ Lin,HackenLee,GrasshopperandAndyLau. -- Regina Kwan

Joey Yung wears dress designed by Rick Owens. Photo from Yung's social media account.

A Season of Everchanging In Digital Transformation

Much has happened to Hazel Savage. After setting up an artificial intelligence tech company in Singapore, she is now on the roll. Hazel Savage shares with us her journey through the business of Artificial Intelligence and how new digital transformation has changed the music industry. Music Press Asia's editor-in-chief Monica Tong checks in to see how life is treating her in London and working for the big bosses.

Ijustlovemusic Iamafan,andI havebeenaperformer.Musicismy favouriteartform,it'smyhobbyand my day job Which makes me feel verylucky!

Now that you've joined SoundCloud. How have things changed for you? In which area would you like to see, both professionally and personally, expand for you here?

Honestly, my role is very similar I spend my days working with the Musiioclients;wehavekeptallour customers I am so pleased that SoundCloudsharesthevisionMusiio had that having AI-based tag data widelyavailableinthemusicindustry benefitsallartistsandservices Ialso have really ramped up my speaking engagements Iwantpeopletoknow what Musiio and SoundCloud are doing,socatchmeeverywheresoon! I'llbeatSXSWin2023

What does it feel like to be returning to London? When was the last time you lived/visited this city?

As a British person is was quite a smoothtransition Iamfromhere,so thereisacertainfamiliarity However, whenImovedbackthisyear(2022)I hadn'tactuallylivedintheUKforthe last 12 years, which is pretty wild when I think about it But I love family,soevenwhenIlivedoverseas, I could be back as often as two to three times a year! Honestly, I love thiscountry,andIlovelivinghere

Do you miss Singapore and Southeast Asia?

Hi Hazel, you have had an incredible year with expanding Musiio and joining SoundCloud Tell us a little about this journey.

It'sbeenanabsolutelyamazingyear,I sold Musiio to SoundCloud, moved back to the UK from Singapore to take up my role as VP, Music Intelligence, and I won the EntrepreneuroftheYearawardatthe Music Week Women in Music Awards It'sbeenabusyone,that'sfor sure. It would have been hard to predict 2022 back when we started Musiioin2018.

Is Musiio your very first role leading a tech company? Why is this different from your previous experiences?

MusiioisthefirstcompanyIhavecofounded,builtandsold Justtoday,I wastellingsomeoneI'mnotreallya serial entrepreneur If I ever do it again,thenIwouldbe ButI'veonly built and sold one company. I have worked for myself as a consultant beforeandalwayshadsidehustlesas anartistmanagerorperformer Iguess I am a workaholic I love to be "doing".BeforeMusiio,Iworkedfor

other great Music Tech companies: Shazam, Pandora and more. I have alwaysworkedasifitwasmyname abovethedoor,butwhenitreallyis you – as CEO and co-founder – it meansyoudowhatyouneedtodoto getthejobdone Therealityissales callsat2am,noleave.It'scertainlynot foreveryone,buttherisk-rewardratio is high I've loved it, but it’s the hardestthingIhaveeverdone.

How important are artificial intelligence and digital transformation to the music industry?

Allnewtechnology,AIincluded,can be really important for the music industry When new tech comes along,it'suptoallofustolookatthe potential,benefitsandrisksjustlike anyothertechassessment Thereare extra ethical considerations with AI, too.Iwasveryproudtoworkwith RollsRoyceonanethicalframework theyarecontinuingtodevelop!

Music has always been a core of the projects you have participated. What are some of the sweetest moments that kept you coming back to music and its industry?

Absolutely, that is the strange dichotomyofbeingsomeonewhohas lived all over! I miss Australia for certain things and same with Singapore.IevenstartedalistwhenI left Singapore called "things I miss" andit'sweirdstuff It’snotwhatyou'd read in a guide book. There was a restaurant called Meatsmith right outside the Musiio office in Telok Ayer,aBBQjoint.Anditwasalways BLARING the loudest classic rock playlist So it always felt like when arrivingorleavingtheoffice,youhad the most incredible entrance or exit music

Where would you go (in London) if you have a whole afternoon to yourself?

I love this question! You know, it depends IwasinLondontodaywitha free hour, but it's only 3 degrees celsius which is too cold to hang around outside too long, so that changes the plans But a whole afternooninthewinter?Coffeeanda quietcornerinacafeinCamdenor KentishTown Onalovelywarmday, a walk along the canal (again Camden!)orthroughanyofthelovely gardensincentralLondon.

-- M Tong

LETTER FROM MOTHER NATURE TURNING THE TIDE

Endangered species in Asia is calling for help

Music Press Asia celebrates Endangered Species Day earlier this yearhighlightingsixspeciesthathave been imperiled by human activities Considering also how Asia can help turnthetidefortheseanimals

Ourspecies,theHomosapiens, has officially seized the world. For roughly300millennia,ormostofour existence, our population numbers have risen gradually. It is estimated that there were about 170 million people on Earth around 2,000 years ago.Butwiththearrivalofmodern medicine and the Industrial Revolution, the human population exploded.Skyrocketingfromabillion in1800toalmost79billiontoday Asia,themostrapidlydeveloping partoftheworld,iscontributingmost significantly to this human-induced species decline. But just as the continent is a huge part of the problem,itcanalsoplayacentralrole inthesolutionswedevisetoprotect these species They include the BorneanOrangutan,PhilippineForest Turtle, Giant Panda, Blue Whale, Bluefin Tuna, and the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark There are currently 138,374 species on the International Union for the ConservationofNature(IUCN)Red ListofThreatenedSpecies Evenmore worrying, 38,543 of them are threatenedwithextinction. That’sindeedbadnewsfortheplanet The sheer number of humans has made it impossible to use Earth’s resourcessustainably,andinjustafew hundred years, those resources have beenrapidlydepleted.Threatening

the environment, plant and animal life,andeventheveryairwebreathe today.Humanity’sdetrimentalimpacts arevisibleeverywhere A2020study inthejournalScienceAdvancesfound thathumanactivitieshavecaused06 percentofglobalmammalextinctions overthepast126,000years.

“These extinctions did not happen continuously and at a constant pace, ” leadauthorTobiasAndermannfrom Sweden’s University of Gothenburg said “Instead, bursts of extinctions are detected across different continents at times when humans first reached them More recently, the magnitude of human driven extinctions has picked up the pace again, this time on a global scale ”

TheBorneanOrangutan,the greatape,isroughlytranslated from Malay as “man of the forest” that inhabits the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia.Classifiedunderthe genusPongo,theyhavebeen divided into three separate species:theBorneanorangutan. Sumatran orangutan, and Tapanuli orangutan. Largely arborealinnature,orangutans have evolved to have long armsandshorterlegstohelp themnavigatethetreesandconstruct elaboratesleepingnests Adominant adult male can weigh up to 90 kilograms, developing cheek pads called flanges These flanged males also have throat sacs used for loud vocalisation. Although orangutans used to be a common sight all throughoutSoutheastAsiaandSouth China,itisnolongerthecase.With

theirnumberdecreasing,theyarenow only found in parts of Sumatra and Borneo.Inthepasttwodecades,their populationandhabitathavedeclined byover50percent.Didyouknow? Orangutans can live up to 30 years andshareupto964percentoftheir DNAwithhumans.

ThePhilippineforestturtleisalso knownasthePhilippinepondturtle or Palawan turtle. Its species is endemic throughout the Palawan group islands stretching between Mindoroislandinthenortheastand BorneointheSouthwest Theyhave reddish to brown or even black carapaces and is uniquely shaped vertebralscutesreminiscentofginkgo seeds. To make them even more recognisable,theyhavepalewhiteor yellowstripthatrunsacrossitshead behind their ears, earning them the nickname“bowtieturtle” Verylittle isknownaboutthespecies,andthey remain relatively obscure in the mainstreammedia Butin1920,itwas first classified as Heosemys leytensis by American herpetologist Edward HarrisonTaylor Whathefoundwas basedonamaleandfemalecollected from the swamps of Cabalian in Southern Leyte (San Juan) The specimens, unfortunately, were destroyedinthebombingofManila duringWorldWarII

Thenexttimeaspecimenwas seenwasmorethanfourdecadeslater, in1988,broughtinbyalocalresident in the Palawan municipality of Taytay Thiseventpromptedvarious searches throughout Southern Leyte buttonoavail.Extinctionmayhave beenthereason However,duringan assessmentofthenativewildlifeofthe islands of Palawan in 2001, live specimens of the Philippines forest turtle were uncovered. What were thoughtasnativespecieswereinfact natural populations of Philippine forestturtles.Classifiedas“Critically Endangered”since2000,theseforest turtlescontinuetofacethreatsfrom theblackmarketanimaltrade,andto alesserextent,lossofhabitat Today, asfewas3,000ofthemarebelievedto surviveinthewild.

