Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s 51st Season Springs to Life with Virtuosos

The “young at art” are headlining the upcoming symphonic season.

Come 2025, one of the youngest conductors in the world will officially take his place as the music director designate of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) at just 25 years old. To open the orchestra’s 51st season, Tarmo Peltokoski and young violin virtuoso Daniel Lozakovich, 23, will headline two performances at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall on 5 and 6 September.

It is an exciting time for the HK Phil, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and released the headline-worthy news revealing its next maestro’s identity. With global interest rising since the news broke, the musical institution maintains itself as one of the most reputable in the world, its young blood making for a leap in interest among music lovers of all ages, inspiring aspiring musicians and making classical music accessible to multiple generations.

Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong.

UPDATE: Concert is postponed due to T8. 

Original Spin: Bollywood's Own in Hong Kong DJ Suketu spins City

It took DJ Suketu just three years to top India's remixing scene. Now locals can find out why, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

As he prepared to fly to Hong Kong last week, DJ Suketu was caught up in a controversy in Mumbai when Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar denounced the remixing culture "for its utter corruption and hollow value."

Suketu's name was mentioned as Mangeshkar railed against the new breed of youngsters in Mumbai 's burgeoning lounge and club scene, but the DJ thinks he knows the real reason she's upset.

"The only reason - she's not getting any money or royalties from the remixes," Suketu, 28, says as he drives around Mumbai with his own chart-topping song playing in the background.

"Manna Dey said he was thrilled that his songs from the 50s and 60s are being brought to a new generation who would otherwise never have even known he existd. Why not adopt that atttude?"

Suketu is without doubt the hottest name in India's remixing scene, with his reinterpretations of old Bollywood songs combined with house, techno and lounge rhythms finding their way into the charts - and shoving aside new bollywood songs.

"I still remember when my first remix video hit MTV India in 2002. I was flooded with SMS messages within minutes. Since then I've worked in the hottest clubs in London, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia... every month I'm in a different country."

What started as a hobby inspired by a love of old Indian songs quickly turned intto a career when Suketu's remixing skills came to the attention of Indian music companies.

"After just three years I'm working with the best Indian music directors, who want remixes of their new compositions to be included as supplements to their albums."

Suketu's skills behind the turntables have also been recognised. He won the national DMC (Disco Mix Club) headquarters in London. He's also a trained tabla player. "There are thousands of remixes coming out of Mumbai. You really need a sense of rhythm and timing - which is where my background in the tabla helps."

The competition is fierce. What separates Suketu from his competitors is that he gets singers to record new vocal tracks for all his releases, along with incorporating an eclectic jumble of sounds sourced from around the world. "In every country I go, I buy the top 20 hit list and check out the local scene of music. I get new singers to sing the tracks in different styles and then it goes off to the music companies," he says.

Suketu's performance during the Diwali festival will be his first in Hong Kong. "I'm bringing all the stuff I've collected over the year and I carry house, hip-hop and Bollywood. No DJ will prepare everything in advance. You have to study the crowd, try things, see what's working."

Are original songs the next step? "I'd definitely like to do more original songs, but I'll never turn my back on remixing."


Thursday, October 27, 2005

Musicians without Borders: Indian and Pakistani legends unite on stage in Hong Kong

Two performers from India and Pakistan with the gift of ghazal are getting together for a one-off concert, finds P.Ramakrishnan.

The tensions between India and Pakistan may be palpable at times, but when it comes to creative collaborations, the countries have never had it so good. Numerous musicians have featured in Hindi films during the past two years, and singers, comedians, writers, lyricists and even Pakistani actors have worked in Bollywood. Such cross-border cultural harmony may seem extraordinary, but Indian singer Talat Aziz begs to differ.

"Creative people don't see boundaries and politics," the 50-year-old artist says. "There are many music lovers in India who greatly appreciate the singers and musicians from our neighbouring countries, and producers have invited singers and writers to work with them in India for decades.

"The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan flew from Pakistan and sang for filmmaker Raj Kapoor in Delhi in the early 1980s. Similarly, someone like Ghulam Ali is a respected figure among all music lovers, irrespective of their or his origin."

Aziz has collaborated with Karachi-born Ali in joint concerts for several decades. "I've been an admirer and friend for years. I met him nearly 30 years ago. The upcoming concert in Hong Kong is a collaboration - a confluence of harmony that has been long in the making."

The two ghazal singers - each considered among the best in his respective country - will give a one-off concert this Friday at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The ghazal is said to have originated in 10th-century Persian verse, making its way to India in the 12th century. A poetic form of music, it's sung in delicate melodies, with greater emphasis on Urdu words and language than on tempo and beat.

Some consider in to be an elitist form of music, but Ali doesn't agree. "The more youngsters attend, the more they seem to enjoy it. Ghazal isn't elitist. It's not just for those who are well-read. It's for everyone who can enjoy good music."

Ali has performed around the world and has made more than 50 platinum-selling albums during the past three decades. His fan club is mixed. "I've worked with and met many wonderful Indian artists and it has always been a pleasure to collaborate with them, meet them and exchange ideas," he says. "The warmth and love I've received in my concerts abroad, I can't tell you what it means to me."

At the age of 15, Ali became a protege of classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali khan. He was taught by Khan's brothers and trained in classical music for years before he started composing and singing professionally. His compositions are raga-based (traditional melody) and include various innovations.

Aziz, who was born and brought up in Hyderabad, India, learnt classical singing at a young age. He was trained by Ustad Samad Khan and later by Ustad Fayaz Ahmed, then introduced to recording studios by Jagjit Singh.

Although Aziz sang on many private, non-film based albums, he eventually began so-called playback singing for Indian actors. He has also acted in films and television shows - but he says music is his first love.

"There are no rehearsals as such for concerts," says Aziz. "You never know what's going to happen, how we adhere to audience requests, and gauge the mood from their reactions."

From across the border, Ali agrees. "Live shows are a unique experience every time," he says. "I've had requests from audience to sing their favourite song again and again. They never tire of certain classics. Luckily , I enjoy singing old numbers, and popular choices are my own favourites, too."

Aziz is confident that Hong Kong audiences will appreciate ghazals, "Not long ago, I was in Sauddi Arabia for a concert and the audience was a very mixed, international crowd," he says. "The Russian and the Japanese Consulate Generals were attending, with their respective people and entourage. I thought they would stay for a few minutes and then leave. But they stayed till the very end and, although I'm sure they didn't understand a single word that was sung, they came up to me. At the next concert, there were more Russians and Japanese people in the crowd. What does that tell you about music transcending borders?"