Being Air
Amabel Liu finds joy in Jezeral Lucero, jazz and 20th century Chinese art
After releasing her acclaimed debut album Seoulful, songbird Amabel Liu seemed to have disappeared from the music scene. It turns out, though, that she has only been trying to escape the usual routine through the local music industry. “I just changed the way I work,” she says. “I don’t want to go to events, awards-giving ceremonies etc any more. I learnt a lot from those experiences, but I don’t think they are for me.” Still, the singer is determined not to give up on her music. In fact, her experience of the mainstream has led her to explore the kind of music she really wishes to make, and how to make it. Currently in production of her second album, to be released next year, she says she is now playing jazz fusion. “[The album] will comprise original songs I write and other musicians write for me, as well as rearrangements of classic jazz standards,” says the ex-vocalist of jazz group Subito.

In her coming gig at the Fringe Club, she will be headlining with 23-year-old pianist Jezeral Lucero, often hailed as the new Ray Charles – partly due to his being born blind, but more because of his ability on the keyboards. “He is a genius,” enthuses Liu. “I have no idea why I am so lucky to have met him. It is probably destiny that we can meet and play music together.” Liu and Lucero will both play their own set on the night and jam with the band (renowned sound engineer Skip Moy on guitar, Paul Candelaria on bass and DC on drums).

Not content with being a musician, Liu is also establishing herself in the art world. In fact, in its last promotional campaign her record label sold her as an ‘art singer’. “To me that term is simple. It means someone who loves arts and music,” Liu reveals. Her passion for art – as much as music – has led to the fine arts graduate from Chinese University of Hong Kong landing a full-time job at Sotheby’s and she is currently under training to become a specialist in 20th century Chinese art. “It will take a long time but it is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. I cannot miss it,” she says. And so now, as she splits her time between art and music, she has never been happier. “Music and art are the two most important things in my life. It is great – it is like doing what you love every day in your life. It is very rewarding.”

Liu’s angelic voice may never dominate the pop charts, but she has the intent and talent to be around for a long time and compares herself to the air we breathe. “I may not be something you see physically every day, but air always exist. It is not like a tree that will die some day,” she says. “I am not saying I am great, but I really want to become air – I am happy singing on stage and hope people will be happy hearing me sing too.”

Catch Amabel Liu and Jezeral Lucero on November 8 at the Fringe Club’s Fringe Gallery. The performance starts at 10:30pm and advance tickets are priced at $100 from the Fringe Club box office, or $120 with one drink at the door. Call 2521 251 for enquires.

Leon’s Magic

Before his highly anticipated blockbuster Mei Lang Fong, directed by Chan Kaige, is released in December, Leon Lai teams up with pop babe Janice Wai and Malaysia-born singer-songwriter Michael Wong for a series of Magic Live concerts from November 7 to 9 at the HITEC Star Hall. Wong and Wai will headline on November 7 and 8, while Lai will take over on the last date – if you miss the first two concerts, you will still catch Wong and Wai as they will be guest performers on Lai’s show. Concerts start at 8:15pm and tickets are $680, $480 and $380 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. All proceeds will be donated to the Community Chest of Hong Kong. Taiwanese indie queen Cheer Chen’s first major concerts in Hong Kong will be at the same venue on November 1 and 2. Tickets are sold out, so you will have to find alternatives to the usual vendors.

Halloween Rock

The Orbs are taking Halloween very seriously and so from emo and indie rock to gothic and electronica, they are bringing us two Halloween parties, one each in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. On October 30, the visual rock/gothic metal-dominated Orbs in My Backyard Series 03 – The Hallow Bible will feature Abyssal Desire, Silent Chamber, Castle, Beaker, Mistery, Crazimalz, Paranoid and Issimo at Yo Park (B46-B48 Treasure world, Wonder Worlds of Whampoa, Hunghom). The gig starts at 8pm and entry is $100 with one drink. Then on October 31, Reign Lee, Headhunter, Dark Fringe, Ancient Spirit, Firstwave, Albino and Empty Tomb together with DJ Nerve will provide a night of dark and brutal music at Backstage Live Restaurant. The gig starts
at 7pm and advance tickets are $150 from Zoo Records (Shop B31, Sino Centre, 582-592 Nathan Road, 3188 2303) and White Noise Records (1/F, 4 Canal Road East, Causeway Bay, 2591 0499); or $180 at door with one drink included.

Five Favourites : Teriver Cheung

Teriver Cheung is the bandleader, composer and guitarist of US improvisional jazz quartet Nobody’s Business.

All-time favourite album?
I have to say the Complete Concert 1964 by the Miles Davis Quintet. This concert shows one of the most innovative and creative bands in the history of jazz, playing standards. There’s a big contrast in range throughout the album; they burn like wild flames in some spots, and they touch your heart with their romanticism in others.

Favourite tune of 2008 so far?
Wooden Church by Anders Jormin. The piece by this Norwegian bassist defines the way an improvisational group should play a composition. He also gets an amazing sound and technique to play the melody, which shines because of the musicality of the performers like Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin and Jon Falt.