TheIllegalWildlifeTrade:Partofthe

world’slargestarchipelago,the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines comprises more than 7,600 islands and has a population of around 110 million.By2030,thecountry’s populationispredictedtoreach 125million.Sadly,mostofthe ruralpopulation livingbelow thepovertylineoftenexploit thenativewildlifeandmakea livingbyparticipatinginthe lucrativeblackmarketanimal trade.Thisisnotsurprising. Given the Philippines’ vast biodiversity,itishometomorethan 52,177differentspeciesandoverhalf of them are endemic. Of the 700 differentbirdspecies,around200of them are endemic Additionally, the countryisrankedfifthintheworld forthediversityofitsplantspecies In fact, with such a large number of animalsthatcannotbefound

anywhere else in the world, it’d resulted in these creatures being highlycovetedbythoselookingforan exoticpet–ormeal Asidefromthe PhilippinesandChina,itissuspected that illegal trading of the Palawan turtlesoccursinBorneo,Malaysiaas well.

ABeaconofHope:Effortshave beenmadetoprotectPhilippineforest turtles.Thespecies,underPhilippine law, is legally protected from poaching. Sadly, illegal activities continue because of the lack of sufficienthabitatreservesandparksto house them. Lack of knowledge surrounding the species, their behaviour and ecology, make it difficult for experts to facilitate rehabilitationprocesses

The1992StrategicEnvironmental Plan(SEP)forPalawanActwouldbe stepping forward in providing an extensive framework that would sustain,develop,protectandenhance thenaturalresourcesandendangered environment of the province. That includesconfiscatingturtlesmeantfor trade

TheKatalaFoundationInc.(KFI) is a Palawan-based conservation group Forafulldecade,itcarriesout extensive captive-breeding programs, and finally, welcomes its first hatchling in 2018 The road rehabilitating the Philippine forest turtlenumbershasjuststarted With somuchmoretolearnaboutthisrare species,thereiseveryopportunityfor morethatcanbedone Nonetheless, there is hope with continued persistenceanddetermination -- Benjamin R Zulkifli

WEATHERMAN

THE WARNING

Remembering the wave that destroys in World Tsunami Awareness Day

The word "tsunami" comprises the Japanese words "tsu" (meaning harbour)and"nami"(meaningwave) World Tsunami Awareness Day was thebrainchildofJapan,whichdueto itsrepeated,bitterexperiencehasover theyearsbuiltupmajorexpertisein areassuchastsunamiearlywarning, publicactionandbuildingbackbetter after a disaster to reduce future impacts Tsunamisarerareeventsbut canbeextremelydeadly OnNov5of the year 1854, village leader Hamaguchi Goryo promptly warned andsavedmanylives Ahistoricalday

BOOKS

GhostsoftheTsunami Remembering the wave that destroys

ofgreatsignificance,itwasadopted by the United Nations in 2015 for raisingawarenessontsunami,andthe importance of its education to enhance community response and resilience Inthepast100years,58of themhaveclaimedmorethan260,000 lives, or an average of 4,600 per disaster,surpassinganyothernatural hazard.Thehighestnumberofdeaths inthatperiodwasintheIndianOcean tsunamiofDecember2004 Itcaused an estimated 227,000 fatalities in 14 countries,withIndonesia,SriLanka, IndiaandThailandhardest-hit -- B Z

On 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake sent a 120-foot-high tsunami smashing into the coast of north-eastJapan Bythetimethesea retreated, more than 18,500 people hadbeencrushed,burnedtodeath,or drowned ItwasJapan’sgreatestsingle lossoflifesincetheatomicbombing ofNagasaki Itsetoffanationalcrisis, andthemeltdownofanuclearpower plant.Andevenaftertheimmediate

emergencyhadabated,thetraumaof thedisastercontinuedtoexpressitself inbizarreandmysteriousways Richard Lloyd Parry, an awardwinningforeigncorrespondent,lived throughtheearthquakeinTokyo,and spent six years reporting from the disaster zone There he encountered stories of ghosts and hauntings. He metapriestwhoperformedexorcisms onpeoplepossessedbythespiritsof thedead.Andhefoundhimselfdrawn back again and again to a village whichhadsufferedthegreatestlossof all, a community tormented by unbearablemysteriesofitsown What reallyhappenedtothelocalchildren as they waited in the school playgroundinthemomentsbeforethe tsunami?Whydidtheirteachersnot evacuatethemtosafety?Andwhywas the unbearable truth being so stubbornlycoveredup?Ghostsofthe Tsunamiisaclassicofliterarynonfiction,aheart-breakingandintimate account of an epic tragedy, told throughthepersonalaccountsofthose wholivedthroughit Ittellsthestory ofhowanationfacedacatastrophe, and the bleak struggle to find consolation in the ruins -Goodreads.com

love music & nature inspired, asia-based

Founded at the height of the pandemic, ASEAN Music Showcase Festival’s maiden live edition at Singapore’s Haw Par Villa grounds last September saw over forty live acts perform Apart from the appearance of Indonesia’s rising singer songwriter, Pamungkas, the closing act by Cambodia’s R&B act – VannDa – set the crowd beaming from rapped and sing-alongs in Khmer

AMS is co-organized by Fungjai, NYLON Thailand, and Bangkok Music City from Thailand; Steady State Records

Singapore; SRM from Indonesia; City Roars Festival from Malaysia; The Rest Is Noise PH

the Philippines; Baramey Production from Cambodia; and Monsoon Music Festival and Swan Zoo from Vietnam

from

from

LIVE FROM TOKYO

The power of inclusion

Truetoitsmessageofinclusion,the TrueColorsFestival(TCF)2022was livestreamed globally from Tokyo. WithKatyPerryasspecialguest,the concert delivered over 25 hours of high-energy entertainment and emotionfortwonights Almost100 artists, many of whom live with a disability, took to the stage with talent,showmanship,andthemessage that we are all 'One World, One Family'. Since 2006, the festival has been celebrating diversity in embracing differences in disabilities, languagesandnationalities

While showcasing the extraordinary talents of singers, dancers and musicians of diverse abilities, the concert also gave audiences a peek insidetheeverydaylivesofthesome of the artists, through short films interspersed with live performances. Theideawastocapturetheforcesthat unite us as humans: mundane life, determination, self-belief, love, community, joy Included in these vignetteswereinspirationalmessages fromtheartists

"I'msoproudtobehere,toplayat TrueColorsFestival,acelebrationof inclusion and artists, first and foremost,andtowatchhumanbeings defytheoddsandbetheirbestselves Beingabletoparticipateinsomething so positive and uplifting and for a reallygoodcause,I'msoproudtobe onstagewithyou!"saidKatyPerry

Executive Producer of The Nippon Foundation and Senior Executive Producer of the concert, Ichiro Kabasawa, said, "Everyone in the audience could see these performers werechosenfortheirtalentfirstand foremost, and I hope we were all inspired to overcome our own challengesandachieveourdreamsas theyhave"

Dr Sydney Tan, Creative & Music Directoroftheconcertsaid,"Iwanted thisconcerttoopenmindsandhearts, soit wasnot just about showcasing the enormous musical talents of the performers,butsharingtheirunique stories"

True Colors Festival (TCF) is presentedbyTheNipponFoundation

Image source: True Colors Festival / The Nippon Foundation

TRANQUILITY FROM BROOKLYN

Reimagining the voice of South Asia

US-based Pakistani singer, Arooj Aftab,recentlyrevealedthatshestill has to deal with ignorant questions due to her identity as a female musicianfromPakistan Earlierthis year, she became the first Pakistani artisttowinaGrammy[BestGlobal Music Performance] Her music is distinctly jazz and minimalist –drawinginspirationfrom Hindustani classical music and neo-Sufi sounds Reimagining traditional South Asian music for today, according to Pitchfork, her voice continues to attractravereviews.Earningherselfa spot on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert released on December 2021. Instantly a memorableset,theconstantthreadof light drumming - sound like a drawing of thick metal strings of a harpperhaps-reelsandintroducesus to the song "Suroor". A strangely combinedminimalistsetofmusicians madeofasmallharp,aviolin,aguitar and bass, Arooj Aftab stands in the middle, in controlled poise Tantalizingly calm, Arooj sings a languagewecouldbarelyunderstands. Butitsprayerfulapproachresultsina prettyspectacularsoulfulperformance

