2004
- The Other Special Relationship
By Duncan Currie
(Yahoo! News / Washington Weekly Standard, December 20, 2004, Vol. 010, Issue 14)
DURING THE 1980S, RONALD Reagan got on famously with then Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. Their personal comity, dubbed the "Ron-Yasu" friendship, boosted American interests on a slew of Cold War and trade issues. And, at the time, U.S.-Japan ties reached historic postwar heights. Nakasone was a maverick, fond of the bold stroke at home and abroad. So is Japan's current prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. His boldest stroke--supporting President Bush on the Iraq war -- reflects a deeper pro-Americanism. Last Thursday, Tokyo extended its Iraq mission for another 12 months. The decision came as no surprise to anyone who's been watching U.S.-Japan relations since Koizumi took office in April 2001. Indeed, the Bush-Koizumi bond may well eclipse "Ron-Yasu" -- if it hasn't already.
... "There are a handful of 'special relationships,'" says [Baker, the ex-senator who served as Reagan's chief of staff from 1987 to 1988]. "Clearly the Bush-Koizumi relationship is one of them." Clearly indeed. Koizumi likes to brag they're on a first-name basis: "George" and "Jun." On a personal level, the two may seem an odd couple. Koizumi, 62, is a divorced bachelor who vows he'll never remarry. He's known for his spiffy clothes, flowing movie-star hair, and magnetic elan. Oh, and he loves heavy metal music, and three years ago released a CD collection of his favorite Elvis Presley tunes. (He shares a birthday with the King, January 8.) In August 2003, the PM sang an Elvis duet with actor Tom Cruise, who was in Tokyo for the premiere of The Last Samurai. Stack all that next to the Bush persona -- family man, evangelical Christian, rugged Texan, Hollywood bete noire -- and you have an unusual pairing. ...
- SNIPPET: MHD Automotive sponsors show (5th item)
(Times of Omam, December 19, 2004)
MHD Automotive, the official importers for Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Rover cars in the Sultanate of Oman, has sponsored the third tribute concert featuring Tina Turner and Tom Jones at Radisson SAS Hotel. ... MHD Automotive promises more excitement in January with the Elvis Presley concert on January 27. This will be the last show in the series of tribute concerts organised at Radisson SAS Hotel. ...
- Art outside the establishment
By Constantino Tejero
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 19, 2004)
SHE'S still in diapers, yet she's creating paintings that have already been compared to the works of Miro, Pollock and Picasso. She can't even write her name yet, but she's selling artworks for an average of P3,000 per piece, and has so far grossed P70,000. Amazing! some may exclaim-but not too amazing when one considers that 3-year-old Zoerya Emi Baldemor Abuel has for grandfathers the three Baldemor artists: her mother Irene's father, the sculptor Fred Baldemor; and his cousins, painter Manuel and sculptor Angelito Baldemor.
... As Fred Baldemor tells it, his granddaughter's artistic preoccupation started on her second birthday, when she was gifted with a watercolor set and an artist's gown. Since then, almost every day, morning and afternoon, she'd be urging him, "Dada, let's go painting!" and led him down to his studio. "Hindi mo mapipigilan 'yan, maski ano'ng idadahilan mo," laughs Baldemor. "Habang nagpipinta ako, kinukuha mga gamit ko, kaya pinababayaan ko na." (You cannot stop her. She really wants to paint.) He'd put a small canvas on the easel and, while singing nursery rhymes and Elvis Presley and wiggling her behind, the tot would finish one canvas after another. She averages three artworks a day. ...
- Hurd banned in China - Mongolian rock in a world context
By Gerald Marchewka
(U[lan] B[ator] Post, December 16, 2004)
During the last half of the 20th century rock music became an inseparable part of the vast popular culture in the English speaking world. Lyrics like "I hope I die before I get old" from Pete Townshend's My Generation, "Then you better start swimmin or youšll sink like a stone" from Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin and "Old man take a look at yourself I'm a lot like you were" from Neil Young's classic Old Man became part of the reservoir of popular culture that flowed through the minds of a large number of people both young and old.
But if we look to the origin of this pop music we find that its beginning was characterized by a rebellious sentiment that has permeated the musical genre since it first began. In fact a cursory review of the history of the term rock n' roll reveals that it was first used by American musicians during the early part of the 20th century. It was quite frankly an unabashed reference to the act of sexual intercourse. This term no doubt raised more than just a few eyebrows.
