Agnes Monica or Agnez Mo - Youtube Star Indonesia

That got 6.7 million Youtube views and counting? you may ask. Yep, the song is "Matahariku" , which means "my sun." The Indonesian singer is Agnes Monica, also known as Agnez Mo and Nez. Born in 1986 as Agnes Monica Muljoto, she was a child singing star and presenter on children's programs. She has released eight albums and acted in TV dramas. She is also a songwriter and producer and has been a judge on Indonesia's Idol TV singing contest.

Her popularity extends beyond Indonesia to Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Netherlands, Singapore, Korea, China, and Taiwan. She even appeared in two Taiwanese soap operas after she gained fans when appearing in an Asian song contest in Korea.

Arnel Pineda of Journey - Youtube Star Philippines

Filipino singer stars in Don't Stop Believin' movie

Don't Stop Believin': Arnel Pineda's journey to global rock star  

Arnel Pineda wasn't a breakout Youtube star to the extent that Zee Avi was. But Youtube did play a part in the Filipino singer's discovery by the vintage US rock band Journey in 2007. Now the heartwarming tale of Arnel's unlikely, well, journey is the stuff of a documentary, "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey", made by a Filipina director, Ramona Diaz.

The documentary was released in 2013 and has since been reviewed all over the place with a wide spectrum of reactions. The New York Times reviewer found it a "flabby and repetitive showcase." Other reviewers frequently cite the little guy with a big voice as the redeeming virtue of the film, noting his "enthusiasm" and "ebullience"  "clear-eyed pragmatism",  "Ingratiating personality" and "a dynamic stage presence."

Scott Tobias of NPR suggests what a better movie could have been: "the richer, more complicated story of a dreamer who learns to become the durable

professional his bandmates expect." Or as another reviewer put it, how does Arnel reconcile his desire to express his own personalty with the band's desire for a clone of the original lead singer, Steve Perry? At least now he's getting a chance to write songs for the band.

Charice, Glee Singer - Youtube Star Philippines

Age 20, Charice, Sunshine from "Glee," looks destined to become the best-known Philippine-born musical star.

Charice singing an acoustic version of Billboard hit "Pyramid."

Is there another country where popular music and entertainment are considered such mainstream current events, ice-breaker topics cutting across lines of class and region? In the Philippines, conferences, reunions and celebrations are occasions for participants to break into song or break out an instrument. Filipinos keep up with popular music in the Philippines, United States, the greater Hispanic world and to some extent Southeast Asia. 


Movies are another popular topic. When I was in the Philippines in 2011 during the Oscar awards, of course everyone knew that the little girl in "True Grit" had a Filipina grandmother. I'm glad I read the newspapers sufficiently to know that Filipino-Americans involved behind the camera were also Oscar contenders. 

I don't know if Charice Pempengco, age 20, can yet claim to be the Philippine musician best known outside of her home country. (Although, with her tomboyish new look, she can claim to be the best known Filipino gay musician now.) 

Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music - Best Annual Events Thailand

Orchestras, opera companies and world-class classical and modern dancers perform at this September-October Bangkok festival. The yearly series is unrivaled in the region and probably  in East Asia. A pity so few tourists are aware of it.

Portugal's Quorum Ballet Company to Perform in Bangkok Festival.

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Usually a classical ballet company from Russia or one of the former Soviet republics performs at the annual fall Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music. I sometimes complain about the customary performance of The Nutcracker. In 2013, something really different is happening: Nutcracker on Ice!  Also some bits of Cinderella and Swan Lake.The performers were members of various Olympics and national teams, however, so it should be quite jaw-dropping.


Here's the calendar of 2013 performances with a bit more about the performers. No one would call is user friendly, I'm afraid. You need to keep going back to the calendar and start over. 

The above video of Portugal's Quorum Company is a bit misleading because the company will be performing another dance, "Correr o Fado." While there are Youtube videos of it, the quality is poor, so I chose a clip from "The Elements."  

German ballet company Karlsruhe will perform "Giselle." There will also be two operas ("The Barber of Seville" is one) and a concert performed by Russia's unconventional Helikon Opera Company; performances by US jazz pianist, Chick Corea and a triple bill of Dutch jazz musicians with Thailand's own legendary sax player, Mr. Koh; traditional dance by India's Shri Ram Bharataya Kala Kalendr; Ten Tenors from Australia; and Italy's Orchestra Teatro Regio di Parma with two opera singers. There are a few more but clicking around is downright exhausting.

It seems to me that the Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music used to span six or eight weeks; in 2013, it will run a little over a month, beginning September 13.  About 18-20 performances take by 15-16 ensembles take place. Besides a classical ballet company, there is usually a symphony orchestra, a European opera company or two, an Indian classical dance company, a tango or flamenco company from a Spanish-speaking country and a couple of contemporary dance companies from the United States and Europe. Then each year there are a few oddities that don't fit with the general tone (such as this year's ice skaters and, in the past, the Vienna Choir Boys, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Swedish Jazz Kings).

Zee Avi, Sarawak Singer-Songwriter - Malaysia Youtube Star

Discovered on Youtube and now based in the US, young Malaysian singer-songwriter Zee Avi follows up her first namesake album with Ghostbird.

Malaysian singer Zee Avi live and in casual, medley mood

I'm pushing the limits of news you can use  by introducing Southeast Asian celebrities viewable on Youtube video. I see it as a simple means to strike up a conversation and form a bond with local people. In this case of singer Zee Avi, that would be with her fellow Malaysians, though she's  known to Singaporeans too.

After all, tourists and expats always profess to be interested in local "culture." Usually that translates as "food." But watching a video isn't as demanding as reading a book, right?

