Filing earnings for the first time in the wake of its listing a month ago on the New York Stock Exchange, the Swedish company said that it lost 41 million euros ($49 million) in the three months through March.

The losses were down from 139 million euros in the same quarter a year earlier and figured within the company’s expectations.

But Wall Street focused on Spotify’s full-year forecast, which it did not adjust despite the rapid growth of music streaming worldwide.

Spotify said that it still expected to lose 230 to 330 million euros for the year.

After a robust debut on the market last month, Spotify share prices tumbled in after-hours trade Wednesday. Spotify was down eight percent two hours after its earnings announcement, up from initial lows.

Spotify CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek said that the company saw continuous growth in streaming and that he was not worried by competition from Apple.

“We don’t see any kind of meaningful impact of competition,” Ek told reporters and analysts on a telephone call.

“When we look at this, we don’t really think that this is a winner-take-all market. In fact, we think multiple services will exist in the market and we are all in a growing market,” he said.

Steady subscriber growth

Spotify said that it had reached 75 million paying subscribers, with another 99 million monthly users on its free, advertising-supported tier.

The figures marked a growth of four million paying subscribers and nine million free users since the start of 2018.

Spotify said that it saw particularly strong growth for its free service in emerging economies such as Vietnam and Thailand, two markets which the company recently entered.

Spotify said it also was seeing “increasing momentum” in Japan — the world’s second largest music market where CDs still dominate.

Ek described Japan as an “S-curve” with slow initial traction followed by rapid growth and then quick maturation.

Barry McCarthy, Spotify’s chief financial officer, said that advertising revenues rose at a healthy pace except on desktop computers. He said that the United States was “far and away” the most profitable advertising market.

With the latest data Spotify remains well ahead of Apple Music. The technology giant said in March that it had 38 million subscribers on its service, which was launched in 2015 and does not have an equivalent free tier.

Streaming — which offers unlimited music online — has rapidly transformed the music industry in recent years, leading to three straight years of growth for the recorded music business.

Born Cheery Hoffmann in Bangkok, Sawalee was one of Thailand’s first look Krung” singers, having a non-Thai parent.

In a career that spanned six decades, she recorded more than 1,500 songs and earned

four Golden Record awards. Her most popular hits include “Jamluey Rak”, “Sanam Arom” and “Poi Chan Pai”.

The Culture Ministry named her a National Artist in music in 1989.

Sawalee also acted onstage, on television and in films including “Datchanee Nang”. Her most memorable theatre role was in “Baan Sai Thong” in 1951, in which she also sang the title song.

Funeral rites will take place at Wat Thatthong from April 3-8 at 7pm.

After 100 days, the family, supported by the Culture Ministry will host the cremation.

“This year, the festival will once again help to underline the positioning of Hua Hin as a music city. At the same time, it will highlight various aspects of TAT’s latest ‘Open to the New Shades’ marketing concept that encompasses

‘Gastronomy Tourism’, ‘Arts and Crafts’, ‘Nature’, ‘Culture’ and ‘Way of Life’, all of which are available in this royal seaside resort,” Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor of TAT’s marketing communications, told reporters during the recent press conference.

The annual Hua Hin International Jazz Festival is prominently featured on calendar of music events in Thailand. Over the years, the two-day event has been inspiring tourists and jazz lovers, both Thai and foreign, to visit Hua Hin for a trip that combines live jazz performances, local experiences and natural beauty.

This upcoming jazz festival features international and local jazz artists and performers in other music genres spread over two stages. The Beach Stage is, as usual, the main stage while the Open Stage will host will present newcomers from various genres including newcomers and bands playing other genres, among them Funktion, Sax Pack Girl, and Sincharoen Brothers.

The main stage will feature The Sound of Siam led by Thailand’s premier saxophonist Koh Mr Saxman, British jazz-funk band Shakatak, Japan’s jazz-fusion outfit Dimension, American jazz pianist John Di Martino, French jazz blues artist Nina Van Horn, Swedish guitar duo Ulf and Eric Wakenius, Brazilian bossa nova stars Veronica Nunes and Ricardo Vgot, and Austria’s jazz diva Simone Kopmajer.