Elvis Presley for example, the infamous American icon, was certainly the focus of considerable controversy. In the late 1950's American television networks refused to film the singer from below the waist. It was argued that his tendency to sway his seductive hips in rhythm to the tune made him more than just a little risque. This story became an integral part of Americana, things typical of American culture or civilization.
Ironically at the dawn of the 20th [ie 21st?] century we find that the rock phenomenon is, for better or worse, in the guise of different names, playing itself out in different lands and various cultures across the globe. And in many respects the risks and dangers are even greater. In the wide open spaces of Mongolia for example, seemingly far removed from the trappings of western culture, the rock n' roll controversy continues. The quintessential Mongolian rock band Hurd was banned from performing in Inner Mongolia, China. The reason however is not sexual but political. ...
- Mullahs vs. Rupert Murdoch
By Suzanne Fields
(Washington Times, December 16, 2004)
... Israelis, not unlike the natives of other Middle Eastern cultures, hold divided feelings over the importation of American pop culture and its icons. Along the road to Jerusalem, for example, songs of the king of rock 'n roll spill out of the Elvis Presley Diner into a parking lot where a 13-foot statue of the king draws in customers eager to be photographed standing next to it. Occasionally a real live human "Arab Elvis" greets visitors. Not everyone in Israel approves of Elvis or his music, but he's relatively benign compared to some other pop culture exported to the birthplace of the three great religions. ...
- Don't cross Don's 452: Indian mantra:
By Suzanne Fields
(New Kerala / Sports India, December 10, 2004)
In 1948 the erstwhile Kathiawar state in India abandoned its Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra when batsman Bhausaheb Nimbalkar piled up 443 runs. Kathiawar believed it would be discourteous if Nimbalkar overtook Bradman's then world record of 452 not out in a first class match, a total they regarded was sacred. ... These are some of the trivia brought out in the revised edition of "A-Z of Bradman" by Alan Eason here. The other little gems on Don reported by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper include: Austrian Airlines has a plane named after Bradman. It has other aircraft called Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Elvis Presley. ...
- Mumbai to groove to Hard Rock beats
By Yusuf Begg
(rediff.com, December 1, 2004)
One of the world's iconic restaurant chains, Hard Rock Cafe, is set to open its doors in India. The likely date for Hard Rock Cafe's India debut is the middle of next year. And the likely city where Hard Rock Cafe will launch operations is Mumbai. The Indian operations of the cafe chain will be handled by the newly floated company Hard Rock Cafe India Pvt Ltd, set up by hospitality entrepreneurs Jay Singh and Sanjay Mehtani. While Singh is the sub-franchisee of the f Bar and Lounge in Delhi, Mehtani has the rights for the Bangalore f Bar franchise. Both Singh and Mehtani refused to comment on whether they are bringing Hard Rock Cafe to India, but sources close to the development say that the cafe chain has tied up with them for its India debut.
Though Hard Rock Cafe is operating in several other Asian markets such as Kuwait, Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Nagoya, this will be its first outlet in India. Incidentally, the first HRC was set up in 1971 in London by Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett. Over the last 33 years the chain has expanded to over 115 restaurants at 44 locations worldwide. The HRC chain's USP is reasonably priced American cuisine and its collection of over 60,000 pieces of rock 'n' roll artefacts. These include guitars, posters, lyric sheets, photographs, costumes and other memorabilia from the early pioneers such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley to modern rockers like Spin Doctors and Pearl Jam. A part of the collection is rotated among the various restaurants. ...
- Chinese surrender to the King of the Cats: Beijing and Shanghai are all shook up by a red-haired, hip-swivelling Canadian 'Elvis'
By GEOFFREY YORK
(theglobeandmail.com, November 29, 2004)
At the height of the Cultural Revolution, a young Chinese woman named Chen Shuzhen caught a glimpse of Elvis Presley in an illicit film. It was love at first sight. For more than 30 years, she secretly nurtured the dream of seeing the American pop idol. But throughout his lifetime, the music of the man known to the Chinese as Mao Wang -- the King of the Cats -- was banned by the Communist authorities.
This weekend, at the age of 62, Chen finally fulfilled her dream. Clutching a pair of binoculars to make sure she wouldn't miss a single swivelling hip or curled lip, the grey-haired chemistry engineer sat transfixed among an enthusiastic crowd of fans in a Beijing concert hall, watching the first official Elvis musical ever to perform in China. "It was worth spending a month's income on a ticket to sit here," she said. "I never had a chance to see him when he was alive, but now I'm getting the chance. I feel like I've been transported to the America of the 1970s."