Favourite writer of all time?
Neftali Ricardov Reyes Basoalto (real name for Pablo Neruda). This Chilean writer surprises me every time I read or hear some of his works, even if they are works that I already know. The eroticism in Veinte Poemas de Amor y una Cancion Desesperada is beautiful. I would have to agree with Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Neruda was the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.

Favourite track in the album, Forward Momentum?
My favourite track is definitely Silent Sky. I love the arrangement with vocals, guitar and trumpet. I love the melody, I love the energy of each note we played on that track.

Favourite film of all time?
La Belle et la Bête, directed by Jean Cocteau. It’s fascinating how this traditional fairytale works; ironically the society created a story criticizing the society itself. I guess I like the story better than the movie.

Catch Nobody’s Business on October 30 at Backstage Live Restaurant. The gig starts at 9pm and entry is $180 with two drinks. On November 3 the quartet will play at Melting Pot at 10pm – entry is free.

Lantau Escape

Ten bands will be playing at Picnic in the Park, the one day music and dance festival at Discovery Bay. Most notable will be pop-rocker Skin Deep, the second runner-up of the Battle of the Bands competition in 2007. Others in the line up are The Vibes, Signal 8, The Nick Benzie Band, @One, Mid-Life Crisis, Loaded, Pete and Iris Benzie, Oneness and DB Divas. The event will be staged at Siena Park, Discovery Bay, starting at 11:30am on November 8. Entry to the festival is free, but there will be plenty of food stalls and souvenir booths for you to shop from and the proceeds will go to the HK Student Aid Society and Hong Chi Association.

Autumn Jam

Jam 2008 – which prides itself on being Hong Kong’s International Music and Dance Festival – returns this year with international act and former member of Blue, Simon Webbe, as well as youth rocker Vinyl straight from Glasgow and a finalist in the YRock Battle of the Bands. Also performing are local indie favourites Deep, El Destroyo, Chochukmo and David Bowie Knives. Enjoy a day of sea views, live music and street entertainment on November 1 at Podium Level, Cyberport where the event starts at noon and will continue till 2am the next day. Advance tickets for adults are $180 from Café O, Movieland; or $220 on the door. Call 8201 1027 for enquiries.

Power Underground

Noise is the key word for Underground 70 – high-energy bands including raging street punk five-some Defiant Scum, experimental The Sinister Left, the aggressive yet lyrically positive Milkshake7, rap-metal four-piece Sexy Hammer, beer punk rocker Oi Squad and J-rock-influenced Xero will be playing. On top of that Bone Table balance things off with their fuzz rock and murder ballads. Catch all of these bands on November 7 at Club Cixi. The gig starts rolling at 9pm. Entry is $100.

Punk/Trash Conquest

Long distant relationships do work – punk/trash five-piece Conquest for Death prove it. With members living in two different countries (Tokyo and the US), the band still manages to put out records and go on tour together. As part of their Australasianpacific tour, the DIY-quintet will play alongside local rockers 218, One Last Fall, Contact Chord and Embryo. The gig on November 8 will start at 7:30pm at Warehouse (116 Aberdeen Main Road, Aberdeen) and entry is $100.

Piano Man

Is it a blessing or a curse when audiences best remember a long-standing artist by a song he wrote more than three decades ago? For Billy Joel, it probably doesn’t matter anymore. The 59-year-old piano man has sold over 150 million records since his solo debut album Cold Spring Harbor in 1971, has had 33 US Top 40 hits, has received 23 Grammy nominations and taken six of the awards home, and is currently in his third marriage. In fact, his latest single All My Life – his first new song since the 1993 album River of Dreams – is said to be written for his new wife, 27-year-old TV host Katie Lee. Billy Joel will be playing for one-night-only at AsiaWorld-Arena. Don’t miss your chance to hear Uptown Girl, Just the Way You Are, The Stranger and, of course, Piano Man among other hits up close and personal from Joel on November 12. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $1,280, $880 and $480 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.

K for Carpenters

The Karpenters are a group of six pop artists dedicated to the memory of Karen Carpenter, the female half of the successful brother-sister duo Carpenters. Karen’s death in 1983 led to the dissolution of the band and the Karpenters are on a world tour this year to mark the 25th anniversary of that death. It will be their first time performing in Hong Kong. Catch the Karpenters live in concert on November 8 at 8pm in Hall 3, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets are $580 and $380 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. Visit www.hkticketing.com for more details.

Novel Stage

At Backstage Live Restaurant Japanese pop-rock five-piece Borkob Norman will be collaborating with local theatre group Champion Arts Association for a night of rock music and improvised drama. Since forming in 1992 with members active in both the Japanese theatre and music scenes, Borkob Norman have released two albums – one in 2003 and the other in 2006 – and are well-known for satirical reflections on social issues in their music. The two shows at Backstage will compromise a full-band live set, an interactive session with the audience and a 20-minute improvised drama with Champion Arts. On November 7 and 8, the shows start at 10:30pm and tickets are $180 at the door, or you can call 2167 8985 to book advance tickets at $150.