British crossover jazz, funk, and pop outfit Shakatak is a sophisticated ensemble who has enjoyed a long career. With a sound steeped in contemporary jazz and R&B, they found success with both instrumental albums and pop vocal productions. Their hits include “Livin’ in the UK”, “Brazilian Dawn”,” “Easier Said Than Done”, and “Watching You”. In 2010, they celebrated their 30th anniversary and marked the occasion a year later with the release of “Across the World”.

Dimension, formed in Tokyo in 1992, has released 26 albums of original work over the last 20 years, and they have performed at the Tokyo and Seoul jazz festivals.

New York-based jazz pianist, arranger and producer John di Martino has been described as a “shape-shifter” for his creativity across musical genres. He is a sought after musical director who has accompanied Jon Hendricks, Keely Smith, Billy Eckstine and Janis Siegel.

Nina Van Horn started as a classical dancer and decided to become a country singer while living in Texas. Her adventures lead her to New Orleans where she found her real interest in blues.

Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius was introduced to the jazz world as one of the members of the last Oscar Peterson Quartet. Blending his incredible rhythmic feel with a lyrical touch, Wakenius rocked Scandivania with his guitar duo Guitars Unlimited, which he founded with Peter Almqvist. In Hua Hin, he’ll be performing with his son.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, singer Veronica Nunes, daughter of a classical pianist, grew up in a musical environment listening to traditional Brazilian styles such as samba, choro and classical music. In 2013, she released her debut album, “Pra Fugir da Saudade” , in collaboration with the Brazilian guitarist and composer Ricardo Vogt.

Austrian jazz vocalist Simone Kopmajer sings in flawless English and has performed in Thailand several times over the last decade.

Entry is free. Check programme details at http://www.HuaHinInterJazz.com.

A representative for the Swedish DJ did not reply to requests for comment. But his family earlier insinuated that Avicii had killed himself.

“He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness,” his family said in an open letter on Thursday. “He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace.”

TMZ, quoting unnamed sources, said that Avicii committed suicide.

The 28-year-old whose real name was Tim Bergling was found dead on April 20 while on vacation in Oman.

Police in the Gulf sultanate said that there was no indication of foul play.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 9, 2013 DJ Avicii arrives at Clive Davis & The Recording Academy’s 2013 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons honoring Antonio “L.A.” Reid at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Avicii, one of the world’s most successful DJs who helped lead the global boom in electronic music, died April 20, 2018 in Oman, his representative said. He was 28.The Swedish DJ, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead during a visit to the kingdom’s capital Muscat, a statement said without specifying a cause. / AFP PHOTO 

Avicii had long spoken of his problems with alcoholism and his struggles as an introvert in adapting to the hard-partying DJ lifestyle.

He stunned fans in 2016 by retiring from touring at the age of just 26, although he later returned to the studio.

Avicii was one of the first DJs to bring electronic dance music into the mainstream, filling festivals and winning radio airplay as he collaborated with artists including Madonna and Coldplay.

His death sparked a revival of interest in Avicii’s music. Three of his albums appeared after his death on the benchmark US chart, the Billboard 200.

“True,” his debut album from 2013 that had peaked at number five, returned at number 22 for the week through Thursday.

NEARLY TWO years after Pakistan’s foremost qawwali singer Amjad Sabri was gunned down in Karachi, the devotional music of Islam’s Sufi mystical sect is struggling to survive, as fears of sectarianism and modern pressures slowly drown out its powerfully hypnotic strains.

Thousands poured into the streets near Sabri’s family home after his death for his funeral, a rare public display of affection in Karachi.

“He was a rock star of the masses,” explains journalist and musician Ali Raj, who studied under Sabri.