Shehasreleasedthreealbumsso far BirdUnderWater(2014),Siren Islands (2018), and Vulture Prince (2021) andgainedevenmore

attention after former US president, Barack Obama, included her song Mohabbat in his 2021 summer favoriteslist.InOctober,Aftabshared “Udhero Na”, a live recording of a performance at London’s Barbican Centre. The recording featured AnoushkaShankaronthesitar,aswell asVulturePrinceensemblemember. AroojAftabsubmittedhernewsong, Udhero Na, (featuring Anoushka Shankar) for consideration to the Grammyslastmonth Theawardshow willtakeplaceon5February2023in LosAngeles,andthenominationswill beannouncedon15November2022

Hertourinthefallconfirmed seventeendateswithinthirtydaysto includemostofEurope,Turkeyand Saudi Arabia Beginning in Lisbon’s Teatro Maria Matos (Nov.1) she snakes her way to Ice Airwaves Festival,passesviaSonicCityFestival in Belgium and Babylon in Istanbul beforewrappingitallupatRiyadh’s SoundstormFestival.

Thesong“Mohabbat”shesangat Tiny Desk adamantly articulated a sound we’ve heard ever since Ravi Shankar’svirtuositywiththesitar Her voiceisaresonanceofculturewithin South Asia and an embodiment of kindness and generosity, something we all need a little in this modern world. -- Soraya Efendi

ConqueringRachmaninoff

WeiLuo–signedtoDeccaGold–is recognisedasasignificantpianistof her generation Having already performed on many of the world’s leading stages in her young career, Wei Luo’s self-titled debut album released in 2019 was a momentous event ItisnosurprisethatUniversal Music Group’s Decca Gold was the label to work with. The release received rave reviews San Diego Union Tribune commended the recording, said: “This recording reveals a dazzling artist with an astonishing range of colours at her disposal, put to the service of a confident young soul whose musicalitysuggeststheexperienceof someonetwodecadesolder”

Herrecent13-concertrecital tour nationwide – in China’s major cities including Shanghai Concert Hall, Beijing National Center of Performing Art, and Guangzhou OperaHouseinHarbin–arejusta fewoftheprominentvenueshosting the tour. Born in Shenzhen, China, Wei showed great interest in music andbeganpianolessonsatagefive. She gave her debut recital in Hong Kongatagesix

ForWorldSleepDaylastyear, Wei participated in a campaign organisedbyUniversalMusicGroup Alongwith18otherUMGmusicians worldwide,sherecordedNocturneby Christopher Tin, a Grammy awardwinning composer. Winner of numerouscompetitionsinChina,Wei also claimed first prize in the 11th ChopinInternationalCompetitionfor YoungPianistsinPolandandthe2nd Rachmaninov International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Frankfurt,bothin2010 In2012,at agethirteen,Weiwasacceptedtothe prestigiousCurtisInstituteofMusicin Philadelphia where she studied with GaryGraffmanandRobertMcDonald. HerrecentperformaceofBeethoven 4th concerto at the Shenzhen 10th PianoMusicFestivalopeningconcert wowedandstunneditsaudiencewith anarticulateperformanceinyouthful style.Lastyear,sheperformedatthe Yellow River Concert with the Qingdaosymphony -- B Zulkifli

"I'm practicing for my game in Cambodia."

STADIUM(cont.LIVE)

AdamSandlerisbackwithararetour ofcasinosandarenastoremindlive audiences, young and old – that standup comedy and silly ditties are what he does best Ever since the releaseof50FirstDates,itishardto discern that beloved comedian-actor AdamSandlercoulddoanythingless than wonderful. He is balancing a seeminglysuccessfulcinematiclifein more recent films: in starkly serious roles in “Uncut Gems” and most recently2022’s“Hustle”

Whileitmaybeeasytoforget that Sandler’s career began as a standupcomic,itwashistickettoan expansive journey in a career in cinema It was in a Los Angeles comedyclubthatDennisMillerfirst saw and recommended Sandler to “SaturdayNightLive”creatorLorne Michaels

The tour to date has already confirmed24datesinmajorcitiesin theUS.NewdatesaddedinDecember willcovervenuesinSanDiego,San Francisco, Sacramento, San Manuel, LasVegasandfinishthewholetourat the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona This is definitely a show mature audiences only. After performing at MGM Music Hall at Fenwayon23October,AdamSandler commented: “That was a great New England Sunday Love you guys, let’s do it again tonight” before he began a show at Turning Stone Resort in Verona,NewYork

Sandwichedinthemiddleofthe tour is the upcoming Nov 29’s performanceattheKaufmannConcert Hall in New York - a promotional stintforNetflix’sfilm“Hustle”istitled "A Special Screening With Adam Sandler in Conversation With Josh Horowitz In the mid-to-late 1990s, Sandler toured with goofy, rude standupbitsmixedwithlovable,singalongsongsofhisown,suchas“The Chanukah Song” and “The ThanksgivingSong.”Andheinjected musicintomanyofhismostbeloved onscreen appearances, like “The WeddingSinger” -- G Mendoza

BACKSTAGE

THE BALLAD IN JAZZ

Laufey’sbackstageshotaboveismost likelytakenatLosAngeles’legendary club in West Hollywood called the Troubadour AvenuethatsawElton John, James Taylor and Tom Waits performed early in their careers. Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter, musician, cellist and pianist Laufey rocketedtostardomwithher#1hit with her debut single “Street By Street” on Iceland Radio. Soon, her musicwasheardonBBCRadio3and BBCSoundsandtherestishistory

She’sonamissiontomakejazz approachable to people of all ages Currently based in Los Angeles, she composessongsthatbringelementsof jazz,popandclassicalmusictogether Growing up in an intensely musical family, Laufey started her musical journeyearlyon Shebeganplaying thepianoattheageoffourandadded other instruments to her repertoire along the way Nowadays, she is a multi-instrumentalist with an ability to play the piano, cello and guitar, amongotherinstruments

Even though Laufey’s life was heavilyinfluencedbyclassicalmusic, shedidnotfeellikepursuingitasa career. She had a desire to create something on her own since beginningstudiesatBerkleeCollege ofMusic,somethingthatdidnotplay bythestrictrulesofclassicalmusic, butstillhadsimilaritiestothegenre That ‘something’ she found in jazz, andespeciallyfromthemusicofartists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday,whoselowvoicessimilarto herownresonatedwithLaufey In2021,LaufeyreleasedTypical of Me, an EP which has garnered morethantenmillionstreamsacross alldigitalstreamingplatforms.Onthe strengthofthealbum'selegantsong cycle asetofvocaljazzcompositions writtenduringCovidlockdown

LaufeywasnamedBestNewArtistin Jazz & Blues at the 2021 Icelandic Music Awards. Her meteoric ascent continuedin2022withanappearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where she performed "Like The Movies," a pristine piece of jazz lyricism evocative of such legends as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chet Baker In an interview with Sophie WilliamsfromNME,shedescribesthe restlessnessshefeltinherearlyyears asshetriedtoconformtowhatshe describes as the “gentle, small and quiet” Icelandic youth stereotype Feelingnerdyasaclassicalmusician with an American accent, it took courageandrelentlesspassiontoget wheresheistoday

In an even more recent performance, she stands before the glare of the stage lights she shared with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra at Harpa – a world-class concert hall in Reykjavik that has previouslyhostedBjörk Thatnight, the1,600audiencesawandheardthe reworkedclassicalarrangementsfrom herdebutalbum‘EverythingIKnow About Love’ Sticking to a more traditionalistjazzsound,thisGenZer isbringingjazztoanewgeneration LaufeyhasrecentlyperformedatsoldoutsoloconcertsallovertheU.S.On thelastdayofOctober,shereturnsto Europeonthelastlegofherfalltour whichbeganinHOBVoodooRoom in San Diega, California (Sept 13) Her European leg begins at Dublin, Ireland before making stops at Lafayette(London),Paris,Amsterdam, Cologne,Hamburg,Berlin,andlastly, Zurich Followingherperformanceat IcelandAirwavesonNovember3,she willconclude2022withappearances attheMontrealJazzFestivalandthe NewportJazzFestival -- A. Watanabe

"So there's nothing more provocative than taking a genre that everybody who's cool hatesand then making it cool." -- Lady Gaga

On achieving the innate sense of wanderlust

DESIGN

Art in the Wild

Bill Bensley on Design, Landscapes, Sustainability in Southeast Asia

Long before becoming an architect andaninteriordesigner,Itrainedto bealandscapearchitect.Partofthat was learning to be a patron of the Earth,aguardianofMotherNature In designing hotels that welcome thousandsofpeopleeveryyear,Ihave aresponsibilitytodowhatIcanto protect our planet. In many of our projects we built in sustainable measures, such as smart building orientation,crossventilation,theuse ofnaturallight,whichsavestheclient money

Oneofmygoalsistorewildthe earth,andmakepeoplerealisethatwe are part of it. Sustainability is in everythingthatwedoatBENSLEY–wespendourdaysdesigningbuildings filled with ways to minimise use of fossilfuelsandmaximiseconnection withnature Ihavingrecentlyopened my own BENSLEY Outsider Art Gallery,andtheproceedsgobackto supportconservationefforts

How do you combine the art of storytelling, hospitality, and conservation in one immersive experience?

