Latest news with #music
Washington Post
16 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop's first deaf group
SEOUL, South Korea — Big Ocean, a three-member K-pop group composed entirely of artists with hearing disabilities, is redefining the limits of music and performance — one beat at a time. When Big Ocean takes the stage, they seamlessly incorporate sign language into their performances. But their polished shows are built on extensive preparation using high-tech tools born from necessity — vibrating smartwatches that pulse with musical beats and LED visual metronomes that flash timing cues during practice sessions. This technological approach represents significant progress in South Korea's entertainment industry, where career opportunities for people with disabilities have historically been limited.
CBC
31 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Brian Cherwick has been playing music for 50 years. Here are some of the highlights
Brian Cherwick has worn many hats throughout his life. He's a folklore professor, has taught music, and can play almost any style of music. He's setting out to revisit his 50 years worth of songs for a special show with The Kubasonics.
Malay Mail
32 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Fifth Harmony comeback soon? Report says reunion imminent but without Camila Cabello, documentary and tour in the works
LOS ANGELES, May 30 – American girl group Fifth Harmony is reportedly planning a reunion — minus original member Camila Cabello — The Hollywood Reporter wrote, citing sources. The group, formed in 2012 on The X Factor USA, is said to be preparing for a comeback involving Normani, Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui ahead of the 10th anniversary of their 2016 album 7/27 and hit single 'Work From Home'. Insiders revealed that the plans include a documentary chronicling their return and a potential tour, though specific dates and details remain under wraps. Fifth Harmony rose to fame with multi-platinum albums Reflection and 7/27, and scored massive hits with 'Work From Home' featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 'Worth It' featuring Kid Ink. Cabello departed the group in 2016 to pursue a solo career, relinquishing rights to the group name as the remaining members continued as a quartet and released a self-titled album in 2017. In 2018, the group went on indefinite hiatus to allow each member to focus on solo projects; they are no longer signed to Epic Records. Cabello has since achieved significant solo success with chart-toppers like 'Havana' and 'Señorita', while Normani has found acclaim with singles such as 'Motivation' and 'Love Lies'. Speculation about a reunion grew after all four members publicly supported Normani's debut album Dopamine last year, though reports at the time downplayed the rumours. The upcoming reunion is reportedly being spearheaded by Will Bracey, husband of Ally Brooke and COO of the Justin Bieber family office. Bracey has not commented on the matter, and representatives for Normani, Jane, and Jauregui could not be reached.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts review – restless beauty from jazz's shape-shifting guitarist
However edgy and angular Mary Halvorson's music gets, powerful melodies and inviting harmonies always drift below even the stormiest surface, giving the much-lauded New York composer and guitarist an appeal way beyond the avant garde. About Ghosts features an expanded version of her Amaryllis ensemble, which made one of 2024's standout jazz albums, Cloudward. The lineup retains Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), augmented by Blue Note Records' fiery, gospelly alto-sax star Immanuel Wilkins and the rugged, Wayne Shorter-like tenorist Brian Settles. These two players give this release a crucially different feel, lending richer tonalities and expressive range to Halvorson's signature brass fanfares, boppish-to-abstract improv, restlessly interweaving melodies and vigilant drumming. Opener Full of Neon begins the set with a textbook piece of Halvorson ensemble variety: elliptically march-like percussion, squirming improv intro, fluent solos and luxurious ensemble passages with woodpecker-like horn chatter. Carved From starts to canter and chime after a soft, unaccompanied arrival in rich horn chords, and features driving improv from Halvorson and Wilkins, mixing crisply defined guitar figures and skidding elisions with flat-out, whooping alto-sax firestorms. The excitement of Halvorson's music is not cinematic or illustrative, but in the kaleidoscopic fascination of its internal symmetries and conflict. Melody parts play rhythm patterns, then the melodies bend while the rhythms push on. Her harmonies sometimes echo jazz big bands, at others contemporary classical. The initially tender title track becomes a captivating journey of improv and constantly morphing thematic shapes, while Eventidal is a graceful guitar and vibes ballad, and the fast Absinthian and Amaranthine suggest hyper-compressed bebop lines. Recently discussing the quirkily wonderful English singer and songwriter Robert Wyatt in Jazzwise magazine, Halvorson said she loved his ability to blend 'the weird with the beautiful'. She wouldn't dream of it, but she could have been saying much the same of herself. This year sees the 50th anniversary of Keith Jarrett's legendary Köln Concert, and New Vienna (ECM), a 2016 gig from the now 80-year-old's final solo tour, is a familiar but bewitching hour of hurtling free squalls, chugging-hook rockers and tender romances. Young French flautist and composer Naïssam Jalal follows up 2023's acclaimed Healing Rituals with the very different Souffles (Les Couleurs du Son), a set of eight diverse duos with eminent wind-players. Her flute glides animatedly around Louis Sclavis's solemnly evocative bass clarinet, rises in clamorous harmonies with Émile Parisien's soprano sax while she eloquently chants instrumentally and vocally as Archie Shepp plays gruffly bluesy tenor sax. And on Amoeba's Dance (Trouble in the East), prize-winning Berlin saxophonist and composer Silke Eberhard's enlarged Potsa Lotsa group makes vividly creative use of their leader's intricately structured but constantly provocative pieces.