Philharmonic Pleasure

As part of the New Vision Arts Festival, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is presenting two very different concerts. On November 1, renowned English pianist Joanna MacGregor will reunite with the orchestra for Exotic Birds and Sad Songs, the highlight of which will be Polish composer Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony No 3 – Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. The piece was inspired by the words an 18-year-old Polish girl carved on a wall during her imprisonment by the Nazis. The programme also includes French composer Messiaen’s Petites esquisses d’oiseaux and Oiseaux exotiques. Then on November 9, Yo-Yo Ma will go Latino with cello concerto Azul, a piece Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov tailor-made for Ma, as well as Piazzolla’s Bandoneón Concerto. Also on the programme are Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso and Marquez’s Danzón No 2. Both concerts will commence at the HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall at 8pm. Tickets for Exotic Birds and Sad Songs are priced at $250, $200, $150 and $100 while Yo-Yo Ma and the HKPO are $1,580, $1,080, $680 and $380.

Man Machine

On December 5, German electro godfather Kraftwerk are to play in Hong Kong for the first time in their four decades of electronic music history. Trademarks of the Düsseldorf-bred collective are besuited robot doubles, multimedia computer animation and digital surround sound – we have yet to see if our infamous AsiaWorld-Expo can meet the German man-machine’s requirements, but this will be a show no electro fans can afford to miss. Kraftwerk will be playing at AsiaWorld-Expo Hall 9. Tickets are all standing and priced at $680 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.

Capital’s Rock

From inside to out, Beijing punk young guns SKO sound and look every inch like their influences Green Day and Blink-182. Their smart, street-savvy look, fast, straightforward tunes and fun-loving attitude (look at that Subway-mimic album cover) have established them as one of the hottest band in the capital’s punk scene – literally, as their record label is called Hotpot Music. As part of their China tour, the four-piece will be playing a Hong Kong stop alongside local sensations Attention To Piss, Hardpack, Milk Shake 7 and 218. Also remember to look out for newcomer Feel Of All’s debut live gig on the same night. Club Cixi will be a punk powerhouse on November 1 from 7pm. Entry is $100 with one drink. And if you are looking for something more unusual, head to Warehouse Teenage Club (116 Aberdeen Main Road, 9782 3345) for Beijing’s most mysterious and haunting metal collective VooDooKungFu. Guest bands include Chock Ma, Embryo and Maniac. The magic starts at 7:30pm and tickets are $100 at the door.

Percussion Perfection
The Festival of Lights, Diwali, will be drummed out by some of the best percussionists from India and Uzbekistan.

Even with over 45 years in the business, tabla veteran Zakir Hussain still thinks of himself as a student. His father, Ustad Allarakha, also a classical Indian tabla player, warned him never to try to be a master of the instrument, but rather a keen student and always look for something new to learn. So every day, as he steps out of the house, he thinks, “What can I learn today?”

“There are different musicians to play with, there are different cultures to study, and there is art to be looked at,” he says. “Every time I play with a new artist, I have to look at new ways to express myself and do something different in order to interact with that artist. That’s how I nurture my art to find new avenues, play with new musicians. I try to play with two or three new artists every year and I am able to find new information that helps me to grow as a musician. If I create these opportunities for myself on a regular basis, then the thirst for creativity can be nurtured and the knowledge is available in abundance.”

Although currently on tour in the United States with his group Global Drum Project (with Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead, Giovanni Hidalgo and Nigerian percussionist and talking drum maestro Sikiru Adepoju), Zakir is taking time out to join various Indian instrumentalists for a concert in Hong Kong on November 1, to celebrate the end of Diwali. The concert will feature Indian percussion instruments such as the ghatam, kanjira, dholak and khartal, as well as the Uzbekistani frame drums called doyra, the dancing drummers of Manipur and Indian stringed instruments sitar and sarangi. The Manipur drummers are unique, though; they are also dancers – agile and acrobatic, they tie the drums to their bodies and then flip, spin and gyrate to make visual the rhythms they create. “All Indian traditions are closely tied to divinity,” says Hussain. “The Manipur drummers believe that Lord Shiva has blessed their drums. If you look at statues of him, he’s in a dance posture and has several arms and hands, one of which holds a small drum.”

“I’m looking forward to returning to Hong Kong, the audience is so diverse and their exposure is to a wide variety of musical traditions from both the East and West.” Hongkongers, he thinks, have a good ear for music and know how to appreciate it. “So this concert should appeal to them – and may even bring them something they have never experienced before. The whole idea in a nutshell is to provide a global outlet for rarely seen and heard rhythmic traditions of India,” he says.

Asking him what musicians he has been influenced by, and he answers with list as long as it is diverse, ranging from jazz great Billie Holiday to classical Indian vocalist Kishore Amonkar, fusion guitarist John McLaughlin to the members of Global Drum Project.

Hussain is arguably the best tabla player in the world, his performances energetic, impulsive and dexterous. His biggest challenge he says is not on stage, “It’s balancing my personal and professional lives it’s something that needs constant work and effort.

Masters of Percussion stages at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wanchai, on Saturday November 1 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are $600, $400 and $200 from URBTIX, 2734 9009