2002
- Elvis Magic Once Again
By Viral Bhayani
(eBolly.com, September, 2002)
MusicWorld today announced their tie-up with Crescendo, exclusive licensee of BMG in India to release the latest compilation of Elvis's 30 greatest number 1 hits. In a special promotion an Elvis T-shirt will be given out free with every CD purchase and an Elvis poster with every cassette purchase. Music lovers will be able to pre-book their orders and the album will be released on the 27th September. In addition to this other trivia will be asked to the buyers on Elvis, who will in turn get a chance to win a VCD player given out by Crescendo. This special promotion will happen in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata.
- FREE FOR ALL: Artists, buskers win reprieve on Tokyo's city streets
By KEN KAWASHIMA
(Asahi Shimbun, August 31, 2002)
Hundreds of entertainers compete for a license to perform in designated spots around the city.
Remember the Takenokozoku? In the late 1970s and '80s, the tree-lined boulevards of Yoyogi Park near JR Harajuku Station-better known as Harajuku hokoten (pedestrian's paradise)-were full of leatherclad youths twisting away to the ghetto-blasted sounds of Elvis and Chuck Berry. Their dancin' in the streets movement spawned a nationwide rockabilly boom that gave rise to '50s-styled bands like the Black Cats, whose career peaked in the mid-'80s when they toured America with the Go-Gos. ... Spurred by complaints of incessant noise from local residents and the toughening of street laws in Tokyo, the police closed down the area to musicians in recent years. Enterprising bands simply moved to other venues where free performance was still possible, such as JR Shinjuku Station's north exit (facing the Alta shopping mall) or Kichijoji's Inokashira Park, but these areas have increasingly felt police scrutiny, making it even harder for musicians to play, let alone make a quick buck, on the streets. Now, a change is gonna come, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government. In a highly publicized effort to bolster the city's tired cultural image, the metropolitan government-with support from Governor Shintaro Ishihara-is giving artists and buskers a second chance. With the ``Heaven Artist'' project, modeled after similar schemes in New York, the city now offers special licenses to musicians and street performers wishing to play its streets.
- Asia's best Elvis impersonators converge on Tokyo for first ever tribute concert
By Hans Greimel
(Augusta Chronicle / Associated Press, August 19, 2002)
TOKYO -- Decked out in rhinestones and pompadour hairdos, 13 Elvis impersonators from across Asia converged on Tokyo on Friday for an extravaganza concert to mark the 25th anniversary of the King's death. "They call me 'The Man with The King's Voice,"' said H. T. Long of Malaysia, known for his trademark white baggy blazer and blue suede shoes. "You might think that's impossible because I look Asian. But listen, and you will be shocked." The impersonators - including seven from Japan and others from the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong - will stage a five-hour "Elvis Forever in Asia" concert expected to attract 1,500 people on Saturday. The event, sponsored by Japan's 5,000-member Elvis Presley Fan Club, is the first of its kind here.
- Asia Salutes the King Elvis in Tokyo
(Muzi.com / Lateline News, August 18, 2002)
TOKYO - Elvis may have left the building, but Asian fans have a hunk, a hunk of burning love for the King. ... [as below].
- Asia Salutes the King Elvis in Tokyo
By Dan Sloan
(Lycos, August 17, 2002)
Twenty-five years since his passing -- assuming Elvis did check into "Heartbreak Hotel" -- hundreds of Asian fans, impersonators and peddlers took the "Mystery Train " to Tokyo for a little "Crying in the Chapel" and "Good Rockin' Tonight." Held during Japan's "o-bon" festival of dead spirits in Kudanshita near the Imperial Palace Saturday, "Elvis Forever in Asia" had sightings of more than 13 Kings from five Asian nations in a regional " Viva Las Vegas ."
- Asia's Elvis impersonators gather in Tokyo
(Japan Today, August 17, 2002)
Decked out in rhinestones and pompadour hairdos, 13 Elvis impersonators from across Asia converged on Tokyo on Friday for an extravaganza concert to mark the 25th anniversary of the King's death. "They call me 'The Man with The King's Voice,'" said H. T. Long of Malaysia, known for his trademark white baggy blazer and blue suede shoes. "You might think that's impossible because I look Asian. But listen, and you will be shocked."