Adesignerandarchitectwhoknows nolimits,BillBensleyisbestknown fordreaminguphotelsandlandscapes fully immersed in culture, history, nature, and ingenuity – all realised withajoyfulandwhimsicalflair The oddest discoveries end up becoming theheartofhisprojects,hesays,ashe finds inspiration from his surroundings and just about everywhere

Bensley’sprojectsincludeFour SeasonsResortsinChiangMai,Koh Samui, Intercontinental Danang, Capella Bali, Capella Hanoi, Rosewood Luang Prabang. The California-born Bensley has made SoutheastAsiahishome,andnowhere istheidiosyncraticenergyoftheartist andhisloveofnaturemorefeltthan atBaanBotanicainBangkok.Bensley andhishusband,JirachaiRengthong, named the property to describe the free-spirited tropical wonderland where more than 15,000 species of plantsthriveinabundance,alongwith some beloved pet terriers and a colourfulcollectionofartandcurios Ahead of Sotheby’s Modern Art Online:ZaoWu-KitoLePho(1-8 June,HongKong),Bensleydiscusses his methods for designing interiors, the narratives that inspire him, favouriteartists,andtheimportanceof sustainabilityandconservation.

What draws you to Southeast Asia? How has the aesthetics and historical cultures of Thailand, Vietnam, Bali and Cambodia inspired the hotels you designed?

SoutheastAsiais,inaword,sublime Formeprofessionally,itisatrueEl Dorado From thestart Ihavebeen surroundedbyincrediblecraftspeople,

artists, architects, designers, and learned so very much from them. Designingahotelisakintoproducing a Hollywood movie; both need compellingstorylinesorelseriskillfated opening nights For each project, we come up with a unique DNAthatinfluenceseverythingfrom thearchitecturetothetableware That isthekeytosuccessaseverypartof thedesign

Eachplacehasahistory,stories totell,alocalarchitecturalvernacular. We do a deep dive into the place’s historyandpeople,findingthemost interestingcharacters,andbringtheir storyalive

AttheCapellaUbudinBali,we savedasacredvalleybysteeringthe ownerawayfromanenvisioned120 roomhotel,towards23uniquetents placedinthetreetops Eachonetells the story of the first Dutch who landed in Bali and their encounters withtheraja(king) Weimaginethey were shipwrecked and made tents with sails as well as the magical objectstheydiscoveredinBali

At the MGallery Hotel de la CoupoleinSapa,Vietnam,wehada brieftocreatealuxurioushotel While ferretingthelessfashionablestreetsof northParisforantiques,JirachaiandI came upon a 1930s Vietnamese bamboo hat, covered in white and watermelon polka dots That little treasure inspired an entire hotel; I basedthestoryonhowthelocalhilltribesinfluencedthehautecoutureof Paris,asSapawasonceahill-station forFrenchcolonialsseekinganescape fromthesummerheat

Oneprojectveryclosetomyheart,is theBENSLEYCollectionShintaMani WildinCambodia.Itallstartedwith mydearfriendSokounChanpredaFounder of the Shinta Mani Foundation, which provides clean water,education,healthcare,housing, loans and more to Cambodians in need–allwithjust5%ofthenightly room rate donated from the Shinta Mani Hotels we work on together One day we found out about a government sale of forest land We endedupbuyingapieceoflandthe sizeofCentralPark(inNewYork)to saveit–andsome875,000trees,45 kilometres of wild river and three waterfalls – from becoming logging andtitaniumminingsites Icreateda high yield low impact camp to sustainablysupportthepolicingofthe forest Wehiredlocals–manyof

them ex-poachers and loggers – to build fifteen luxury tents without cutting down a single tree The guiding DNA was the safari Jackie Onassis took with King Sihanouk during her travels to Cambodia in 1967.

Tentshavealowenvironmental impact, and we can charge a significantroomrate,whichfundsthe protectionoftheforest Todothiswe partneredwiththeWildlifeAlliance,a privatearmyofrangers Wildlifeare slowlyreturning,aswecreateasafer haven.Itisinmanyways,mydream hotel,fromtheadrenalin-filledzipline arrivaltotheimmersioninoneofthe

What does sustainability mean to you?

last great wildernesses of Southeast Asia Itistheculminationofmylife's work, taking everything I have learnedabouthoteldesignin35years tocreateagreatseriesofexperiences

How has modernism inspired your work?

The20thcenturyartmovementshave inspired both my hotel designs and ownpainting InSingapore,ourTwin Towersprojectwasdrivendesignwise by dozens of unique interpretations theworkofKeithHaring Whilein Bali,attheSt Regis,weimagined:“If Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Calder, andHenryMoorehadlivedinBali, how would the culture have influenced their work?” The 100 or more garden sculptures I designed wereauniquemodernistextensionof theBalineseartgenre.

ThisSeptemberinBangkok,Iam havingmyfirstartshowwhereallof the proceeds will go to the Shinta Manifoundation+WildlifeAlliance ofCambodia.Mypaintingsdrawfrom a plethora of 20th century art movements,especiallyfauvism

What are some artists that collect yourself? Any favourites from the upcoming auction?

WalterSpies,RudolphBonnet,Auke Sonnega,TheoMeier,DonaldFriend, ArieSmit,NyomanMasriadi,Mangu Putra, and Richard Winkler I am inspired daily by the incredible draftsmanshipofSpiesandBonnet,the unabashed use of colour by Meier, Friend, and Smit and the humorous storytelling of Masriadi In the auction, I love the Theo Meier, on offer It would make a marvellous birthdaypresentformenextmonth!I alsoliketheHanSnel Balinese Beauties and Walasse Ting Four Ladies with Parrots

How would you imagine these artworks in an interior setting?

Ispendagreatdealoftimearranging our collection. I have our paintings and drawings by Rudolf Bonnet in one room and arranged, clockwise, from the earliest to the latest. This allowsustoseeclearlyhisprogression as an artist Another room is filled with Theo Meir’s work, and as his workisprimarilywarmcolourslike salmonandoranges,wehavepainted the room a sunflower yellow which setsoffTheo’spaintingsmarvellously

Ilovetolayer Ioftenwillplace alessimportantpiecelikeanantique textileasabackgroundbehindareally important modernist piece like a Botero Conversely, I might pair a portraitofamanwithasculptureofa dogjustbecauseIcouldimaginethat thetwocouldbebestfriends

TABLES FOR TWO Simply Scrumptious

A brief guide inside the eating house of The Hungry Tapir at 135 Petaling St.