Almost half a century after the first eruption of Elvis mania in North America, the King finally arrived in Beijing this weekend. And in a slightly surprising twist, he was Canadian. Martin Fontaine, the star of The Elvis Story, is a red-haired French-Canadian rock singer who has become perhaps the world's most successful Elvis performer. For almost a decade he has been the centrepiece of a Quebec City production of The Elvis Story that has toured the planet, playing to capacity crowds in France, Japan, the United States and now China. The show generates more than $20-million in annual tourist spending in Quebec City alone, where it plays to 120,000 spectators every summer.
Critics have sneered at the show. When it played Toronto in 1997 in its English-language premiere, the reviews were scathing. The Globe and Mail called it cheesy and embarrassing -- an "utter failure." The Toronto Star called it a glorified nightclub act and a bad impersonation of a musical. Its legions of fans didn't care. Since then, the show has gone from strength to strength. With a cast and crew of 24 Canadians, the production has played hundreds of shows in Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, and even in Biloxi, Miss. -- not far from the birthplace of the King himself. Promoters are talking to the Quebec producers about a possible return visit to China and more shows next year in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.
In Shanghai earlier this month, the musical played its biggest-ever venue, an 8,000-seat stadium, where it managed to fill two-thirds of the seats. And in Beijing this weekend, despite minimal publicity, four performances of The Elvis Story sold 70 to 90 per cent of the tickets at the 1,300-seat Poly Theatre, one of the city's biggest concert halls.
Most Chinese fans, unlike those in Japan or the West, had never heard of Elvis during his lifetime or even in the years after his death. None of his albums was officially released in China until 1991. But in China's new capitalist era, the King of the Cats is hugely popular. His most instantly recognized song here is Love Me Tender, popular in karaoke bars and often used in school textbooks to teach English. Tickets for the Elvis musical were quickly snapped up in Beijing this weekend, despite prices of up to $170 per ticket -- far higher than in other countries. Teenagers brought their parents to introduce them to the music. Young female fans squealed and fought for the sweat-soaked scarves that Fontaine tossed into the crowd. "We love you Elvis," they screamed. "I feel that I'm right in the middle of something I don't quite understand," Fontaine said in an interview yesterday. "We're pioneers here. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger. Maybe it's curiosity, maybe it's because we're foreign and they think we are exotic, but the people are very excited. It's been very satisfying."
Chinese newspapers gave rave reviews to the show. "Martin Fontaine is so much like Mao Wang, in his makeup and costume and singing and dancing, that he could almost be regarded as the real thing," one Beijing newspaper wrote.
The fans were ecstatic. "Before the show, I didn't know much about Mao Wang, but it was a wonderful evening," said Zhou Jing, a 22-year-old Beijing woman. "Everyone in the audience was high. I was excited throughout the show. Karen Jiang, a 34-year-old fan, recalled her shock when she encountered Presley's music for the first time. "When I first heard about Elvis, I couldn't understand why American music was so crazy. Compared to our Chinese music in the 1980s, Americans such as Mao Wang were considered crazy. But I don't think that any more. The Chinese people have become a lot more open." ...
- Pigment of imagination
By MANISH MISHRA
(Times of India, November 15, 2004)
Whether it's a floral, emanating the sensuous smell of Jasmine petals or a naughty cobra embellishing the lower back of a chick tattooing is raging like never before! Voluptuous designs adorning bronzed bodies are revving up the party scene. If the hunks are displaying scorpions, and sun tattoos on their steamed-up biceps, the girls are leaving nothing to chance either. From the feminine rose flower tattoo to a flashy butterfly - girls are sporting them on their forearms, lower backs and where not! In an attempt to show off their newest glam acquisitions they do not mind revealing a sleeve here or a midriff there.
With low-rise jeans, sphagetti straps and haltertops becoming a fad, Pune's scintillating fashion pates are going out of their way to show it all off. ... Saranga, another fashion-freak says, "Tattooculture has always been the part and parcel of our society. I know a girl who has got an Elvis Presley tattoo done on her left arm and a Gandhi tattoo on the right arm. ....