The impersonators - including seven from Japan and others from the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong - will stage a five-hour "Elvis Forever in Asia" concert expected to attract 1,500 people on Saturday. The event, sponsored by Japan's 5,000-member Elvis Presley Fan Club, is the first of its kind here. Friday night, the impersonators gathered for an informal round of Elvis karaoke songs before the big event.
"No one can replicate him. I just try to do justice to his songs," said Edgar Opida, of the Philippines, who wore gold-rimmed bubble-lensed sunglasses during a rendition of "All Shook Up" that was punctuated with pelvic thrusts.
"When he died, my whole world crashed," said 51-year-old Long. "For a week, I just stayed in my room, looking at my posters and albums. I cried and cried."
Even in Asia, where Elvis never visited, the 25th anniversary of his death Friday drew out the King's dedicated following. In central Tokyo, fans flocked to a life-sized bronze statue of Elvis strumming a guitar and lay flowers and packs of cigarettes on its base in homage.
Corky Kitahara, president of the Japanese club, estimates that there are 500,000 Elvis fans throughout Asia. Among them is Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, who last year wrote to the fan club: "My birthday is Jan 8, the same as Elvis. It's one of the things I'm so proud of."
Koizumi's name is engraved on the Elvis statue's donor's plaque: In 1985, when he was a member of parliament and a board member of the Elvis Fan Club, he helped raise money for the memorial.
- A date with Elvis
By David Momphard
(Taipei Times, August 16, 2002)
What are the odds of Elvis showing up at a party marking his own death -- in Taipei? Stranger things have happened. In August of 1997 he starred "via video" in a concert at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee commemorating the 20th anniversary of his passing. ... More routinely, tabloids the world over have reported sightings of the King everywhere from Moscow to Madrid. The fact that none of these reports came from Taiwan only increases the likelihood that someone will eventually bump into him buying red bean cakes at Wellcome. ... If there's, say, a one-in-a-million chance of Elvis being seen in Taiwan today, and there are 23 million people in Taiwan, then Elvis will be seen on the island 23 times today.
Reuters
- Elvis sightings, lounge lizards liven up weekend
By Bruce Dawson
(Korea Herald, August 16, 2002)
Elvis Presley "left the building" for good 25 years ago today, finishing off his illustrious career in fabulously cheesy Las Vegas lounges. As a tribute to the King, it's now or never to cover Seoul's finer lounge acts in the heart of the city - sequined white jumpsuits optional. Sundays are off days for lounge lizards, but Monday through Saturday all the following acts, while not quite Vegas in terms of pomp and circumstance, will very much reward fans. Martinis run about 10,000 won on average, and bottled local beer around 7,000 won. Reservations are a good idea on Thursday and Friday nights, but otherwise you're safe to arrive unnanounced.
- Asia's best Elvis impersonators converge on Tokyo for first tribute concert
By HANS GREIMEL
(Ottawa Citizen, August 16, 2002)
Decked out in rhinestones and pompadour hairdos, 13 Elvis impersonators from across Asia converged on Tokyo on Friday for an extravaganza concert to mark the 25th anniversary of the King's death. "They call me The Man with The King's Voice," said H. T. Long of Malaysia, known for his trademark white baggy blazer and blue suede shoes. "You might think that's impossible because I look Asian. But listen, and you will be shocked."
AP / Shizuo Kambayashi
- Rise of the Chinese Elvis
By Finlo Rohrer
(BBC News, August 15, 2002)
Chinese Elvis impersonators across the globe are donning white jumpsuits and glossing their quiffs to pay tribute to the singing legend, who died on 16 August 1977. In the Far East, Elvis is a karaoke bar obsession, while in the UK, Chinese Elvis impersonators are starting to make themselves heard. Paul Hyu, 35, who has been directing theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe, also performs at weddings, imitating the latter-day Elvis. And Paul Elvis Chan, 45, loves the King so much that when he opened his London restaurant, he christened it Gracelands Palace, changed his own name and started entertaining his diners with heavily-accented hits. Here they explain why Chinese Elvises are the real deal.