Theotherday,ataround6:45P.M., aniPadlitupatTheHungryTapir, perhapsPetalingStreet’s(Chinatown) only vegan & vegetarian restaurant. Onitwasdine-inorderatpeakhours: onemushroomrendang,onesummer kerabu, one jungle laksa, one Woofsome meal Tapir is run by graphicdesignerMakissaSophiaand hermum,CynthiaRodrigo.Awelllovedrestaurantthatnailthatrarehat trick of being tropically cool, winningly laid-back, and culinarily thrilling

But beginning some time in March2020,withtheirdiningrooms closedbecauseofthecoronavirus,and artful Malaysian dishes far from people’sminds,MakissaandCynthia decidedthattheirgastronomicfuture lay, at least temporarily, in grills, modernized local delicacies, and platterstoshare,unforgotten (Tapir’s portmanteau name doubles as a punningbitofalocalanimalspecies nowonthelistofendangeredanimals in Southeast Asia) Countless restaurants in Chinatown that have shifted to takeout and delivery, and eventuallysurvived,havealsochanged theirmenus–butfewhavetakenon entirelynewidentities.Totheowners atTapir,reincarnatingwasoutofthe question as the restaurant is already quiteaestheticallywelcomingandits menu options certainly outside the norm

Theuncomplicatedshoplotin Chinatown has been transformed according to the eyes of a strictly greenandfunspace.Whilethe

heritagebuilding’sroughinsideswere stripped bare, its cement floors and arched windows compliment the rattan chair and potted plants that accompanies its gourmet adventurer Aslighthiphopmusicsurroundsus, my order on a quiet weekday gradually arrived at the rectangularshapedsofaIsharedwithmypoodle andhusband.Afterabout15minutes, the waitress set the mushroom rendangdownandinstantly,awhiff of grilled spices from the rendang reached my nostrils An equally populardishinourownkitchen,but never have I combined it with the rendang concoction It was woody andspicyinflavor.

By7:10,myorderforthejungle laksa arrived smelling of first and foremost bunga kantan (torchedginger flower) and then comes the rich coconut Nyonya broth The rice vermicelli in the broth taste of trimmed cucumber and crispy soya beancurd,myfavouritecombination in laksa We ate in perfect silence while my puppy stared His Woofsome meal arrived in perfect timing with our last order, the summerkerabu Andwhilehechomps awayinthelittledishesofcolourful vegemix,ourforksfounditsplaceto the mango inspired salad Knowing howsourandspicythisrecipecanbe, weheldontoourbreathwhileour tonguesacclimatizedwiththeflavor

Theexplosionoftoastedtempehand zingyyoungshootsofmintandlocal greensfollowed.Ilefttherestaurant thoroughlysatisfied.-- A. Said

This interview excerpt with Bill Bensley is first published on Sotheby's official website, www sothebys

REVIEW

Everything I Know About Love

A Gen Zer's old jazz selection MERCHANDISE

This intimately cinematic album by Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir chroniclesthefallinginandoutof loveintwelvemelodictracksthat feel not quite long enough. Laufey’s sonic experience is inexplicably beautiful. Although its lyrics may sound resonantly unwieldy at times, the primary delightsofthealbumseesLaufey’s bluntlyricismmeetsintrospective tuneoftheoldjazzstandard The sweeping sounds of symphonic talent and acoustic guitar juxtaposes complex and simple elements lets us lay in perfect familiarity – a truly effortless blend of new with the old -Monica Tong

Winter with the Raccoon

Prints & Vinyls for elevator music

Chillhop Music Winter 2022 special edition’s latest merchandises and physical releases have yet to release stock Currently sold out on its website’s shop, its limited CD editions,marbledvinylsandcassettes have somehow proved quite a commodity today Its art store is perhapslookingbrighterandpositive withcoloringbooksandartprintstill available for sale Chillhop is made famousfromthethemedartworkofits raccoon,asymbolofthelabeltoday. It’s ‘Endless Sunday 2’ playlist is a two-hour nonstop jazzy lofi with instrumental hip hop beats. Still availabletostreamonYouTube,the Raccoonmakesanappearancewithhis animal friends. They seem rather engrossedinaboardgameinacozy setting filled with ambient light, snacks, a vinyl player and potted plants in the corner The scene portrays rare long Sundays spent ratherleisurely Thisspecificplaylist has already amased over 26 million views. With its 3.28 million subscribers,onecanonlydescribeits followers as having a cult-ish affair withthispopularmusiclabel.Takea closerlookagainattheensuingboard gamesandyoumayjustfindagaggle of a mouse, a raccoon, a fox (quite unlikely),andabear Thelongsold

out 2018 Essential series for winter getstherepresstreatmentwithglass transparentvinyl Joiningtheefforts inoffsettingthecarbonfootprintused in mailing the vinyl to you, one recordsoldmeansonetreeisplanted Andbeforeaddingtheitemtoyour digitalbasket,itisalsoreassuringto knowthatthevinylispressedusing greenandenergy-efficientmachinery. SalazarSkunk,isbackwithsomejams to prepare you for the cozy season ahead. First up is “Moving On” by NymanoandSuuna -- N Golan

CHILLINCHILLVILLE

Imaginethisnew genrethat hasno rapinit.Overthelasttwoyears,the buzz words ‘chill’ and ‘hop’ are catching on with studious, stressed and even laid-back Gen-Xers and Boomers looking for unhurried and peace loving soundtracks for their lives.Rathertypicallyachoiceforall walks of life, it was created for the most part for worldly consumption. But who’d know how such a genre wouldpickup?Coulditbethefault partlyduetothepandemic?Forallwe know,ithasalreadygarneredviewsin the millions with a huge following using it as study music. The genre spreadsacrossgenerationsbutmostly

skews younger, whose audience is around 73% aged 18-34 There’s definitely room for chill-o-fied backgroundmusic Somuchsothatit is reportedly say to be opening a physicalmusiccaféinRotterdamafter the pandemic Animation loops are spicing up their offerings too Its consistent label mascot of a cute raccoonridingakayakorgrazingin thegrasshasnowexpandedtoaneven morecreativedepiction–theperfect recipeforloopingthevideosandnot the audio carries such trendy irony. However, making money with this music can be tough Disproportionatelylowadrevenuefor a24/7lo-fihip-hoplivestreamtends to serve only one pre-roll ad to viewers, despite longer engagement from viewers For this reason alone, the chill-o-fied labels are expanding waystocatertotheircommunitywith merch, vinyl and, when the time is right, offline activations and performances.AndChillhopMusichas quite a variety For non-offensive music among the youths today? Chillville's board of tourism has recentlythewintereditionofthecity map. Join the Chillville community today -- Gregor Stravnos

READING

Our Top Books To Read

Music Press Asia and its staff has been reading some latest release of books in Southeast Asia, we've come out with this list so you don't have to. Enjoy it!

WANTTOEAT

TTEOKBOKKI

bySeheeBAEK/AntonHUR(Trn.)

THE MALAYAN SONG BOOK

byGaneshBALA

Aselectionof20contemporaryMalay music scores by composers Ahmad Jaafar,AhmadWanYet,YusofB, PRamleeandsomeMalayfolktunes areinthesongbook.Alsoincludedare studies,biographiesandessaysabout the people behind these tunes that offerglancesofMalaya’sgoldenageof music and entertainment The Malayan Songbook, published by OUCHMusicAcademy,took5years of research, audio restoration, music transcriptionandarrangementpriorto completion According to the book producer, Ushera Yusof, a halt in production due to the Covid-19 pandemicwasfortunatelyavoidedas the project was supported by the Creative Industry Recovery Grant under Literature & Publishing, a PENJANA initiative managed by MyCreativeVentures. -- S.E

flimsy stage set-ups and shady promoters in order to gel into a developing world’s music scene He takesyouonano-frillsroadbonanza scouring for sonic extremities across the whole length of Malaysia and Borneo.Hechasesdownlong-haired metal punk descendants of Iban headhuntingtribes,scrawnyBidayuh anarcho-punk rockers, KadazanDusunactivistartists,skullcap-toting Muslimdeathmetallers,andgetsyoua seatinWEOTSKAM’sricketyvanfor aDIYsleighridethroughthebowels ofJakartaandthevulgar,bogan-filled streets of Bali Will your seatbelts fastenquicklyenough? -- S E

ITWON'TALWAYSBE LIKETHIS

byMalakaGHARIB

TheSouthKoreanhittherapymemoir recommended by BTS's RM [Hardcover] ThephenomenalKorean bestseller translated by International Booker Shortlistee Anton Hur Psychiatrist:SohowcanIhelpyou? Me:Idon'tknow,I'm-what'sthe word - depressed? Do I have to go intodetail?BaekSeheeisasuccessful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeingapsychiatristabouther-what to call it? - depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgementalofothers Shehidesher feelingswellatworkandwithfriends; adept at performing the calmness, evenease,herlifestyledemands The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships This can't be normal Butifshe'ssohopeless,whycanshe always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy ricecake,tteokbokki?Isthisjustwhat life is like? Recording her dialogues withherpsychiatristovera12-week period,Baekbeginstodisentanglethe feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions andharmfulbehavioursthatkeepher lockedinacycleof self-abuse. Part memoir,partself-helpbook,IWant toDiebutIWanttoEatTteokbokki isabooktokeepcloseandtoreach forintimesofdarkness Rivetingand full of cultural catch phrase much neededinourAsiandiaspora Besides takingabreaktotryanyKoreanmeal wecouldgetholdon,wecan'tseem toputthisbookdown -- B Z

