A long-time resident of Thailand, British jazz musician Stuart Hawkins pays a personal tribute to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej with the release today of his recording of “Love at Sundown”. Produced and arranged by Hawkins, the charity single features some of Thailand’s top contemporary jazz instrumentalists.

Composed in 1946, “Love at Sundown” was the first song in King Bhumibol’s prolific musical repertoire to be released to the public and was an instant hit. This uplifting new rendition brings a foot-tapping New Orleans feel to the song and features Hawkins on trumpet and flugel-horn, Passakorn Moralsilpin on saxophone, Kom Wongsawat on piano, Titiwat Treepob on bass and Pong Nakornchai on drums.

For this special project, Hawkins teamed up with Universal Music Thailand, which is distributing the single in Thailand and worldwide across a variety of digital platforms.

From today, the single is available for download on iTunes and streaming on Apple Music, Deezer, Joox Music, Spotify, Tidal and True Music. Ring back tone downloads are also available on AIS, Dtac and True Move.

Hawkins will be donating proceeds to The Water Foundation of Thailand (Utokapat Foundation) under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the late King. The foundation was set up in 2011 with initial endowment capital from the late monarch on the occasion of his 84th birthday anniversary. The foundation’s vision and approach follows the late King’s initiatives on community water resource management in order to improve drought and flood resilience and strengthen livelihoods and economic development.

“It’s been a privilege to live in Thailand for more than a decade and I join the Thai people in remembering and paying tribute to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej,” Hawkins says.

“Through this project and with this great band I wanted to celebrate and pay tribute to the extraordinary legacy of Thailand’s beloved ‘Jazz King’ and ‘Development King’. I would like to invite people here in Thailand and around the world to download this charity single and I hope they enjoy this rendition of ‘Love at Sundown’.”

Born in Australia to British and Malaysian-Chinese parents, Hawkins grew up in Hong Kong and started to play the trumpet at the age of nine. As a teenager, he became passionate about jazz and blues music, soaking up recordings of artists such as Duke Ellington and Freddie Hubbard and playing in a number of jazz and blues bands. After high school, he moved to England, where he studied Modern History at Oxford University. He was a soloist with the Oxford University Jazz Orchestra and also played in smaller groups alongside some of the top young jazz musicians in England.

Now in Thailand for 11 years, he has played at venues across Thailand and Asia and performed with many leading Thai artists including Koh Mr Saxman and Neung Jakkawal, the acclaimed pianist, composer and producer.

– All proceeds are going to The Water Foundation of Thailand under Royal Patronage.

– Download “Love at Sundown” at https://UmusicTH.lnk.to/ak8Xi

– Find out more at Facebook.com/stuarthawkinsmusic and http://www.Utokapat.org.

French-born, Berlin-based vinyl DJ, producer, and label owner of Dame-Music, which was founded in 2010, Bloody Mary performs tonight at Beam, Thonglor’s underground electronic dance music hotspot, from 9 until 2. No stranger to the world of house and techno, she’s been travelling the world as a renowned international DJ for more than a decade. She will be supported by NT66. Entry is Bt500 including one drink. Book a table at (02) 392 7750.

Bronx throws a party

Palitchoke “Peck” Ayanaputra is the VIP guest tomorrow night at the grand opening party of Bronx, a brandnew hangout on Srinakarin Road. The 34-year-old charismatic pop singer, who is best-known from the show “The Mask Singer”, will perform his well-known hits. Entry is free and the party runs from 7 until late. Join the conversation at Line account “brnx” or call (065) 021 8079.

Singto goes for Goldy

Singto Numchok brings smiles to the faces of his fans tonight at Goldy at Thonglor’s Arena 10, a brandnew live music venue that’s replaced Funky Villa, with a set likely to include his best-loved hits. Book a table by calling (085) 253 2000.

Party on the Block

More than 50 artists including local talent and such international headliners as Autograf, Cherub, The Cozy Boys and Paper Diamond perform on four stages at The Block Party Bangkok taking place today at A Square on Sukhumvit Soi 26. Running from noon through midnight, the outdoor party will showcase art, music, lifestyle, food, and craftsmanship, and there will be a multitude of collaborations, activities and workshops. Tickets are Bt900 at the door. Find out more at the official Facebook page or call (098) 253 9356.