- Elvis Memorials Commemorate the King
By Han Hyun-woo
(The Chosun Ilbo, August 13, 2002)
On August 16, 1977, the "King of Rock n Roll," Elvis Presley went to sleep before a concert never to open his eyes again. The next day, the first lines on the front page of a Memphis newspaper read, "The King is Dead." However 25 years later, we rewrite that article with the heading "The King is Alive." Commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death, not only his house and grave in Memphis, but Elvis fans all over the world including Korea are excitedly planning various memorial events. ... Korea is also excited with memorial fever. The founder of the Elvis fan club in Korea Lee Jong-jin, will provide a listening session of Elvis' hit songs and the screening of unreleased movies and live concerts on August 15 at the Elvis memorial "Follow That Dream," which he established two years ago in Paju. In the evening, there will be a memorial candlelight service.
- [Photograph]
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, August 10, 2002)
REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad
Malaysian Marciano Franco impersonates Elvis Presley during "Be Elvis and Win" contest in Kuala Lumpur on August 10 to mark the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. The best "Elvis" will win a trip to Graceland.
- Elvis bin Laden, Episode #32
(photodude.com, July 31, 2002)
On one hand, "Osama bin Laden is alive and hiding in Pakistan, according to India's defence minister. George Fernandes said Bin Laden - wanted for the 11 September atrocities - is there with the knowledge of Pakistani intelligence. 'We had information the man is around and he is somewhere in Pakistan. We had it from unimpeachable sources.' " And on the other hand, "U.S. officials said some members of bin Laden's security detail are among the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sources said they believe it's likely bin Laden died if his bodyguards were captured away from him. The sources would not say when the guards were taken into custody." Elvis bin Laden sightings, coming soon to a Burger King near you.
- Singapore feels the blues
(CNN / Reuters, July 21, 2002)
Singapore embraced the blues on a steamy summer night, looking to ease the pain of its worst recession in 37 years with plenty of cold beer and an outdoor air conditioning system. Paying for a new perspective on their economic misfortune, some 3,000 Singaporeans -- best known for strict discipline and a now-flagging computer chip industry -- sat under the stars on the site of a British colonial-era fort to hear music rooted in the pain of another former British colony. "Asia has lots of blues in its history, from colonization to independence, kind of similar to the black American experience," said Danny Loong, lead organizer of Singapore's first blues music festival, UBlues Fest 2002, which cost some $200,000 (US$114,600) to stage. Over the course of two nights of wailing harmonica music and barbecued ribs, the audience was kept from swooning in the high Singapore humidity by cold air blowers donated by a sponsor. Many on the lawn before the stage were born long after the British left Singapore during the sixties. And many did not realize they had heard the blues on their parents' Elvis Presley records, or in Eric Clapton videos on MTV.
- Country Side Of Elvis India
(Elvisnews, June 2, 2002)
"The Country Side of Elvis" Double CD has been released in India. This is the same as the latest Double CD release in the USA. Surprisingly, the audio tape released about 2 months back was the same as the 1999 USA release, with the "Tickle Me" photograph on the cover.
- Nepal's most wanted man has a new face
By NEELESH MISRA
(Yahoo News, May 12, 2002)
KATMANDU, Nepal - Until now, Maoist rebel chief Prachanda was believed to be a lean, clean-shaven, bespectacled man. His latest pictures seized from a fighter suggest a change in image. He now has a thick salt-and-pepper beard, a paunch, puffed cheeks and thick glasses. He is Nepal's most wanted man. Prachanda, 48, uses one name and it means "the fierce one." His original name was Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Since 1996, he has been leading thousands of Maoist guerrillas to topple Nepal's constitutional monarchy and redistribute land. Few knew what the Maoist rebel looked like until his sketch and a passport-size photograph were released by the army to the Nepalese media last year. On April 23, the army released another picture of Prachanda, as part of Nepal's list of 40 most wanted Maoists with a fluffy, Elvis Presley-like hairstyle.
- Don't ask for Elvis in a Pyongyang bar
(CNN / Reuters, May 11, 2002)
"Sorry, no American songs," a hostess at a karaoke bar in the North Korean capital tells her foreign customers unapologetically. Ever since President Bush's "axis of evil" remark in January that lumped the reclusive communist state with America's well-known enemies Iraq and Iran, karaoke bars in Pyongyang have protested by removing American songs from their menus. ... It is the United States that divided the Korean peninsula into two, and it is the United States that is hampering our efforts towards unification," said North Korean army Maj. Kim Kwang-il as he showed reporters around Panmunjom. "President Bush profaned the honor of the Korean people. We will never forgive the U.S. imperialists whom we will regard as our enemy for 100 years. At another karaoke bar for foreigners in Pyongyang, a hostess clad in a white traditional Korean dress secretly deviated from the norm to sing Elvis Presley's hit number "Love Me Tender" to please her customers.