BANANAPUNKRAWK TRAILS

byMarcoFERRARESE

AEuro-Fool’sMetalPunkJourneysin Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia Between2010and2015,travelwriter, authorandmetalpunkguitaristMarco Ferraresewastheoneandonly‘white elephantintheroom’oftheMalaysian metalpunkscene.AEuropeaninbred metal punk fool stranded in a globalised world of transnational extreme music chop suey. In this highly electric and graphic memoir, Ferraresetellsyouhowitwastoplay lead guitar in Penang’s thrashcore bandWEOTSKAM,negotiating

Imaginearrivinginacountrywhere you don't understand the language, culture, or religion Nine-year-old MalakaGharibarrivesinEgyptforher annual summer vacation abroad and assumesit'llbejustlikeeveryother vacationshe'sspentatherdad'splace inCairo.Butherfathersharesnews that changes everything: He has remarried Overthenextfifteenyears, as she visits her father's growing familysummeraftersummer,Malaka mustreevaluateherplaceinhislife. ShelearnsthatNirvanaisn'tascoolas Nancy Ajram, that there's nothing betterthanaFantaandamelon-mint hookah, that the desert is most beautifulatdawn,andthathernew stepmother, Hala, isn't so different fromMalakaherself -- N Golan

byRajeshMONISHA

MonishaRajeshhaschosenoneofthe bestwaysofseeingtheworld.Never toofast,nevertooslow,herjourney doeswhattrainsdobest Gettingto theheartofthings.Prepareforavery fine ride' Michael Palin From the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet's Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice SimplonOrient-Express,AroundtheWorldin 80Trainsisacelebrationoftheglory of train travel and a witty and irreverentlookattheworld.Packing upherrucksack-andherfiance,Jem - Monisha Rajesh embarks on an unforgettableadventurethattakesher from London's St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan,andbeyond -- N G

performance and transdisciplinary studies He pursued his doctoral degreeinhistoricalmusicologyatthe University of Music Carl Maria von WeberDresden,andwasanaffiliated researcher with the joint »EpistemologiesofAestheticPractice« doctoral program at the Collegium Helveticum. His research focuses on the intersection of performance and curatorial studies, and strives for a globalperspective. -- K B

SESAMESTREETMUSIC PLAYER STORYBOOK: COLLECTOR'S EDITION

by Farrah MCDOOGLE & Joe MATHIEU

Thisbest-sellingtitlehasarefreshed covertocelebrateSesameStreet's45th anniversary.CelebrateSesameStreet's 45th anniversary with this specialedition Music Player Storybook Inside, preschoolers will find a delightful mix of stories, lyrics, and popularbelovedkids'tunes Featured on the four play CDs are favorite instrumentalsongsfromtheTVshow ("RubberDuckie,""CIsforCookie," "SesameStreetTheme,"and"People in Your Neighborhood") plus 20 popular kids' songs. With fun instrumental tunes like "The Muffin Man" and "Five Little Ducks," this deluxesetwillkeepkidssingingand dancingforhours -- K B

LIONCITY

byJeevanVASAGAR

Singapore and the Invention of Modern Asia: Lion City tells the extraordinarystoryofSingapore-the world'smostsuccessfulcitystate In 1965,Singapore'sGDPpercapitawas on a par with Jordan Now it has outstripped Japan After the Second WorldWarandasuddenrupturewith newly formed Malaysia, Singapore founditselfindependent-andfacing a crisis. It took the bloody-minded determinationandvisionofLeeKuan Yew,itsfoundingpremier,totakea smallislandofdiverseethnicgroups with a fragile economy and hostile neighboursandmelditintoAsia'sfirst globalised city. Lion City examines thedifferentfacesofSingaporeanlife - from education and health to art, politicsanddemographicchallengesandrevealshowinjusthalfacentury, Leeforgedacountrywithabuoyant economy and distinctive identity It exploresthedarkersideofhowthis was achieved too; through authoritarian control that led to it being dubbed 'Disneyland with the deathpenalty'.

CURATING CONTEMPORARY MUSICFESTIVAL

byBrandonFARNSWORTH

A New Perspective on Music's Mediation:Contemporarymusic,like otherarts,isdealingwiththeriseof »curators«layingclaimtoeverything fromfestivalstoplaylists-butwhat aretheyandwhatdotheydoanyway? Drawing from backgrounds ranging from curatorial studies to festival studies and musicology, Brandon Farnsworth lays out a theory for understanding curatorial practices in contemporary music, and how they could be a solution to the field's diminishing social relevance. The volume focuses on two case studies, theMunichBiennaleforNewMusic Theatre,andtheMaerzmusikFestival at the Berliner Festspiele, putting theminatransdisciplinaryhistoryof curatorialpractice,andshowingwhat music curatorial practice can be.BrandonFarnsworth,bornin1991, works as an independent music curator,andasaresearchassociateat the Zurich University of the Arts, wherehealsostudiedclassicalmusic

THEASIANHOME KITCHEN…FROM KUALALUMPURTO KYOTO

byLeemeiTAN-BOISGILLOT

Thisbookbringstogetherallthebest homecooking,streetfoodfavourites, healthyfakeawaysandcrowd-pleasers in one award-winning collection Over110modern,delectableandeasy recipes meet any craving, from Korean fried chicken, a warming Bibimbap,spicyDanDanNoodles,a heartyBeefRendang,azingyPapaya Salad, Banh Mi on-the-go or satisfyingMasalaDosatosharewith friends This is the fully updated edition of the award-winning LemongrassandGinger -- R K

Jeevan Vasagar, former Singapore correspondent for the Financial Times, masterfully takes us through the intricate history, present and futureofthisuniquediamond-shaped island one degree north of the equator, where new and old have remained connected Lion City is a personal, insightful and definitive guide to the city, and how its extraordinaryriseisshapingEastAsia andtherestoftheworld -- R K

ElijahNangpicksupwhereheleftoffinGaijinseason2andputsamassivefootforwardwithanunbelievable 23-songalbuminGaijinseason3.FeaturingotherlofiheavyweightssuchasWEI,Kalaido,Tenno,Kazumi Kaneda,andSoulFoodHorns,thisalbumspansthesoundsofJazz,traditional,ambient,downtempoandlofi. Experimental,yetrootedingroovysoulandhip-hopvibes.

TOURING 2022

A kinship that channels growth and harmony

Cheng²Duoisavibrantduoformed bycellistBryanCheng,prizewinner of the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition and 2021 Concours de Genève, and pianist Silvie Cheng, 2022-23 musician-in-residence of Cecilia Concerts in Halifax The ChineseCanadiansiblingssharewith Music Press Asia their exciting journeyplayinginsomeoftheworld's most prestigious classical festivals alongside philanthropic activities whileenjoyingtheupsanddownsof touringnationallyandworldwide

Both of you seem to have some of the busiest schedules we have seen for any touring classical musician artist. Especially over the last summer, knowing that you both live in separate cities, how did you organize time performing separately and together?

Since our duo started professionally playing together in 2011, we’ve alwaysbeenlivingindifferentcities: backthen,SilviewasstudyinginNew York and Bryan was going to high school in Ottawa, Canada and since 2015 the distance has grown larger, with Silvie remaining in New York after completing her Master’s and Bryan moving across the ocean to Berlin, Germany to begin his university studies As you can imagine, over the years, we have therefore gotten very good at practicisng andworkingindetailon

piecesindividually,andthenputting themtogetherinaveryshortamount oftime(acoupleofdays,ifnecessary). Ofcoursethereisahugesenseoftrust betweenusthatwe’vebuiltoverthe years,thateachpersonwilldotheir partandcomeprepared(alsohaving studiedtheotherperson’spart),and thatwewillbeopen,communicative, andflexibletonewideasinrehearsal There’snotimetobestubborn!It’s probably something we’ve taken for granted this ease of rehearsing, but we truly do appreciate each other’s commitment to the duo and to the music we dedicate ourselves to presenting at the highest level. In terms of schedule, this year was especially crazy! There were times whenwewerethinkingtoourselves, “let’s never agree to this kind of schedule again” (after playing six recitalsinsixdifferentcitiesinarow, forexample),butaftereveryrecital, wefeeltrulygratefultoplaymusicas our“job”,tobeabletosharejoywith audiencesaroundtheworld,andbest of all, to do it together, with each other’ssiblingandbestfriend.