His murder was just the latest in a series of blows in recent years to strike at the heart of qawwali, which has thrived in South Asia since the 13th century.

“I am still in shock,” Sabri’s brother Talha says from his family home adorned with pictures of his superstar sibling, whose fame spanned the subcontinent and beyond.

“Why do they hate qawwali? Why do they hate music?”

Pakistani Qawwali (Sufi devotional music) singers Azmat Sabri, left. and his brother Talha, right, perform with their group during an event in Karachi./AFP

Embraced widely as a part of Pakistan’s national identity, qawwali has played a key unifying role, with city-dwellers and villagers flocking to Sufi shrines for concerts.

Performances traditionally last hours, with a troupe of musicians interweaving soulful improvisational threads under lyrical, lilting vocal lines to a steady beat of thundering rhythms on dholak and tabla drums and hand clapping, sending fans drifting into trance-like transcendent states.

The genre entered a golden age in the 1970s as singers known as qawwals battled for prestige, with the Sabri Brothers – led by Amjad’s father, Ghulam Farid Sabri – and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan finding audiences around the world.

Following the death of Ghulam, Amjad took the helm and slowly carved out his place as Pakistan’s most prominent qawwal, becoming a fixture on national television and radio.

But now musicians worry that his murder – and the fear it sparked – has hastened the decline of qawwali.

Talha Sabri’s brother Amjad, Pakistan’s bestknown qawwali singer, was gunned down two years ago./AFP

At Cafe Noor in Karachi where qawwals have gathered for decades, musicians said business has been falling for years, with fewer shrines willing to host performances.

Sectarian militants have targeted Sufis, a mystical sect of Islam, for years – with the Taleban and increasingly the Islamic State sending suicide bombers to attack shrines over what they see as heretical displays of faith.

Just months after Sabri was killed, IS claimed back-to-back attacks on shrines in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh that killed more than 100 people combined.

Earlier this month, the military approved death sentences for two militants linked to Sabri’s killing.

But questions linger over who ordered the murder – the Pakistani Taleban, or another group – forcing his brother to spend months guarded by elite paramilitary rangers.

Such fears, meanwhile, are not the only factors triggering qawwali’s decline.

Inflationary pressures have also kept the qawwals’ working-class fanbase from hosting shows. Increasingly only the middle class or elite can afford to pay a qawwali group to perform at parties or weddings.

“In the good old times, even a poor man… would manage to organise qawwali,” explains singer Hashim Ali, saying he is now lucky to play four or five shows during religious periods compared to dozens in the past.

Asghari Begum, wife of late renowned qawwali singer Ghulam Farid Sabri./AFP

The rise of more globalised interpretations of Islam has similarly chipped away at qawwali’s popularity, as Muslims in Pakistan increasingly depart from the subcontinent’s syncretic religious traditions and look to the Middle East for guidance.

“People access qawwali music as a part of their faith,” says Ahmer Naqvi, chief operations officer for Pakistani music app Patari.

“A lot of the younger population is abandoning the ways that the older generations worshipped.”

Increasing conservatism has also hit the genre.

Even before Karachi’s Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar shrine – famed for hosting performances – was attacked by the Taleban in 2010, organisers had imposed restrictions on shows for years as part of a campaign against qawwali’s hashish-smoking fans.

The pressure has compelled more qawwals to try their hand at fusion, or even branch into more financially viable genres such as pop. Only a minority have embraced social media to promote themselves, journalist Raj says.

But they face an uphill battle.

“The youth… they don’t know what exactly qawwali is,” laments fan Muhammad Saeed, 24, citing the popularity of contemporary music at home and from abroad, during a private show in Islamabad.

After 16 years playing by his brother’s side, Talha Sabri says he has struggled to find his place on stage until Amjad’s own sons are old enough to perform.

“We are under pressure,” he says, his long hair and neatly trimmed beard cutting a stark resemblance to his brother.

But even as he fears the possibility of extremists striking again, he refuses to be cowed.