Nice night out

Dubstep DJ Joe Nice spins tonight at Tha Beatlounge on Rama IX Road from 9pm until late. Nice, who received the most votes in both the “Best DJ” and “Best Radio Show” categories at the 2015 edition of the dubstepforum.com awards, will be supported by DJ Dragon, Budball, Living Stone, and ZatKid. Tickets cost Bt200. Call (089) 886 5665.

In 2012, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” took the world by storm, shattering YouTube records left and right while mesmerising those around the world with its catchy beats and “horse-riding” dance moves.

Psy’s success, however, failed to spill over to spark interest in other K-pop groups, as the song’s popularity centered mostly on the hilarious music video and comic dance moves. It earned the artist’s followup song “Gentleman” a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and over a billion views on YouTube, but that was it. The Psy sensation was no more – a one-hit wonder, at least on the international stage.

Five years later, another Korea-born sensation has risen to the top, this time in the form of boy band BTS. The group has had a formidable 2017, winning the top social artist award at Billboard Music Awards, and becoming the first K-pop group to perform at American Music Awards, with its song “Mic Drop” cracking the Billboard Hot 100.

But will it last?

Pundits attribute much of BTS’ success to its performances. The complicated, high-energy choreography is something rarely seen in today’s pop music.

“There are a lot of groups with quality dance skills, but BTS’ moves are truly powerful. You can feel the passion in their performances, coupled with natural talent,” says culture critic Lim Jinmo.

K-pop idols are known to go through years of hard training. In the book “Being a Girl Group in Korea”, journalist Lee Hakjun shows that idol singers are trained so that even when they are woken up in the middle of a night and told to dance, they are expected to do it flawlessly.

Whether such harsh training is ideal is up for debate, but the effect cannot be doubted. The sight of seven men dancing in perfect harmony with machine-like precision is truly a sight to behold.

In addition to the dances, BTS is known to deliver thought-provoking messages with which youngsters around the world can empathise.

“Korea and US, we have our different languages but we all share similar thoughts. … We may talk in different tongues, but we’re thankful that you (the fans) identify themselves with us,” member Suga said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in November.

Kim Yohan, a student at Kyung Hee University’s department of performing arts, wrote in his paper that BTS’ popularity with young fans comes from its songwriting that represents the struggling youth.

“Even before its debut, BTS ran a blog to upload their freestyle rap, songs, mix tapes and work logs to establish their own musical world. BTS then released three albums with the concept of ‘Story of teens by teens.’… BTS wrote their own stories into their albums, which young fans were able to follow,” he wrote in his paper “Competence of idol groups based on their songwriting abilities”.

But the biggest factor of all perhaps, is how BTS used social media. From very early on in their careers, each member of the BTS sought to communicate and establish a wholesome and familiar image for the fans.

BTS’ active use of social media allowed it to become an online powerhouse. The loyal fan base, known as ARMY, played a great part in the process as well, promoting the band throughout the internet both locally and internationally.

Culture critic Kwon Sanghee says the online communication with the fans played a huge part in building such a solid fan base.

“Through SNS, [ARMY] fans reached beyond borders to expand the fan base. They were not only consumers, but producers of BTS as well,” she wrote.

“There was also the underlying efforts put in by BTS. Their method of sharing each and every detail of their personal lives – from their meals, practice sessions to backstage clips)– ‘disarms’ the fans with intimacy, instead of approaching them as ‘idols’.”

BTS’ success looks a lot like Psy’s, in that it is heavily based on Billboard and happened within a very short span of time. But evidence suggests that the group will outlast its novelty factor.

While “Gangnam Style” was wildly popular, not many of the millions of followers worldwide were transformed to Psy fans. The K-pop artist was looked upon as the funny guy doing funny moves in a funny music video, and was often eclipsed by the popularity of his own song.

BTS, however, has managed to build a sizeable fan base in the Western world as well as back home in Korea. The popularity of “Mic Drop,” which peaked at No 28 in the Billboard Hot 100 in November, attest to that. It was released after BTS had already been invited to perform in the AMA and BBMA.

The song – which remains the most popular BTS song in the West to date – did not fuel BTS’ popularity; it was the other way around.

Experts say that BTS’ popularity is likely to have a carryover effect on other K-pop groups as well. This is because unlike Psy, who was an oddity in the K-pop scene, BTS is a “typical” K-pop group, armed with fancy looks, flashy choreography and fluent attitude.