- Koizumi, Bush like two peas in a pod: Similar political styles a contributing factor to friendship, bilateral ties
By REIJI YOSHIDA
(Japan Times, November 6, 2004)
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi displayed typical forthrightness last month when he openly backed President George W. Bush -- a man he calls his friend -- in the U.S. presidential election. Koizumi broke a diplomatic taboo on Oct. 14 when responding to a question on the close presidential race between Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry. ... Publicly siding with a candidate in a foreign election is unusual, given the risk that another candidate might win
... Experts have said that good chemistry between Koizumi and Bush and their perceived shared practice of acting on intuition are two factors that have made them close friends and political allies. With the re-election of Bush, good Japan-U.S. relations will continue, they said. ... A firm Japan-U.S. relationship could help Koizumi maintain his political strength, despite a significant decline in popular support since his early years in office. ... And to his benefit, Koizumi has a casual sense of humor -- unlike the straitlaced Japanese leaders of the past -- and this quality appears to have attracted Bush and other American officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell. A Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave an example of Koizumi's humor. During a meeting with Bush and Powell, Koizumi described the Japan-U.S. relationship with the lyrics of the Elvis Presley song "I want you, I need you, I love you." Both Bush and Powell looked surprised and then burst into laughter, the official said. ...
- Bare Eye : Monuments and memories
By Ricardo Trinidad
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 1, 2004)
WE GO visit tombs today, not just to remember, but because we must never forget. There are monuments, memories that the harshest of seasons cannot erase. Indeed lighting candles, bringing flowers, as we've learned to do on this special day, do not only honor the departed, but also make us feel both grateful and good. We all have a duty to the dead, even once a year, no matter how far they have traveled from the world's earthen womb. But, then, do these kind souls have any need for these mundane trappings?
With the flowers, of course, go our prayers. But what could be better than following a fervent wish? A favorite theme of this seasonal reverie is a prayer left by Erning dela Cruz, my favorite boyhood ally, who died in America on the same day Elvis Presley passed away in 1977.
The wish, inscribed in hand-carved bronze on brownish marble, was short, simple, sincere. I cannot faithfully recite it here, but allow me to paraphrase it in a few lines:
"Please forget all my faults
Leave my sins to the devil
If you must remember me
Do it with a kind deed
And I shall live forever." ...
- The newest Eigenmann: SID LUCERO the young man, who continues to make his father proud
By Leah Salterio
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 30, 2004)
HIS GOOD looks alone are enough to guarantee for him a place in Philippine entertainment. But good looks are not all there is to Sid Lucero. His formidable lineage also entitles him to a special place in show biz. The 21-year-old Sid, from the third generation of actors from the venerable Eigenmann clan, is a chip off the old block. His paternal grandfather, Eddie Mesa, was once known as the Elvis Presley of the Philippines. His grandmother on the same side is noted character actress Rosemarie Gil. And his father is Mark Gil, one of the most admired actors in Philippine cinema. ...
- 'Beatle of Baghdad' breaks new ground
By Massoud A. Derhally
(Washington Times, October 28, 2004)
AMMAN, Jordan - There's not another man like Ilham al-Madfai, the "Beatle of Baghdad," in the entire Arab world. From his penthouse home in Amman, the Iraqi musician known for his blending of traditional folkloric music with Latin and Spanish beats and rhythms, radiates a profound sense of wisdom. His gentle humility is surprising for a man who pioneered the crossover between Arabic and World music and has sold out venues regionally and internationally - from London to Qatar to Germany. "(My) initial influences came from the U.S., but the new waves from England started to influence me - the Shadows, Cliff Richards, Elvis Presley, and Frank Lane," Mr. Madfai says. "And then the Beatles came along." ...
- Vietnam's phone operators offer more than just numbers
(USA Today / Associated Press, October 26, 2004)
HANOI (AP) - ... Directory assistance in communist Vietnam goes a lot further than America's 411. It's a combination of a lonely hearts column, Dr. Ruth and general information service, with a force of female operators ready to take on just about anything, 24/7. In a country where information - including the Internet and media - is tightly controlled by the government, the service fills a big gap. And its popularity attests to a level of telephone penetration that reflects Vietnam's growing prosperity - 9.3 million telephone subscribers in a nation of 82 million.