The second song on this medley, "Bitter Heart," is probably her best known. It was her first iTunes release as a single and then on her first studio album in 2009, Zee Avi. The medley also provides a good sampling of her sound. Even if the lyrics are about heartbreak or heroin addiction, the sound is light, sprightly, a little bit country-folk, a little bit Tin Pan Alley. Sometimes her voice almost swings. She usually sings in English but occasionally in Malay.

Art and Indie Movies in Bangkok - Lido, Scala and RCA Theaters

Independent movies, art-house films, alternative cinema, foreign-language, non-mainstream, whatever ... such movies are screened regularly at these theaters.

Updated 23 July 2014 The Apex-Lido theaters are the most convenient places to see alternative movies in Bangkok. These two old theaters with a total of four screens are located in movie-mad Siam Square, easily reached from either the Siam Square or Stadium Skytrain stations. There used to be three old theaters; sadly, the Siam Theater went up in flames in the final days of the May 2010 demonstrations.

The Lido theaters are housed in a large building across Rama I Road from the Siam Center. The three theaters here have been carved from what was once a single big theater.

Rainforest World Music Festival - Best Annual Events Malaysia

 Indonesia's Rafli Wa SAJA to headline Rainforest Music Festival 2013

The region's best festival of world music is held for three days every June or July in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sarawak.  Directions, location, costs, hotels.

The annual outdoor Rainforest World Music Festival, held near Kuching, next runs from June 20-22, 2014. So far, no further details of the 2014 festival, stay tuned.

Among 2012's year's leading performers were the percussion band Gema SLDN-SCV  and sape player Maya Green  from Sarawak, Australian aboriginal singers and dancers Nunukul Yuggera, Korean dancers Palsandae and  Indonesia's Rafli Wa SAJA  ensemble ( Rafli, or Rafly, is the singer above)

You can see the full 2012 schedule and download a program here.  The headliners perform at night but there are also workshops during the day. These tend to be more interactive and include both the main acts  and some local musicians. Workshops this year will present stories and songs of Borneo's Bidayuh people, Jamaican singers, Malay gamelan players, Bandari dance and song from southern Iran, Korean folk songs, and a Chinese chamber ensemble.

Best Bangkok Art Galleries - Sathorn Road

H Gallery interior

Three private art galleries and two artsy spaces close to Sathorn and Silom roads are covered in the second chapter of a two-part walking tour.

Updated June 3, 2014. If you have just exited Silom Galleria, whose galleries were described in the first part of the tour, you are now ready for the actual walking portion. (If you want to visit more galleries after this, the three Ardel galleries are covered in a third entry.) Once on Silom Road, turn right, away from the river. You're aiming for the Indian temple and Pan Road.  But after passing a Subway sandwich outlet, you may want to make a little detour on the first lane on your right, Silom Soi 19.

Asiatique - Review of Bangkok's Riverside Night Market

Attractions, food, directions for Bangkok’s shiniest night bazaar: Has Asiatique replaced the late, lamented Suan Lum market?

Updated October 15, 2014.Tourists in town for a few days will find enough to buy, eat and be amused by at Bangkok’s newest, flashiest night market by the river.  Opened in spring 2012, Asiatique is shinier, more upmarket, than its chief rival, Siam Paradise Night Bazaar, or the defunct Suan Lum Night Market—and much more than the Onnuj night market. 

Best Thai Art Galleries in Bangkok - Silom Road

Shy Maiden (after Botero) by Jirapat T

Nine commercial art galleries close to Silom Road and the Chao Phraya River are covered in the first chapter of a two-part walking tour.

Updated! September 20, 2014

Tourists who want to see and buy work by the best living Thai artists don’t have an easy time of it. The new, private Museum of Contemporary Art finally has provided a showcase for some of the greats of Thai modern art. The more central Bangkok Art and Culture Centre sometimes has good shows, but no permanent collection.  In brief, it's harder to see and buy the work of younger generations.

George Town Festival of Penang - Best Annual Events Malaysia

The mid-year Georgetown (or George Town) arts festival is a month of music, dance and visual art featuring artists from Malaysia and other countries.

Finland's Blinded Mind dance troupe: performing July 4 in Penang

As you might guess from the above photo of a Finnish dancer in Blinded Mind, Penang's annual arts festival has a decided contemporary emphasis. There are some traditional performances--such as the demonstration of the Malay martial art silat and the sacred songs of the Philippine Madrigal Singers at the 2012 festival. But you're more likely to see something like the Lee Wushu theater company, which "merges the traditional martial art of Wushu with contemporary dance forms to create a unique stage performance."

Best Bangkok Art Galleries - Ardel, DOB, Third Place

Ardel Gallery of Modern Art

Where to see and buy the best contemporary Thai art. Two of the Ardel galleries covered in this article are in central neighborhoods of Bangkok. The third is in a suburb on the western side of the Chao Phraya River.

It's not easy to see or buy modern Thai art because good galleries are scattered widely. One of the major developments in recent years has been the opening by multi-media artist Thavorn Ko-udomvit of three galleries. A few shows have featured foreign artists, but the emphasis is on Thai artists, both emerging and well established.

World Film Festival Bangkok - Best Annual Events Thailand

 30,000-year-old cave drawings at 9th Festival

The annual World Film Festival of Bangkok usually runs for a week in October or November. 

The 11th edition will run from November 15-24, 2013.

There's not much yet about which films will be featured, though one will be "Return to Burma". There will be a Q and A with director Midi Z.

You can get a taste of the range from last year's line-up. The movies came from Latin America, United States, Europe, Iran,  India, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, among other countries. There is always on strong focus on the indie and art end of the spectrum.

The festival will be screened once again at Major's cineplex at the Esplanade shopping mall. That's in the north of the city but it directly on the subway line (directions below). The quality of the screens and sound are first rate--but then, that's true of all the cineplexes in Bangkok.