Bryan, you've been busy competing. Tell us about your repertoire and how did you prepare for them, especially for the most recent Queen Elizabeth competition.

This past year was quite intense in termsofcompetitions startingwith

GenevainOctober2021,thenUNISA inSouthAfricainJanuary2022,and finally the Queen Elisabeth in May/June2022.Ontheonehand,it was good to do these three in a concentratedperiodasIwasableto get in the rhythm of preparing for competitions,butontheotherhand, itissodrainingtoprepareforjustone big competition, never mind three. Each of these events had 3 or 4 rounds, often with very different repertoire

The Queen Elisabeth was the toughest,asitwasfourweekslong,so itwasalsoamental/physicalbattleto not only stay focused in between rounds,butalsonottotireyourself outpractisingtoomuch Again,there were times during preparation after GenevawhenIquestionedwhetheror notIhadtheenergyordetermination to put myself through the whole processagain,butultimatelyIfeltit wasallsucharewardingexperience RegardlessofthefactthatIwaslucky toreceivetopprizesateachone,the improvement in my playing alone becauseofallthehardworkIputin wascompletelyworthalloftheblood, sweat,andtears

Silvie, you are a teaching-artist of the Manhattan School of Music's Distance Learning program. Tell us about the work you do there and why you've chosen to pursue this.

BryanandIweresofortunatewhile growing up to have had wonderful teachersateverysteponourjourney, and we feel a responsibility and privilegetobeabletohelpshapethe futures of the next generation My workasateaching-artistatManhattan School of Music began while I was still a Master’s student there The DistanceLearningprogramisoneof theleadingofitskind,usingstate-ofthe-artvideoconferencetechnologyto make arts education more accessible onagloballevel.Sincethepandemic, teaching and working remotely is quitecommonnow,butthisprogram was one of the first to adopt this concept specifically for music educationmanyyearsago.Istartedoff giving private piano lessons and masterclassestostudentsintheUSA and England, and lately I’ve transitioned more to presenting themedlecture-recitalstohighschool classes and lifelong learner communities I love that this work allows me to fuse the roles of performingartistandeducator.

Understanding that over the last two years, many of us in the world had to go through lockdowns and restrictive movements. How has the pandemic changed your perception of your creative, your music, and life in general?

Suddenly during the lockdowns we hadtimetotakeastepbackfromthe demandsof dailylifeandreflect on whatultimatelyexcitesanddrivesus most. We were fortunate to be togetherinNewYorkCityforthe

first 2.5 months of lockdown from March-May 2020, during which we hadtimetodiscussourbigdreamsand plan more long-term. Without pressingdeadlines,wehadachanceto think about our programming, learn newrepertoire,reexaminethewaywe connecttoaudiences,andcatchupon sleep!

Althoughthingswereuncertain intheoutsideworld,goingthrough the challenges of a concert life on pause reaffirmed how much our creativity can carry us through difficult times. Oftentimes time and spacetostopandreflectcanleadtoa new wellspring of inspiration and ideas, and it's important to remind ourselvesofthisastheworldbeginsto gobacktothewaythingswerepreCOVID.Ingeneral,wehavecomeout ofthepandemicwithabettersenseof ourselves,howwecanbestcontribute to the world, and a semblance of work-lifebalancethroughevaluating priorities. If anything, the pandemic has required that we artists become evenmorepatient!

It is quite unusual to see siblings perform at this level of professionalism required in the live music and classical world We believe it takes courage and initial parental guidance to go a long way. What has kept you two harmoniously together?

Indeedourcollaborationfeelsone-ofa-kind most days: our sibling bond goesbeyondthefamilialbecausewe share the profound experience of making music together as well as beingbusinesspartners,andasmusical colleagues we have an unspoken connectiongiventhatwe’venotonly knowneachotherourentirelivesbut also that we always understand the otherperson'spointofviewandshare basic common values What has ultimatelykeptustwoharmoniously togetheristhatweadoreandrespect eachotherasbothartistsandhuman beings,andthatwe'vebeenluckyto continue evolving alongside each otherwhilehavingthesamevisionfor ourfuturestogether.Wesimplydon't tireofbeingineachother'scompany whetheronoroffstage,whichisakey ingredientinanykindofrelationship!

It is difficult to have you explain every single performance. But if you're to select one live performance that you've really enjoyed, walk us through that one.

Bryan: Itisindeeddifficulttochoose oneperformanceinparticular,asevery concert is truly special This is the beauty of live music and also something which ties into my philosophyofplayingeveryconcertas ifit’smylast:eachtimeisunique,and has its own unforgettable sparkle Havingsaidthat,however,onerecent performance that stands out in my mindwastheprizewinners’concertI gave in Brussels after the Queen Elisabethfinalround,withthe

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and conductorGiordanoBellincampi This was about a week after the announcementoftheresultsandIwas so at peace with myself, as by this point I had decided that Queen Elisabethwasmylastcompetitionand Iwouldbe“retiring”fromthatworld, sotospeak.Thentocomebacktothe samehallwhereIperformedthefinals aweekearlier,withadifferentpiece, orchestra, and conductor, and a newfound sense of artistic freedom (being now outside of the realm of competing),

Ican’ttellyouhowpowerfuland liberatingitfelttobeonstagelike that.Ontopofthat,Iknewsomany of my loved ones were in the audience, including my parents and otherfriendswhohadtravelledfrom CanadatoBelgium,inadditiontothe passionateBrusselsaudienceofcourse, whom I appreciate dearly So I just absolutely played my heart out and gaveeverycellofmybodyforthis crowd For all those reasons, that performance will always stay in my mostcherishedmemories.

Silvie: Over the years some places stand out for their acoustics (Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall) or striking architecture (Dresden Frauenkirche, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie), but for mewhatstandsoutmostintermsof making a concert memorable is the connection with the audience AlthoughIcan’tpickoutonenightin particular, a past tour that remains specialinmymindwasthefirsttime we toured China in the summer of 2016.ItwasJuly/Augustanditwas grueling,asweplayedin13citiesin just17days,andeverywherewewent itwasarecordheatwaveofaround 40C(notincludinghumidity)!Itwas sohotthattheconcerthallsgaveout freeicecream totheaudienceafter theconcert butyoucanimagineour surprise when all the kids in the audiencechosetoforgofreeicecream andlineuptomeetusinstead!

Nowadaysweareseeingmore and more young people at our concerts even in North America whichiswonderful,butcertainlythat tourwasthefirsttimewhereatleast halfofthelistenersinattendancewere under the age of 12 (and usually played an instrument) It gave us a renewedfeelingofoptimismforthe future and also a sense of responsibility as role models for the nextgeneration.

Tell us more about your upcoming fourth album recording.

We are so excited about our upcomingCDrecording,whichwill beourmostpersonalalbumyet Itwill featurecommissionedworksbyfour living composers who we have worked with over the past 9 years, piecesthatwefeelstronglyaboutand thatwealsofeeldeservetobeheard bylistenersaroundtheworld Wewill also be complementing the commissionswithtwoChinesefolk

songs originally written for Chinese traditional instruments, which we arrangedourselvesspecificallyforthis album. The connecting thread with these composers is that all of them comefromdiverseAsianbackgrounds, includingChina,Japan,andSriLanka. We’rethereforeespeciallyhappytobe celebratingvoicesofourcultureand heritage with this recording, which are particularly underrepresented in theworldofclassicalmusic.Wehope thatlistenerswilltakegreatpleasure indiscoveringnewsoundworlds!

Share with us your other upcoming projects and/or collaborations.

Silvie: Forthe2022/23season,Iam the musician-in-residence of a wonderfulconcertserieswhichisnow buildinganinternationalreputationin Halifax, Canada. Every season they select one musician to curate and presentmultipleconcertstoartistically anchor the season, and I was given complete freedom to not only programwhatevermusicIdesiredbut also invite whomever I wanted to collaborate with My vision in this roleistointroducetheaudiencesof Halifaxtosomeofthebestandmost brilliantmusiciansofmygeneration, aswellascreateconcertexperiences thatareatypicalfromwhatachamber music series usually presents (for example,3cellists+piano,4pianists playing duets and duos, piano concertowithstringquartet,etc) It’s beenanabsolutedreamsofar,andI aminspiredtocontinueexploringthis

kindofpersonalprogrammingdriven bypurepassion!Besidesplayingina duo with Bryan, I also perform and record alongside the ChileanAmerican violist Georgina Rossi Together we explore contemporary Latin-Americanmusicof20th-century and living composers Our debut album, Mobili, featured 5 world premiere recordings of pieces by composers from Chile, and we recently finished recording our next album, Chorinho, which focuses on Brazilianmusicandwillbereleasedin spring2023.

