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Posted: 17 Dec 2012 04:58 AM PST

Korean-American singer Tim Hwang is a name on the rise in this region.

Korean-American singer Tim Hwang probably spends most of his life in the spotlight.

He dances, models, sings in several languages, does television and musical theatre and even bakes in his spare time.

What more could anyone ask for in a performer?

Yet despite all this, the singer professes to having a shy side not many people are aware of.

"There is a timid side to me I'm still trying to overcome." said Hwang in an interview recently.

"People think, sometimes, that I have that image of just being a really nice guy, but there are so many different parts to me. I say jokingly to people that they still don't know the good and bad sides of me."

Hwang, who is nicknamed 'Korea's Prince of Ballads', was in town recently as part of his first ever promotional South-East Asian Tour, Into Asia Comes Tim's World.

The singer performed to an ecstatic crowd during a showcase at the Hard Rock Café Kuala Lumpur on Dec 2.

"I love music and that's one of my languages." said Hwang.

"I speak English, Korean and Music. I hope that I can be a singer who gives encouragement to people."

Timothy Hwang Young-Min, better known by his stage name, Tim, was born in Philadelphia, United States.

Spending his childhood involved with numerous musical activities, such as choir and playing alto saxophone in a jazz band, Hwang originally dreamt of becoming a pharmacist.

All that changed, however, after Tim was presented with the opportunity to fly to South Korea for an audition in 2000, after a Korean pop music producer listened to his audition tape.

The rest, as they say, is history.

"I still remember that day when I first found out that I have fans." said Hwang. "I felt that I was unworthy, even unqualified to be in that place where people look up to you, respect you in that way. It really humbled me, I was in awe. I say this to my fans all the time, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here."

Hwang's debut album, First TIM, which was released in April 2003, earned him great international acclaim, selling over 100,000 copies and netting him the 'Rookie of the Year' Award at the 2003 Korean Music Awards.

He has since had five more albums, with his most recent mini-album A Long Day released in November last year.

Hwang said, however, that his favourite song of all time was from his fifth album, 2010's New Beginnings.

"The song, Kedeyo, speaks of me and my feelings at the time I wrote it," said Hwang. "It has a message that you are not alone. I know a lot of people who are alone, and I myself had hard times before. That was the message that I wanted to send."

Tim has also landed hosting roles on shows such as MTV Korea's Tim's World, and lent his voice to the original sound tracks of several hit Korean dramas, including Secret Garden, 49 Days and How To Meet A Perfect Neighbour.

Recently, Hwang has been making waves in Indonesia, playing the lead in the Korean-Indonesian co-production, Saranghae, I Love You, a love story between couples from different cultural backgrounds.

Hwang also had to learn to sing in Bahasa Indonesia for his duet with top Indonesian singer Astrid on the show's theme song, Saranghamnida, which exploded across the country's radio charts.

The singer also professed to having a love for musical theatre, having played the lead in productions of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus, Jesus.

In November, he was cast as the lead (Emmett Forrest) in the Seoul production of Broadway musical hit, Legally Blonde, alongside SNSD's Jessica Jung.

"For musical theatre, each performance night is new, due to the live audience. Their responses make it fresh, but you cannot make a mistake due to the nature of it," he concluded.

The Hollywood debut

Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:04 AM PST

Lana Wachowski, one of the directors of Cloud Atlas, has revealed why she chose Korean actress Bae Doo-na as one of the female leads in the upcoming movie.

The director of Matrix made the remark at the movie's press conference held at a hotel in eastern Seoul, South Korea on Dec 13.

"I first saw Bae in Take Care of My Cat. (After watching it,) I was like 'Wow, who is that girl?' Then I ended up watching almost all her films like Sympathy For Mr Vengeance and Host," she said.

"While Cloud Atlas characters have multiple races, gender and age in six different parts, we concluded one character should be Korean and I suggested Bae. We had a Skype session with her.