“Regardless of these threats, we have to keep on,” he said.

For Sabri’s mother Asghari Begum however, the murder of her son marked a turning point for qawwali, ringing the death knell for its future.

Her family previously made it through the tumultuous 1980s, when political parties and gangs battled for turf, turning Karachi’s streets into killing fields.

But they were respected then, passing unscathed through the city’s numerous pickets.

Amjad’s death proved things have changed.

“He has gone now,” she said. “And the passion of qawwali has gone with him.”

No one’s done an official tally of the numbers yet, but there’s no denying that the “idol worship” trend is exploding in Thai pop music, rocketed along by the massive success of all-girl singing group BNK48.

They sold out both of their recent “Starto” concerts, are guaranteed packed houses for “handshake events” as well, and even opened their own “campus” – a training academy where you can major in cute poses as well as stage presence.

BNK48 are Thailand’s answer to Japan’s most popular idol group, AKB48. Each of their three albums – “Aitakatta” (“Yak Cha Dai Phop Ther”), “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” (“Khukki Siangthai”) and “Shonichi” (“Wan Raek”) – has three covers of the J-pop group’s hits translated into Thai.

“Fortune Cookie” was a huge hit for AKB48, and its Thai version has also caught fire, thanks mainly to the ear-grabbing “Aeb mong ther yoo na ja” (“I’m secretly watching you”), the video for which has passed 100 million views on YouTube.

The pop is catchy and the young ladies are as cute as can be, individually and onstage together. In concert and other public appearances, the designated key members take turns being the senbatsu – the “centre” of attention.

The centres for BNK48’s latest single “Shonichi” are Praewa “Music” Suthamphong, who had the same lead role on “Aitakatta” and “Oogoe Diamond” (“Kor Chob Hai Roo Wa Chob”), and Kanteera “Noey” Wadcharathadsanakul, who’s in the spotlight for the first time and certainly gets it right.

Noey, who just turned 21, says she was really excited to reach this point in her young career so fast – being named a senbatsu.

“I was thrilled when my name was announced right after Music’s! It was ringing in my ears and I was speechless.

“I’d initially thought the centre was reserved for the most outstanding member. But actually the centre is the representative for the single. We stand out front, so we’re already more in the public eye, but we still have to make it a really memorable performance.”

Music, who’s still only 17, didn’t understand the concept either at first. “I didn’t get why we had to have a centre – maybe because it always made me sad when I missed out.

“But being the centre is hard – you really have to do your best to convey the song. Everyone might be exhausted, but the centre has to keep driving the song so the fans can appreciate its mood and tone.”

Surely the centre is chosen depending on their qualifications or popularity.

“Yes, definitely – I’m pretty!” Noey laughs. “I think it depends more on whose character matches the song best. For this single, I think anyone could have been the centre, but there has to be someone special ‘in authority’, and everyone agrees with that.

“When Music was announced as the centre, it was because she really is the most appropriate choice for the song. She’s perfect with her voice and dancing and she’s developing her unique gifts all the time. She puts a lot of effort into it.”

Music explains that “Wan Raek”, the Thai title of “Shonichi”, means “first day”.

“It tells the story of how all the group members started out, so it could be for everyone, not just the two of us,” she says.

“I even asked why I was chosen to be this centre. The answer is because I’m myself. Other members who became centres are suitable for their songs, like ‘Khukki Siangthai’, which was perfect for Mobile [Pimrapat Phadungwatanachok] and her character.”

All 26 members of BNK48 go through the same rehearsals and each has a chance at the spotlight with a particularly striking performance. Noey points out that Milin “Namneung” Dokthian is especially popular with the fans thanks to her beauty and sense of humour. And Music says Noey is also naturally funny and has a unique personality. “I feel comfortable when I’m close to her.”

“Shonichi”, which came from the pen of singer-songwriter Prapop “Golf” Chomtaworn of pop band Superbaker, is presented in two versions on video.