Bryan: Irecentlyfoundedacelloduo calledCelloFelloswithoneofmybest friends, Leonard Disselhorst, of the renowned vision string quartet We started arranging pieces for 2 cellos justforfunduringthepandemic,and eventually built up a full concert programme, so we decided to formalizeourensembleandpitchitto some festivals and series. As we are both extremely busy with our own ensemblesandactivities,thisisasort ofpassionprojectforwhichwefind timeinbetweenourregulartouring schedules This season we already played at the Berlin Philharmonic ChamberMusicHallandHeidelberger FrühlingFestivalandhavesomemore excitingdebutscomingupnextyear. Intermsofsoloactivity,I’malways workingonandaddingcelloconcerti tomyrepertoireforthenextseasons, and in the next few years will be premieringanewworkforcelloand orchestra(can’tsaymuchmoreatthe moment ),aswellasrecordingmy debutsoloalbumwithorchestra.

What repertoire are you planning for 2023 and where would the duo be performing next?

Wehavesomeexcitingtourslinedup for2023:ourfirst2-weektourofthe US Pacific Northwest in January, Europe in March, Canada in spring/fall,SouthAfricainNovember, andwhoknowswhatwillcomeupinbetween! Repertoire-wise, wealways have at least 3-4 different recital programs throughout the year: one willincludecontemporarypiecesfrom ourforthcomingalbumtopromoteits release,anotherwillhighlightNordic composers (and include Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata to celebrate his 150th anniversary). We take pride in designing concert programsthatbringaudiencesonan emotional and memorable journey, choosingtopresentmusicthatmoves usdeeplysothatwecanconveythat passion authentically and with integritytoourlistenerswhereverwe go. Something we also enjoy these daysisprogrammingatleastonework byacomposer(eitherlivingornot) thatmaybecompletelyunknownto audiences, or unknown pieces by familiar composers, so that even the most diehard classical music aficionados have something new to discover and can broaden their horizons

PREMIUM SELECTION ALBUM OF 2022

Back To Nature

TheLostBirdsisamusicalmemorial tobirdspeciesdriventoextinctionby humankind Sweepingandelegiac,it's a haunting tribute to those soaring flocksthatoncefilledourskies,but whosesongshavesincebeensilenced. It's a celebration of their feathered beauty:theirsymbolismasmessengers ofhope,peace,andrenewal.Butit's alsoawarningaboutourowntenuous existenceontheplanet:thatthefate that befell these once soaring flocks foreshadowsourownextinction

Thisalbumisagentlerproduction than Christopher's previous works. Thelanguageispastoralandromantic, byturnssoaringanddelicate,butwith theslightestwhisperofmelancholy.It isaresponsetothenoiseofourtimes; areturntosimplicity,cleanlines,and the timelessness of hymns and folk melodies Itisatriumphofloveliness; asoundtrackforappreciatingnature, andareminderthatwemustpreserve its ephemeral beauty while it still exists.

The Lost Birds is sung by the preeminent British vocal ensemble VOCES8, accompanied by Christopher's longtime collaborators, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Christopher Tin) and recordedatthelegendaryAbbeyRoad Studios ItisChristopher'sfirstrelease on Decca Classics, and his second releasewithUniversal'sDeccaLabel

Christopheronceagainfundedthis albumwithsupportfromKickstarter Backers to bring his fans into the creative process. With rewards rangingfromexclusivebehindsthe

scenesupdatestoattendingtheAbbey Roadrecordingsessions,thecampaign broke his own previously standing record, raising over $225,000 to become the highest-funded classical musicKickstartercampaign.

TRACKLIST

FlocksaMileWide TheSaddestNoise BirdRaptures AHundredThousandBirds WildSwans

Intermezzo

Thescorefor'TheLostBirdProject' isapersonalfavoriteofChristopher's It'shisthirdcollaborationwithOscarnominateddirectorDeborahDickson, and perhaps their most lyrical and poignant. It follows sculptor Todd McGrainashecreatesmemorialsfor fivespeciesofextinctbirds,andplaces themthroughoutNorthAmerica.

Thescoreisasweeping,romantic, Brahmsianaffair.Largelywrittenfor stringorchestrawithasmatteringof winds and percussion, it evokes the grandeur of a murmeration of starlings

ThusInTheWinter ThereWillComeSoftRains AllThatCouldNeverBeSaid IShallNotSeeTheShadows InTheEnd HopeIsTheThingWithFeathers

IMAGE OF THE YEAR

Pictures of the Year Asia 2022 awards first place to Xiangyu Long's 'TikTok In Kham' in the Issue Reporting Picture Story segment

FotogràficsdeCatalunya.In2019,he wasawardedscholarshipbyHannover University of Applied Sciences and Art to further his studies in documentary photography He is currently based in Chengdu and Shanghai His work focuses on the superimpositionandmetamorphosisof group identities under the scope of globalizationandhomogenization

InanotherPicturesoftheYear Asia2022awardsegmentunderCovid Expressions, Jing Peng from China wins Award of Excellence for her work titled ‘Parallel’. In the descriptionthatcamewiththeimage, shedescribes:“Nowthisexperienceof watchingthesufferinginthedistance hasbeenintegratedintoourdailylife Theseimagesaresodeeplyintegrated intodailylifethatwearealmostused tothem Thetimeandspacedistance betweenusandthese"disastersinthe distance"seemstohavebeenerased, butinfact,wecaneasilyturnoffthe screenandswitchtomobilegames.So atthismoment,weseetheimagesof these distant disasters, what is left behindandwhatitmeans.”JingPeng hasgraduatedwithamasters’degree from the photography major of the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts,China

A seven-second video on Tiktok transforms Ding Zhen, a simple Tibetanyakherder,intoanInternet star overnight The overnight sensation not only changed Ding Zhen’s life, but also had profound impactonhishometown.Dingzhen’s suddensuccessinspiredlocalyouthto utilize social medias to become influencers.Throughsocialmedia,the outerworldgettoknowthisremote village Meanwhile, the interactive natureofsocialmediaalsomakesthe villageabsorbnewtrendoftheworld and change the traditional thinking andcustomsof thepast. Manynew folk customs such as celebrating birthdays and throwing parties have been adapted. Through webcasting, either of spectacles such as birthday partiesorofmundanenomadicdaily life,localsobtainbothattentionand monetary gifts on social media platforms. The direct connection to their followers made it possible for locals to sell their local produce to consumers without middleman. Meanwhile in the offline world, stream of visitors to the village has prompted new business for local: localsworkingasguideswhentoursof the villages attractions are booked; Localstransformingtheirlivingspace to host visitors In the past, the villagers' communication was generally limited to friends and relativesinthevillageorneighboring villages,butnowthroughthesocial media, locals can communicate with people from different regions and nationalities. This form of communication allows locals’ social life to break through the previous fixed geographical restrictions and realize cross-regional communication andinformationexchange Amongthe

predominantlyfemalefans,someleave theirbig-citylivestovisittheiridolin theTibetanautonomousprefectureof GarzêinsouthwestChina'sSichuan A few live with local families for months,learningTibetanandhelping out around the house, in order to immerse themselves as deeply as possibleintheirideaoftheromantic, wildlifeofthelocalethnicminority.

XiangyuLong,Tibetan,bornand raised in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba, China. Xiangyu studied at the College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University Upongraduation,hewenttosouthern Africa and worked in Zambia and Tanzania for half a decade as administration adviser. In 2016, he proceeded to Spain and pursued photographyinL’Institutd’Estudis

Modelled after the prestigious Pictures of the Year International (POYi),POYAsiawascreatedin2020 byandforphotographersfromAsia. InspiredbyPOYi’sguidingprinciple of“Showtruthwithacamera,”POY Asiaiscommittedtoseeingtheworld from an Asian perspective The 10 judges awarded the 2022 Photographer of the Year, Asia to Roman Pilipey, a China-based Ukrainianphotojournalist with EPA. 11 winners won in more than one category, and 11 of the overall winners are won by women/nonbinary photographers 40 awards are won by independent photographers The winners this year came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Hong Kong, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Palestine, Philippines,andmore

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