The Independent
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop's first deaf group
Big Ocean, a three-member K-pop group composed entirely of artists with hearing disabilities, is redefining the limits of music and performance — one beat at a time. When Big Ocean takes the stage, they seamlessly incorporate sign language into their performances. But their polished shows are built on extensive preparation using high-tech tools born from necessity — vibrating smartwatches that pulse with musical beats and LED visual metronomes that flash timing cues during practice sessions. This technological approach represents significant progress in South Korea's entertainment industry, where career opportunities for people with disabilities have historically been limited. The trio, PJ, Jiseok and Chanyeon, made their debut in April 2024 and recently wrapped a solo European tour marking their first anniversary. The band performed in four countries, including France and the U.K., while promoting their second mini-album, 'Underwater,' which dropped on April 20. PJ rose to prominence as a YouTuber who educated viewers about hearing disabilities. Chanyeon previously worked as an audiologist. Jiseok was a professional ski racer. To achieve the precision crucial in K-pop's demanding choreography and music, Big Ocean relies on technologies rarely seen in the genre. Members wear modified vibrating smartwatches that deliver rhythmic cues to their wrists and practice with visual metronomes — flashing light guides displayed on monitors — to help stay in sync when audio alone isn't enough. Chanyeon uses a hybrid hearing device with Bluetooth that streams music directly from mobile devices. The group also uses a pitch-checking app and AI voice conversion technology to support vocal training and enhance audio output after recordings. Dancing to visual cues 'We each felt rhythm differently when dancing,' PJ told The Associated Press. 'So when we'd play the same song and dance in front of the mirror, one of us would move faster while another would move slower. To solve this timing issue, we decided to memorize everything together and create our own cues with each other.' This precision becomes critical during live performances, where unexpected disruptions can derail even experienced performers. 'When we performed in France, our fans were cheering so loudly we lost the beat,' said Jiseok. 'But we looked at each other and quickly handled the situation — just like we practiced.' Stage effects and certain musical styles create additional obstacles. 'When a lot of smoke comes up, sometimes we momentarily can't see the stage movements in front of us,' PJ said. 'Our concentration gets disrupted instantly in those moments.' 'When there's no clear beat in a song, it's really hard for us to stay synchronized,' Jiseok said. 'When the bass is overwhelming, it's difficult for us to catch it accurately.' Promoting accessibility Despite these challenges, Big Ocean's commitment to accessibility and inclusion has inspired their global fanbase. Big Ocean's global fanbase — known as PADO — has responded with similar commitment. 'While communicating with PADO, we've heard that they're actually learning Korean sign language for us, or learning various sign languages to communicate with us,' Jiseok said. 'When we see how much they're preparing and putting in that effort, we feel so grateful.' The group uses English for basic communication with international fans and incorporates Korean Sign Language, American Sign Language and International Sign to promote accessibility and inclusion. Jiseok credits BTS's RM with inspiring his musical journey. He said RM's donation to his former school — a private institution for deaf and hard of hearing students — gave him access to music and dance for the first time. 'Without those learning opportunities, I probably never would have dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol,' he said. Fostering collaboration Looking ahead, Big Ocean hopes to build on its growing global profile. 'We recently saw Justin Bieber's Instagram post asking for music collaborators, so we sent him a DM,' PJ said. 'All of us would love the opportunity to work with him. And personally, I'd also love to work with Billie Eilish.' As the band reflects on its first year, Chanyeon said their biggest growth has been internal. 'I've always liked playing it safe — even with food, I only ate what I was used to,' he said. 'But through Big Ocean, I've gained confidence in trying new things. That's what I'm most satisfied with.'