The service started in 1992 in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, as a way for the Communist Party to explain social and economic policies. More than a decade later, exchanges in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City alone field 75,000 calls a day asking for everything from college exam scores and soccer results to advice on finding love. ... Callers don't have to give names and their questions remain secret. "That's why many of the clients consider us a very reliable friend," Phuoc said. They also can order songs to be sent over the phone for special occasions. The 10,000 on offer include everything from Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" to Britney Spears' "... Baby One More Time." ... The No. 1 request? It's still telephone numbers.
- Kishore Kumar memorial is in ruins
By Rohit Ghosh
(glamsham.com, October 4, 2004)
In Memphis, fans of Elvis Presley gather in droves around his home and grave -- how different from the dilapidated state of the memorial to India's own Kishore Kumar who still has millions humming and swaying to his songs. It has been 13 years since he passed away, but while Kishore Kumar lives on in his many songs and millions of admirers, the Madhya Pradesh government is unable to maintain or restore a simple memorial in his hometown Khandwa.
One of India's most celebrated singers, Kishore Kumar still rules the airwaves with his vibrant voice and spawns a dozen imitators every day. In contrast, the memorial marking the spot where he was cremated in Khandwa is overgrown with weeds and decaying. In the 13 years since Oct 13, 1987, when the legendary singer and filmmaker died in Mumbai and was cremated in Khandwa, his memorial built by the local civic authorities has literally fallen apart. ... Maybe, in the years to come his many admirers will finally have a proper place to pay homage to him -- much like Elvis fans in Memphis or Jim Morrison devotees in Paris.
- Anwar plans to go to Mecca before returning to Malaysia
By Catherine Drew
(Business Times, August 20, 2004)
Former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is due to leave Munich after a few weeks of recuperation, following an operation on his spine. Mr Anwar, who was released after six years in jail at the beginning of September, will head to Mecca for a short pilgrimage before returning to Malaysia. He has been spending time in Munich talking to friends and world leaders about his future. But he also had to concentrate on the important task of regaining his strength and getting used to life outside of prison. ...He said his children recommended him Hollywood movies he missed, as well as trying to update his musical tastes. "I was that generation that liked Elvis Presley and the Beatles and Paul Anka and Cliff Richard, but they are introducing me to Britney Spears and some others. Which I have to listen at least to get an idea what it's all about. They call it music but I have my views and reservations. But try to enjoy what my children enjoy," he said. ...
PLAY THE TUNE!
(Sunday Tribune, September 19, 2004)
[Indonesia] - Sarawak people are known to be musical. There are many unique traditional musical instruments played by the various indigenous groups. However, we are also known to be quick in learning and absorbing the new as the following photos show. In 1931, there was a group of 'strolling minstrels' that went around the suburban villages of greater Kuching. They called themselves 'Bintang Sorai' Wanderers. Eng Yaw Soon was one of the members. They sure knew how to play the popular tunes of the era. In the 1960s a number of local pop bands were formed in Kuching. Some like 'Rose and the Avengers' cut their own record albums; whilst others like the Ventures, Elvis Presley, Beatles or Cliff and the Shadows. ... Photos like these are on display at the Sarawak Museum till 19 September (today) as part of the Sarawak Photo Heritage Hunt organised by Sarawak Museum, Society Atelier Sarawak, Sarawak Tribune, SAINS, and Lim Kok Wing Institute of Creative Technology (LICT).
- NEWSMAKER - Jiang poised to complete China leadership succession
By By Brian Rhoads
(Yahoo! India News / Reuters, September 18, 2004)
[China] -- When Jiang Zemin was plucked from obscurity to head the Communist Party after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, he was written off as a transitional figure who would soon fade into Chinese history. In the years after paramount leader Deng Xiaoping named him party chief, Jiang surprised time and again by outmanoeuvring and ousting party rivals, stamping control on the government and military and charming foreign visitors by trying out his English skills. A fan of poetry and of Mark Twain, Jiang stunned Asia-Pacific leaders by crooning the Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender" at a Manila meeting. He serenaded U.S. President George W. Bush at a banquet during a Beijing summit and waltzed U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice onto the dance floor. On Sunday, Jiang is expected to surprise again. ...
- "Marilyn Monroe Will Take a Picture of You"
By Narada Krisnaputra
(The Dong-A Ilbo, September 15, 2004)
On September 15, LG Trading Corporation's Digital Image team held an event in which staff masquerading as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley took instant pictures of customers on the premises of the opening event of the "Canon Plaza Gangnam," located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. ...
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