BNK48 debuted the first, “The Stories”, which runs just under 12 and a half minutes, at their “Starto” concerts on March 31 and April 1. It’s about the members’ dedication, as described by Music and Noey and Thai national team footballers Pansa Hemviboon and Thitipan Puangchan.

In the second version, a third the length, a young boy who’s trying to play football joins the girls in telling the same story.

“I get teary every time I see the first version,” says Noey. “It focuses on the two of us, but the four-minute version focuses on someone else – a kid who’s crazy about football. It’s saying you should never give up on your dream.”

“When we achieve our goal,” adds Music, “it’s like a flower blossoming.”

Asked to compare BNK48 with AKB48, Music says she’s always followed the Japanese idol groups and thinks a key difference is the Thai group’s rules against having their picture taken with an individual fan and letting a fan touch them directly.

“Idol groups are still new in Thailand, so the rules are very sticky.

“But I think the aura surrounding the girls in AKB48 is stronger and more powerful than ours. It will be a long time before we reach that point, being real idols. The Japanese groups can send out inspiration to the fans all around the hall.”

Nevertheless, she does expect BNK48 to one day share the same stage with AKB48.

Noey says she saw an AKB48 show and watched their emotional facial expressions closely.

“Their dancing wasn’t that strong, but it was so beautiful, so charming. I agree that we can’t yet transfer our emotions all the way to the fans in the rear seats. At the rehearsals before our first concerts, the Japanese choreographer complained about our dancing. We were better by the time we went onstage, but it still wasn’t the best. We’d only performed at events on smaller stages than the one at Bitec, so we didn’t have the power to reach all the fans.”

In 2014, a man wielding a foldable saw seriously injured two members of AKB48 at a handshake meeting as 5,000 fans looked on in horror. The band’s management clamped down on security, but has tried to maintain the sense of intimacy at such events. BNK48 appearances routinely feature tight security, including metal detectors.

“That was so scary,” says Noey. “I don’t worry about it because our fans are so gentle, and I believe in our safety system.”

Music recalls with a shudder a fan’s attempt to kiss the hand of Vathusiri “Korn” Phuwapunyasiri at a BNK48 handshake event. No injury was intended, but circumstances might have been different – and it was strictly against the rules.

“We should all have self-confidence because we’re idols, but of course the security guards can’t necessarily help us in time if something happens, so we should take more care. If a fan slashed our hand, our idol career would be over.”

On the Web

Keep up to date with BNK48 at http://www.BNK48.com/#/home.

Watch “The Stories”, the first “Shonichi” video: http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=7lKDNvhvMiM.

Watch the official version of “Shonichi”: http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=IMx1ojx2fiE.

Conductor Delta David Gier leads the TPO in Bartok’s last completed work, “Concerto for Orchestra” and Thai saxophone soloist Supat Hanpatanachai will make his TPO debut with a performance of Henri Tomasi’s “Saxophone Concerto”. The programme also features the work “The Immortal” by prize-winning Chinese-American composer Zhou Long.

Tickets cost from Bt400 to Bt1,500 at Thai Ticket Major counters and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

Broadway tunes for charity

M Theatre on New Phetchaburi Road is the venue for the “Be Musical Charity Concert” taking place on May 5 at 7pm and on May 6 at 2pm. Sudapim Bodhipakti, Tanee Poonsuwan, Thepthana Palkavong Na Ayudhaya, Attapol Chaisiri, Jamaporn Saengthong, Kemawat Ruengtum, Plengpraphun Kingthong, and Dr Nalin Petchin will cover 20 famous songs from Broadway musicals “The King & I”, “Sunset Boulevard”, “Anything Goes”, “The Lion King”, and “Hamilton”.

Tickets cost from Bt800 (students) to Bt3,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

In his own direction

Harry Styles, who rose to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction, comes to Thailand for his solo concert at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani on May 7 at 8.30pm, as part of his “Live on Tour 2018”. The English singer, songwriter, and actor released his self-titled debut album in 2017, which debuted atop the UK and US charts.