"Her conversation in English was very limited but her acting was perfect. She has a quality of Sonmi (Bae's one character in the movie) who has to have innocent and deer looks. Bae perfectly expressed pure emotional ability and strength of the character," Wachowski explained.

Adapted from British author David Mitchell's 2004 hit novel, the movie consists of six nested stories: pivoting around a white lawyer in the 19th century, a genius composer in 1936, a female reporter in 1973, an old publisher in 2012, an evolved clone in Korea in the year of 2144 and a tribe man in the 24th century.

The 172-minute movie is expected to give multiple experiences to audience viewers with the various episodes featuring mystery, romance, thriller, comedy, SF and fantasy drama. – Reuters

No constricting BoA

Queen of K-pop BoA is to open her first exclusive concert in Korea next month.

The songstress is going to heat up Seoul's Olympics Park Gymnastic Hall in Korea on Jan 26 at a concert dubbed "BoA Special Live 2013 Here I am."

The Only One singer, who's had several nationwide concert tours in Japan, is set to excite her both local and international fans with her passionate live performance and outstanding stage manner, the company added.

Many fans are already gearing up to go through a cutthroat competition to get the tickets for the concert, which will become available online on Dec 20 (8pm Korea time). – Reuters

Korean films take on China

ThE Korean Film Council (Director KIM Eu-Seok) held a showcase event in Beijing where films by major Korean film directors were introduced to Chinese film professionals.

The aim of the event, held on Dec 6, was to introduce great Korean film directors as well as Korean directors of cinematography in China so that more co-production opportunities between the two countries could arise, event organisers said.

The directors whose films were showcased were those invited by Chinese investment and distribution companies or those already well-known in China, such as Kwak Kyung-taek of Friend and Typhoon, Kim Sang-jin of Jailbreakers and Ghost House, Kim Sung-soo of Musa, City of the Rising Sun and Beat, Kim Tae-yong of Late Autumn and Family Ties and Chang Yoon-hyun of Tell Me Something, Hwang Jin Yi and The Contact.

Kim Hyeong-gu, director of cinematography of The Host and Memories Of Murder, who also worked on Chen Kaige's Together as well as The Warrring States talked in detail about his work in China and stressed the importance of increasing the number of co-production opportunities between the two countries.

Korean director JANG Yun-hyun is currently preparing his next film project at the China Film Business Center of the Korean Film Council and directors Kwak Jae-yong and Ahn Byeong-gi's new projects will also be supported by the centre, located in Beijing. – Reuters

U.S. pop star Kelly Clarkson announces engagement

Posted: 16 Dec 2012 08:31 PM PST

LOS ANGELES: Kelly Clarkson, who became the first contestant to win "American Idol" a decade ago and went on to several chart-topping successes, has gotten engaged to her boyfriend, the singer said in a Twitter message on Saturday.

Clarkson, 30, previously revealed she had been dating talent manager Brandon Blackstock since early this year. Blackstock is the stepson of country singer Reba McEntire.

"I'M ENGAGED!" Clarkson said on Twitter. "I wanted y'all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night!"

She then followed that by posting a link to a photo of her canary yellow diamond engagement ring on a website. She wrote that her boyfriend helped design it and that she "can't wait to make Brandon's ring."

Clarkson's album "Stronger" hit No. 2 last year on the Billboard 200 sales chart, and she in previous years topped pop charts with her songs "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "A Moment Like This."

The Texas-born singer won the Fox television singing contest "American Idol" in the show's debut year in 2002, and has had more success than many of the show's stars from following years.

Clarkson has burnished an image as an artist willing to speak her mind, even confessing to feelings of loneliness.

Last month, in an appearance on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Clarkson said she had been dating Blackstock since earlier this year and was thankful to have him.

"I am not alone for the first time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I'm very happy," she said on the show.

In the same November appearance, Clarkson said she expected to get engaged to Blackstock. "We will totally, probably elope," she told DeGeneres. - Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 17 Disember 2012

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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