“Psy’s popularity really depended on the funny, cheesy kind of feeling the fans got,” says critic Lim. “BTS is not like that. It takes its music seriously, represents a generation. Not only that, it is very typical of a K-pop group; an idol dance group.

“In a way, BTS represents what K-pop is really like. When people look at BTS, they get a pretty good idea of what K-pop is like. … I think the success of BTS can at least have some positive impact on other K-pop groups. K-pop, along with BTS, now has a chance to rise to the top.”

Born Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, Zyrus performed under the mononym Charice until his gender transition to male in 2013. As Charice, she was a YouTube favourite and saw her fame soar when she appeared on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the “Oprah Winfrey Show”. She also sang at Barack Obama’s pre-US presidential inauguration gala and post-Oscars parties.

Her international self-titled studio album was released in 2010 and landed her a role in the hit US television series “Glee” playing Sunshine Corazon, an exchange student from the Philippines, who becomes a serious rival to the lead character Rachel Berry (played by Lea Michele).

The show starts at 8pm. Tickets are available at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor for Bt1,200.

Nakadia – the first lady of house and techno music in Thailand – spins her favourite beats tonight in an “Alnight Long” sets at Violett Bangkok on Thonglor Soi 10, This new cutting-edge venue says it’s dedicated to serving customers with a wide range of non-mainstream electronic music. The fun starts at 9 and continues until late. Entry is Bt300. Find out more by calling (095) 393 8858.

Three years on the Lam

Studio Lam on Sukhumvit Soi 51 is celebrating the third anniversary of “Nite Ride”, the monthly music event devoted to modern funk, boogie, disco, and electro funk, tonight from 9 will a party featuring the Nite Ride Residents Boogie G, Dangdut Banget and Lows, and special guest Graz of Savage in Hanoi. Tickets cost Bt200 and Bt100 before 11pm. Make a date at (02) 261 6661.

Safe goes wild for techno

The GET.A.ROOM party series returns to Safe Room at Whiteline Silom Soi 8 for another night of disco, house and techno music tonight starting at 10, Manning the decks will be Layered Love of Parallel Berlin and Jaydubb of Disco Robot). Admission is free. Check it out by calling (087) 061 1117.

Maltese marvel

Malta’s electronic dance music pioneer DJ Ruby, a resident spinner at the prestigious Café Del Mar, is in town to play the very best in progressive house tomorrow night from 10 at Insanity Nightclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11. Tickets are Bt400 for guys and Bt300 for girls both including one drink. For more information and VIP table reservations call (087) 804 9542.

It’s a Blast

Blast is organising the first in its monthly pool party series at Double-Tree by Hilton Sukhumvit, on Sukhumvit Soi 26, tomorrow from 2 to 8pm. Chill to house music from Bassel Darwish, No Requests and Adiero + Nukier while downing as crafty cocktails and BBQ food. Tickets are Bt400 including one drink and ladies get in free from to 3pm. There’ also free Sangria from the open bar between 3 and 4pm. Email reservations@blastsessions.com.

American R&B singer-songwriter, arranger, producer and musician McKnight excels on piano, guitar, bass, percussion, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet. He’s won an American Music Award, Billboard and Soul Train awards and an NAACP Image Award.

Joey Alexander, the 13-year-old prodigy pianist and the first Indonesian to chart on the Billboard 200 (with his album “My Favourite Things” in 2015), will be there too.

The remarkably diverse roster also includes Singaporean pianist Jeremy Monteiro and his countryman Alemay Fernandez, Australian singer Susan de Jong, American gospel and R&B specialist Richard Jackson, and Japanese trumpeter Aya Takazawa.

Saxophonist Koh Mr Saxman (Pui Duangporn) heads a Thai contingent that also includes the Sound of Siam and Sarayout Supunyo and Tewan Subsanyakorn’s fusion jazz band Infinity.

The festival takes place in beautiful surroundings and will also offer skills workshops led by Susan De Jong and other professionals.

Passes cost Bt2,500 at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

“Liam is an idol among the new generation and 75 per cent of ticket buyers are aged between 18-30 years old,” says Smitthi Bhiraleus, founder, chief executive and managing director of concert organiser Very Inc, which has joined up for the show with sponsors Numero Group.