Tickets cost from Bt2,040 to Bt5,040 at Thai Ticket Major.

Got7 has its eyes on you

South Korean boy band Got7 returns to Thailand next month, performing three back-to-back concerts at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani on May 11 at 8pm, May 12 at 6pm, and May 13 at 5pm, as a part of their “2018 World Tour Eyes on You”.

Tickets are priced from Bt1,900 to Bt5,900 and are selling out fast at Thai Ticket Major.

Gam makes her solo debut

Wichayanee Pearklin, known as Gam The Star, is making her first solo concert, “My First Time”, at Royal Paragon Hall, on the fifth floor of Siam Paragon on May 19 at 7pm and May 20 at 5pm. Gam will show off her talents for singing and dancing along with her special guests. Tickets are from Bt1,500 to Bt4,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

Retrospect certainly knows how to rev up the crowd. Not only did the quintet play their greatest rock concert ever last Saturday at Live Park on Rama IX Road, but they also had rock heads ramming into each other with the biggest “wall of death” ever seen in the country. Brutal yes, but a whole lot of fun for the thousands of fans who turned out for the show.

The five-hour concert, dubbed “Heart of the Panther” was designed as a chronology of this iconic rock band’s career, spanning 17 years from their formation in the underground scene to their signing with Genie Records, a music label under GMM Grammy. More than 40 numbers were featured from four albums: “Unleashed” in 2007, “Rise” in 2008, “The Lost Souls” in 2010 and “Pathfinder” in 2017.

Opening acts Overdose and Paper Planes wowed the crowd too and this reviewer was amazed to see how kid rockers Overdose from Banana Records won older fans’ hearts with a set that included “Pluk Jai Suea Pa”, “Nithan Lok Dek”, “Wicha Khwam Fun” and a cover of Retrospect’s “Proh Wa Rak”. So good were the youngsters that lead singer Toto motivated the fans to start a mosh pit. Paper Planes showed their talent too with some tight covers and their first song “Korn Sia Ther Pai”.

For the black-clad audience, the concert was a rare treat, with many of them also bidding on the paintings up for auction. Part of the proceeds from this and ticket sales will be given to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation to support their mission of protecting, conserving, and restoring all wildlife and plantlife within national parks and sanctuaries across the country.

Fans pushed their way to the front as the time neared for Retrospect to appear on the large stage, whose massive LED wall was more like an EDM festival than a rock concert.

A loud roar welcomed singer Chanattha “Nappa” aka “Napp” Saisila, bassist Nopawach “Bom” Gajajiva, guitarist Tanapol “Not” Srikanjana, drummer Suttipan “Birth” Sangyut, and keyboard/synth player Sarunkhate “Run” Charoensan as they came out on stage, performing six early songs including singalong track, “Proh Wa Rak”, “Khae Nee Mai Tai” and “Prung Nee Mai Samkan” before handing over to Run and DJ Botcash for some EDM. Screams were loud, when Arnon “Poo” Saisangchan, the front man of rock legends Blackhead, came out and jammed with Napp on “Hai Loke Roo” before playing his hit “Chan Yoo Trong Nee” to the delight of the singalong crowd.

Before playing “Sud Thi Rak”, Napp told the audience that whenever the band played the number at an overseas gig, fans would start moshing and he’d like to see the same here. His wish was the audience’s command and the slam dancing continued until Maiyarap, Blacksheep, Liberate and Thudong came on stage to rap on the much-reported killing of a panther in a protected forest reserve. Tanapol played solo guitar on “Rise of the Moon” before other members joined in on “Huajai Suea Dam”, a new song written for the slain panther and performed with a chorus from Thammasat University.

Peerapat “Be” Tenwong was the next guest to appear on stage and he jammed on vocals with Napp on “Ngao Ying Kwa Ngao” before performing his “Pood Trong Trong”. Drummer Suttipan was the next to play a solo, which brought out Sayam “Ton” Chumthong, the founder of progressive death metal band Dezember, who played the guitar lead on Retrospect’s “Loke”.

