08.31.2005

27 AUGUST IN TAIPEI, TAIWAN: This sold-out concert was simply outstanding! As the stadium was filling with people on Saturday night, a gang of press photographers swarmed around every celebrity who entered, including Phil Chang 張宇, Fish Leong 梁靜茹 and Harlem Yu 庾澄慶. Cameras were not allowed for any others watching the concert. But fortunately, we were able get a few shots elsewhere:

Jonathan Lee 李宗盛  [Li Zong Sheng]

Here he is rehearsing. I'd seen him perform live in Las Vegas (2000) and in Shenzhen (2004), but as a distinguished guest at those events he sang just 2~3 of his classic songs ....

I happen to like his music very much  [ Audio Sample (.wav)] — he's sort of a National Treasure as a songwriter and producer — so I'd continued to hope that someday there would be an event with the spotlight shining longer on Jonathan Lee. This excellent concert was a dream come true for me!

Here I'm chatting with KEYBOARDIST JAY HUNG 洪信傑 [HONG XIN JIE], who was a bit surprised to be asked to sign his June 2005 debut CD “Untamable Dreamer 天馬行空.” Actually I'd just bought it that very afternoon and hadn't been able to hear it yet. I can now say that this CD + VCD set contains 13 new age jazz tracks arranged and performed by Jay that are exceptionally good!  [ Audio Sample (.mp3)]

Band members Xiao Hai and Xiao Hu

On concert night, all of the musicians happened to be wearing the same black-and-white “Jonathan & Wakin J & W Anthology 2005 Absolutely Original Creation” tee shirt that the Taiwan fans had on. Needless to say, while the band members played and the Taiwaners cheered, they all looked super cool!  

 “忙與盲  Busy and Blind”  
But surely they could see that they were
on to something special!

“Why the heck did we wait till 2005
to put on a show together here?!!”

Congratulations on an outstanding concert!
We're all looking forward to the DVD!

The concert song list, Chinese press articles,
     and photos can be found at wakinchau.com.

Child-Shaped Robot Set for Debut in Japan
A child-shaped humanoid robot that can recognize about 10,000 words and work as a house sitter will go on sale in Japan in September. >> Continued  [Associated Press]

Local Live — Camaru

Wakin.com Curtains Drawn Updated: April studio recording Day 6 continues with Eric Huang Yunjen (Windows Media video clip 4.3 MB unzipped download) — Xiao Hai drops in, and Wakin is looking spiffy in that Stars Ferry jacket . . .

Taiwan's entertainment & recreation sector to see annual output value of NT$1 trillion
Taipei, Aug. 17, 2005 — Taiwan’s entertainment and recreation business is expected to see annual production value break the NT$1 trillion (US$31.25 billion at US$1 = NT$32) mark in the near future, according to the Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD). Hu Sheng-cheng, chairman of CEPD, indicated that Taiwan's media industry boasts great development as it has in recent years won many international awards for motion pictures and animated cartoons. He disclosed that the Development Fund under the Executive Yuan (the Cabinet) is planning to appropriate NT$20 billion (US$588.24 million) to develop the industry. (Continued)  [CENS]

Malaysia Chokes on Indonesia Forest Fires

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 [Reuters] - Malaysia choked on its worst pollution crisis in eight years on Wednesday, as forest fires from neighbouring Indonesia smothered the capital in thick smoke, forcing schools, an airport and a port operator to shut down. Asthma attacks soared and tourists huddled in air-conditioned shopping malls at one of the busiest times for the country's tourism industry, prompting the government to consider emergency measures and to offer its neighbour help in fighting the fires. (Continued)

Ten Years of the 'Net — Just a decade ago this week, the US$3 billion flotation of Netscape signaled the start of the mass Internet age. [Belfast Telegraph]

Jackie Chan is set to film "新宿事件 Shinjuku Story" in Japan from Spring 2006 (info courtesy of Anthropy who posted at the JCMB) — Sure hope that his buddy Wakin Chau might show up in Shinjuku to film one of his characteristic cameos !!!  

I hope the moviemakers don't change their minds about filming in Japan — it'd probably be cheaper even to build a life-size replica of Shinjuku and do all of the filming at one of the Mainland studios !!!  

Apple Opens iTunes Music Store in Japan

TOKYO - Apple Computer Inc. launched its music download service, the iTunes Music Store, in Japan Thursday with 1 million songs, determined to expand on its popular iPod business on the home turf of rival Sony Corp. "We're super excited about this," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in Tokyo as he announced the launching of the iTunes service. "The future looks very, very bright for the iPod in Japan."

Jobs said iTunes will have 1 million songs in Japan, by both Japanese and international artists, with most costing 150 yen, or $1.35 each. Only 10 percent of the songs cost 200 yen, he said. That's slightly more than the 99 cents charged in the U.S. version of the service — but the crowd at the Tokyo hall cheered when the price was announced. Philip Schiller, a senior vice president who oversees product marketing, said Apple cannot comment on how the pricing in Japan was decided. (Continued)

Wakin.com Curtains Drawn Updated: Day 6 of working out new music (Windows Media video clip 7.6 MB unzipped download) in April with Eric Huang and Guo Zong Shao 郭宗韶 — Were they perhaps a tad tuckered out? Hoho

There is a new Chinese press article (courtesy of the Stars Ferry's Friends website in Taiwan that I deciphered to a basic degree with the help of SYSTRAN) that appears to be about how Wakin Chau and Jonathan Lee 李宗盛 are composing a new song dedicated to their colleague, the famous bassist Liauw Shi Zheng 廖世錚, a superbly talented musician who has had to curb his live performance career due to a dibilitating illness.

The story mentions that Wakin and Jonathan have invited Ah Zheng Laoshi to attend their upcoming Taipei concert on the 27th, and I really hope that he will!