“Twelve years have passed since Oasis’s last concert in Thailand and I know that fans are very much looking forward to seeing Liam on stage. Last year, he was awarded Best Live Act 2017 by Q Magazine. We confirm that our light and sound production is more than adequate for this stop on his global tour,” he adds.

“It is our great honour to join together with The Very Company, the promoter for ‘Liam Gallagher Live in Bangkok’ for this, the first event of 2018. We have a lot of surprises in store for 2018 including meet and greet with world-famous artists and other concerts,” says Ploykarn Potipimpanon of Numero Group.

Fans can expect Liam to perform new singles from his solo debut studio album, “As You Were” released in 2017. He worked with producers Greg Kurstin, Andrew Wyatt and Dan Grech-Marguerat on the album, with Kurstin producing the tracks “Wall of Glass”, “Paper Crown”, “Come Back to Me”, and “Doesn’t Have to Be That Way”, Wyatt producing “Chinatown”, and Grech-Marguerat producing the remaining tracks.

“This year, we are planning five more shows – all of them by critically acclaimed international acts,” says Smitthi, adding that these include American indie pop band Foster the People. They’ll be playing at Moonstar Studio on Lad Phrao Soi 80, on January 28. Look for tickets at http://www.ticketmelon.com/event/fosterthepeople.

You can follow other movement on Very TV and Very Radio at http://www.VeryRadio.com.

Tickets for Friday’s show are Bt6,000 for Super VIP Lounge, Bt4,600 for VIP and Bt3,600 available at TicketMelon.com/event/LiamGallagher.

Thomas, a flautist and vocalist, died suddenly at home in Surrey, England, on Thursday, according to a statement released by Cherry Red Records and Esoteric Recordings.

“We are deeply shocked by his passing and will miss his warmth, humour and kindness,” the label said.

“It was a privilege to have known and worked with him and our thoughts are with his family and his wife Lee at this sad time.”

Thomas revealed on his website in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer the previous year.

“My cancer was in-operable but I have a fantastic doctor who immediately started me on a new treatment that has had [a] 90 percent success rate,” he wrote.

“The cancer is being held in remission but I’ll be receiving this treatment for the rest of my life.”

Thomas rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s after founding The Moody Blues with bandmates Mike Pinder, Denny Laine, Graeme Edge and Clint Warwick.

The band — whose hits included Go Now, Nights In White Satin and Question — have been chosen to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Thomas, who started out in blues and soul music groups, also enjoyed some solo success with the albums From Mighty Oaks and Hopes Wishes And Dreams.

Gall, who became a star in 1965 when she won the Eurovision song contest as a strikingly blonde and slightly awkward teenager, had been battling cancer for two years and died in a hospital west of Paris.

With her blonde bob and eyeliner she became a icon at home of the swinging sixties, while internationally she was the little-known inspiration behind the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way”.

Sinatra’s hit was an English adaptation of the 1968 song “Comme d’Habitude” which was written by French glam-rocker Francois about his break-up with the Parisian singer.

During the early part of her career in the 1960s and 70s she formed partnerships with some of the most famed French musicians of the era, notably Gainsbourg, but also Claude Francois and Michel Berger.

Tributes poured in Sunday for Gall, originally named Isabelle and born to a successful musician father, while radio and television channels aired special commemoration shows.

“France Gall has travelled through the ages thanks to her sincerity and generosity,” said President Emmanuel Macron in a statement. “She leaves behind songs known by every French person and the example of a life that was oriented towards others, those that she loved and those that she helped.”

British actress and singer Jane Birkin, whose collaborations with Gainsbourg also propelled her to 1960s stardom, said Gall was “surprising, candid, mysterious… it’s sad, really sad.”

French star Mireille Mathieu, who worked with Gall early in her career, said “her songs are part of our life”.

Singers Charles Aznavour, Mireille Mathieu, and Patrick Bruel also paid tribute.

Humiliated

After Gall’s first breakthrough at Eurovision with “Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son”, (Wax Doll, Rag Doll), Gainsbourg wrote her 1966 follow-up, the scandalous “Les Sucettes” (The Lollipops) which she sang with childish innocence.

As an 18-year-old, Gall said she hadn’t understood that the lyrics could be interpreted as referring to oral sex and later said she would never have performed the song if she’d known.

“I was humiliated,” she said.

After ending her collaboration with Gainsbourg, she began a hugely successful partnership with Michel Berger in 1974 and would go on to marry the songwriter two years later in a relationship that would be marked by tragedy.