Retrospect performed a set from their latest album, “Pathfinder” featuring tracks such as “Jeb Kwa Khue Chan”, “Jeb Puad Thi Suay Ngarm”, “Sangwien Cheewit”, “Hak Lang” and “Lom Haijai Sudthai” before the singer commanded fans to split into two and wait for his signal.

The band moseyed along with “Jeb Kwa Khue Chan”, for a while then Napp issued the order for the two sides to run into the human wall. He also ordered them to run around in a circle for a circle pit and later to jump along with the song. It was an electrifying scene, and sadly one that is all too rare these days. And even though some fans were slightly injured during the huge wall of death, they were all smiles.

Returning for an encore, Retrospect decided to send up the mosh, gearing fans up to smash into each other then switching track by playing Tata Young’s pop dance song “Rub Kuan Ma Rak Kan”.

Izuta Rina – one of three members of the Japanese all-girl supergroup AKB48 who’ve been “transferred” to Thailand’s version of pop idols, BNK48 – doesn’t care for somtam.

The shock of hearing a visitor from overseas say they don’t like somtam is softened, though, when she explains that she doesn’t like papaya, so instead she has somtam khao pod – corn salad.

While other idols from AKB48 are shared out with sister groups elsewhere – such as JKT48 in Jakarta and TPE48 in Taipei – Rina is learning all there is to know about Thainess.

The 23-year-old has been here twice before, for AKB48 concerts.

“Being an idol isn’t a career,” she advises the young women of BNK48. “It’s more of a passion, a dream we’re pursuing. An idol is all about being a character, whereas a girl group focuses on performance and good looks.”

She’s loving her time with BNK48. “Thai fans are louder than Japanese fans!”

Rina is learning the language and wants to take a course. Meanwhile Sawitchaya “Satchan” Kajonrungsilp and Cherprang Areekul from BNK48, who both speak Japanese, are coaching her.

Rina was born in Tokyo’s Saitama district and isn’t concerned that her education ended after high school. Going on to university would be pointless, she says, because she’s already who she wants to be, and her parents are okay with that. She’d like to emulate Watanabe Mayu, a former member of AKB48 who went on to become a solo singer and actress.

Rina auditioned to join the idol group and was made a member of Team B in 2010, then transferred to Team A two years later.

“I think I was qualified enough to be a member of AKB48,” she says. “To be an idol, in addition to singing and dancing talent, you have to be committed and never give up. Everyone develops their uniqueness through their performances. My outstanding characteristic is always having a smile in my heart and a sincere expression.”

It comes as a surprise to hear the girls in AKB48 all taught themselves to sing and dance, unlike the rigidly trained ladies of BNK48.

Asked how many fans she personally has, Rina says she doesn’t know “because AKB48 members don’t have their own fan pages like BNK48 has”.

Who’s her favourite in the group?

“Of all the members, Watanabe Mayu always impressed me most, but from my age group it’s Nakanishi Chiyori, who has habits and a sense of humour similar to mine.”

Rina was chosen to command the spotlight as the “centre” on the song “Reborn”, a track on AKB48’s fourth album, “Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!”

“I really don’t know why I was selected to be the centre for the single, but I think it was because I’m always my natural self.

“It was very exciting being named a centre. The song is about fighting to return to life. As I sing it, I feel like I’m trying to persuade everyone to keep fighting for something better.

“I’m hoping to become one of the senbatsu [the group’s key members] and later I’d like to work on a TV variety show, so my fans always encourage me and say, ‘Fight, fight, Rina!’ Some have even given me omamori, which are amulets sold at shrines, to help me get there.”

Rina says age is an important factor for an idol and she doesn’t think it’s a job for anyone older than 25. She’s 23 now and looking ahead.