- Jiang Zemin is China's Al Gore (2nd paragraph)
(Conservative Politics: US, date unknown: found March 4, 2002)
China's leader is not very charismatic. An ABCNEWS.com biography of President Zemin notes that "Jiang studied electrical engineering in Shanghai, where he developed a taste for Benny Goodman, English films and the Communist Party." This gives the phrase "party school" a whole new meaning. He's been known to let his hair down occasionally, though. The same biography goes on to say (and, as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up): "During a visit with Philippine President Fidel Ramos, [Zemin] shocked everyone by dancing the cha-cha and singing a duet of 'Love Me Tender.'" Jiang Zemin as an Elvis impersonator? Now that's entertainment.
- China's Mobile Internet Market: Warring States, Elvis (4th item)
(Bloomberg News, March 2, 2002)
(Also reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, March 2, 2002)
A revenue-sharing program, called Monternet, now has more than 300 member firms that create everything from games simulating the Warring States period of Chinese history to specialized ring tones. Shanghai-based Linktone earns 1.65 yuan when a customer makes a 2 yuan download so that his cell phone plays Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender'' when a call comes in. Elvis, known in China as "King Cat,'' has helped Linktone expand its revenue by 40 percent a month.
- PUB SCENE: Facing the music
By Arti Mulchand
(
Straits Times, February 28, 2002)
SINGAPORE: No more happy hour at pubs hit by the recession. Tajie at Mohamed Sultan has closed after a failed rent negotiation, and so are other pubs for various reasons. ... It is not just the newcomers or the Mohamed Sultan belt that have been affected. Some other stalwarts are also feeling the pinch. Eight-year-old Elvis Place at The Concourse shut its doors over the Chinese New Year period. The Elvis-themed pub, which caters mainly to 'matured' expats in the petroleum industry, has been hard hit by the current recession. Also, this group of expats has shrunk in size. Owner Jerry 'Elvis' Wee, 53, explains: 'After hanging on for the last year, I don't think the economy is going to turn around soon. Elvis' target clients have been hard hit. I did not expect it to be this bad.'
- Dow tops Nikkei in latest sign of Japanese economic decline
By WILLIAM PESEK Jr.
(
Japan Times, February 4, 2002)
The year was 1957. Russia launched Sputnik, Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House, Elvis swiveled his hips in "Jailhouse Rock" and the Dow and the Nikkei were at level pegging. Fast forward to today. After following Sputnik into orbit, the Nikkei has crashed back to earth, closing below the Dow for the first time in more than 44 years. The indexes touched briefly last Sept. 12, when the Nikkei plummeted after the previous day's terror attacks on the U.S. Wall Street was closed for business, and the convergence of two of the world's bellwether stock indexes was lost in the shock of the deadly attacks. By the next day, the Nikkei was back above the Dow. Today's reunion, far from being a happy one, is inspiring dread in financial capitals. The Nikkei's slide is the latest side effect of Japan's 11-year slump.
- Elvis Alive In Bangkok!
(
MTC Asia Online, January 3, 2002)
Thailand -- The King may have been dead for decades, but his spirit certainly remains alive in Thailand, which boasts what can be best described as a mighty Armada of Elvis Presley impersonators. Besides getting together to celebrate their rock 'n' roll legend's birthday every year at different hotel venues around town, the Thai Elvis's (or Elvii, if the Latin plural form suits you better) also occasionally stage performances on less obvious dates. A series of Elvis concerts will hit Bangkok in the New Year, with the first one to kick off on January 5 at 7 p.m. at the very appropriately named Graceland Pub & Disco on Sukhaphiban 1 Road. Leading local Elvis impersonators like Ong-Art Jirapan, Jaruek Viriyakij, and the inimitable Vasu Saengsingkaew will swoon and croon to the King's most famous melodies.
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