He died of a heart attack aged 44 in 1992 and the eldest of their two children, daughter Pauline, who was born with cystic fibrosis, passed away five years later.

Gall disappeared from the public eye after Pauline’s death in 1997, only to reappear in 2015 for a musical stage show featuring her numerous hits with her late husband.

These include the 1981 classic “Resiste” and the 1987 tribute to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald “Ella, Elle l’a”.

“France Gall did not belong to one generation: she was able to address all of them,” Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen said on Sunday. “She had to deal with personal difficulties while giving everything to her music.”

Tearful fans spoke warmly about the life Gall had led, with some travelling to the hospital where she died, including 52 year old Nora, who came with a red rose “to be close to her”.

‘She’s a sister to us’

In Senegal, where Gall had conducted humanitarian work with Berger, and where she owned a house on an island near the capital Dakar, locals also celebrated her life.

“She was extraordinarily generous and very discreet,” said Abdoulaye Diallo, an artist who runs a gallery near her home.

The Senegalese news website “Dakaractu” said Gall was “the most Senegalese” of French people, while singer Youssou N’Dour told Le Parisien newspaper: “She’s a sister for us, we must salute her memory.”

Gall’s death comes just a month after the demise of French rocker Johnny Hallyday who was known as the “French Elvis” over a career which spanned 1960s rock ‘n’ roll to the present day.

Hallyday died near Paris on December 6 aged 74 and a commemoration event in the capital was attended by hundreds of thousands of people and watched live on television by at least 12 million people.

Gall was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 but made a recovery. She was admitted to hospital in mid-December for a severe infection, her spokeswoman Genevieve Salama told AFP.

The scene kicks off on January 10 with down-tempo, hip-hop and hard beats by Promnite, the New York native, who started his career as a DJ and producer in LA. He has worked with several famous artists such as Mr Carmack, Djemba, Penthouse, Danny Seth and Falcons along with Katy Perry. Entry fee is Bt300 plus one drink.

On January 13, Beam welcomes back Bloody Mary, a French-born, Berlin-based DJ, producer, and label owner of Dame-Music to Main Room for a second round. She is no stranger to the world of house and techno, having travelled the world as a renowned international DJ for more than a decade, rocking festivals and clubs as both a vinyl DJ and analog live act. She has also graced the decks of world-renowned clubs like Fabric London, Space Ibiza, Panorama Bar Berlin, Smart Bar Chicago, and many more. Tickets are Bt500 with one drink.

On January 19, a double headliner of Yeti Out and Shinedoe will take the stage in Dalmation room, inviting clubbers to dance the night away with cutting edge hip-hop and bass. The Main Room meanwhile is devoted to Shinedoe, the Amsterdam-based House and Techno DJ who began her journey as a DJ at the age of 19.

Shinedoe has drawn inspiration from originators like Jeff Mills, Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson and Orlando Voorn. With her deep connection to the sounds of Detroit, Chicago and the often unsung Amsterdam scene, her DJ sets blend these influences with a warmth and style that few can hope to emulate – her mixes take dancers on a sensual, explorative trip to the beyond. Entry fee is Bt500 with one drink.

On January 20, Stanton Warriors, an English DJ and production duo consisting of Dominic Butler and Mark Yardley will come to rule the Main Room. Since bursting onto the scene with their multi-award-winning compilation “The Stanton Sessions” back in 2001, the duo has remained the soundtrack to some of the world’s biggest and best parties from East London warehouses, Miami boat parties and illegal Detroit raves, to the stages of Coachella, Glastonbury, Burning Man and Ultra, selling out global tours and topping DJ lists along the way.

On January 27, it’s the turn of Jacques Greene, the enigmatic, young artist who broke out of a generation of independent electronic labels Uno, 3024, Night Slugs and LuckyMe as a genre-defining producer and DJ via 2011’s ’Another Girl’ – one of Pitchfork’s Songs of the Decade, 2013 favourite “On Your Side” featuring How To Dress Well and 2016’s club anthem “You Can’t Deny”.

Greene crafted a musical blueprint that inspired a generation who were raised at the intersection of contemporary music in the 90s – hip hop, RnB, house and techno. Entry fee is Bt500.

Find out more details by calling (02) 392 7750 or visit http://www.BeamClub.com.