“I’d like to be an actress,” she says, but she gets a little shy when asked which actor she’d like to star with. “Yoshizawa Ryo,” she finally admits. “He starred as Okita Sougo, one of the Shinsengumi captains in the liveaction version of ‘Gintama’. He’s very handsome.”

The annual Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music turns 20 this year and for the organisers as well as the fans, that means a programme like no other.

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, two legends from the world of music – San Carlo Opera from Naples and multiawarded conductor  Zubin Mehta – are offering a veritable feast to festival-goer over four nights, two of them devoted to opera, and two to symphony concerts. These four performances will mark the grand opening of the five-week long festival, which is scheduled from September 12 to October 18 at the Thailand Cultural Centre.

The opera “Carmen” is first up, with performances on September 12 and 14 by the San Carlo Opera, accompanied by the San Carlo Orchestra conducted by Mehta. On September 13 and 15, the San Carlo Symphony Orchestra will take centre stage with symphony concerts, again conducted by maestro Mehta.

The city of Naples, famous for its cultural offerings would be bereft without its legendary Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest continuously active opera house in the world. This opera house has been staging masterpieces since 1737 even before Milan’s La Scala and Venice’s La Fenice theatres came into existence. Commissioned by the Bourbon King Charles III of Naples, the opera house became the lynchpin for the development of classical music and opera not only in Italy, but all over Europe.

Leading composers Johann Adolph Hasse, Joseph Haydn, Johann Christian Bach and Christoph Willibald Gluck, Vincenzo Bellini, Saverio Mercadante, Gaetano Donizetti (who composed 16 operas for San Carlo) considered a performance at the historically important San Carlo as a goal of their career. Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, was house composer and artistic director from 1815 to 1822. Not surprisingly the San Carlo Opera company has enjoyed great success all over the world and is famous for its critically acclaimed productions and singers. In the 21st century, the opera continues to be a fine ambassador and keeper both of Italian culture and Neapolitan tradition.

“Carmen”, a passionate rendering of Georges Bizet’s muchloved classic, will be in four acts with one intermission and will star some of the top singers in the opera world. Both performances of the opera will be accompanied by a full orchestra, of which Mehta has been honorary director since 2016.

The maestro is one of the world’s most highly regarded conductors. His musical journey has seen him head some of the world’s leading orchestras including Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra to name a few.

The San Carlo Orchestra itself has a grand history closely linked to that of the San Carlo Opera House, which opened in 1737 with “Achilles in Skyros” by Domenico Sarro. Ever since, the orchestra has been the recipient of works composed by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Bach and Verdi. The Neapolitan composer Giuseppe Martucci also had a constant and formative presence. In the decades following World War II, San Carlo interacted with several famous conductors, among them Gui, Serafin, Santini, Gavazzeni, Bohm, Fricsay, Scherchen, Cluytens, Knappertsbusch and Mitropoulos, including, in 1958, Igor Stravinsky. Great soloists through the centuries have also played with the Orchestra. The ’60s saw two emerging young directors on the podium: Claudio Abbado, who made his debut in 1963, and Riccardo Muti in 1967. Several more collaborations followed.

On September 13, the orchestra will play Beethoven (“Leonore Overture No.3; Symphony No. 9 with chorus and  singers), and on September 15, Tchaikovsky (“Symphony No 4”; “Symphony No 6”).

This tribute has been made possible with support from Crown Property Bureau, Bangkok Bank (PCL), Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (PCL), BMW Thailand, B.Grimm Group, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Indorama Ventures, Ministry of Culture, Nation Group, PTT (PCL), Singha Corporation, Thai Union Group, Thai Airways International and Tourism Authority of Thailand.

4 Nights of Music

– Tickets for “Carmen” opera (September 12 and 14), and the Symphony concert (September 13 and 15) cost from Bt2,000 to Bt 10,000. They are available at Thai Ticket Major counters, online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and by calling (02) 262 3191.

– The venue is at the main hall of Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok.

– Learn more at http://www.BangkokFestivals.com.