Oooh, i feel like the variety show was also a big thing in HK in 1990s/2000s too and I feel like it’s all but faded out in the cultures I’m dimly aware of except in Korea/Japan?
On that K-pop vein, when you mentioned that a lot of bands are formed around the Ateneo de Manila University, it made me think of Hongik University, a place in Seoul where a lot of indie bands were formed and still congregate as a place for live music today. Must have been an electric (pun intended) place to go to uni!!
But Korean and Japanese variety shows are different, too! The Filipino one has a narrower definition, I'd say—you either have the performance-heavy ones on Sundays, or the game-and-prize-heavy ones (that rely more on comic banter) on weekdays.
If anything, Eat Bulaga! managed to bring this concept to Indonesian television not once, but twice, so I suppose there is some crossover appeal, too.
Also, I have been to the Hongik University area (see instagram.com/p/C5zuPYdMqdk for proof... on the sadder side) and I'd compare it to the younger side of Causeway Bay, but hipper and a bit cheaper. I'm not sure about the live music comparisons though, for either Hong Kong or Seoul!
Finally, I'd say a good number of Filipino bands came from the Quezon City area—Ateneo as well as the neighboring (and much bigger) University of the Philippines. But mostly I'm just sad my alma mater doesn't have as many bands, even if we're just as prominent...
haha i see the comparison! i would say Hongik’s more indie/hipster tho (maybe like soho, the area above central) and Myeongdong is more like CWB.
maybe i’m just not super aware (would love someone to prove me wrong!) but don’t think the live music scene is that big in HK :( what about in the Philippines?
Filipinos love music in general, although what's popular comes in waves (and there will always be gatekeepers intent on keeping hipster stuff, well, hipster). Luckily for me, right now Filipino music isn't being pushed out by foreign ones.
Currently we're all generally into "P-pop"—groups like SB19 and Bini (who incidentally released a new song last night!) are really popular, and cutting through initial criticisms of being K-pop rip-offs. But we love our bands too—I previously wrote about Lola Amour, and I should of course mention Ben&Ben and SunKissed Lola. (The Itchyworms peaked at the last alternative revolution twenty years ago or so, but still do really good music.)
And honestly, me having difficulty finding Hong Kong acts I want to write about has been a struggle! (Unless I learn Cantonese and appreciate Cantopop more?) That said, I think I have a Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter on next month's playlist... I think.
Oooh, i feel like the variety show was also a big thing in HK in 1990s/2000s too and I feel like it’s all but faded out in the cultures I’m dimly aware of except in Korea/Japan?
On that K-pop vein, when you mentioned that a lot of bands are formed around the Ateneo de Manila University, it made me think of Hongik University, a place in Seoul where a lot of indie bands were formed and still congregate as a place for live music today. Must have been an electric (pun intended) place to go to uni!!
But Korean and Japanese variety shows are different, too! The Filipino one has a narrower definition, I'd say—you either have the performance-heavy ones on Sundays, or the game-and-prize-heavy ones (that rely more on comic banter) on weekdays.
If anything, Eat Bulaga! managed to bring this concept to Indonesian television not once, but twice, so I suppose there is some crossover appeal, too.
Also, I have been to the Hongik University area (see instagram.com/p/C5zuPYdMqdk for proof... on the sadder side) and I'd compare it to the younger side of Causeway Bay, but hipper and a bit cheaper. I'm not sure about the live music comparisons though, for either Hong Kong or Seoul!
Finally, I'd say a good number of Filipino bands came from the Quezon City area—Ateneo as well as the neighboring (and much bigger) University of the Philippines. But mostly I'm just sad my alma mater doesn't have as many bands, even if we're just as prominent...
haha i see the comparison! i would say Hongik’s more indie/hipster tho (maybe like soho, the area above central) and Myeongdong is more like CWB.
maybe i’m just not super aware (would love someone to prove me wrong!) but don’t think the live music scene is that big in HK :( what about in the Philippines?
Filipinos love music in general, although what's popular comes in waves (and there will always be gatekeepers intent on keeping hipster stuff, well, hipster). Luckily for me, right now Filipino music isn't being pushed out by foreign ones.
Currently we're all generally into "P-pop"—groups like SB19 and Bini (who incidentally released a new song last night!) are really popular, and cutting through initial criticisms of being K-pop rip-offs. But we love our bands too—I previously wrote about Lola Amour, and I should of course mention Ben&Ben and SunKissed Lola. (The Itchyworms peaked at the last alternative revolution twenty years ago or so, but still do really good music.)
And honestly, me having difficulty finding Hong Kong acts I want to write about has been a struggle! (Unless I learn Cantonese and appreciate Cantopop more?) That said, I think I have a Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter on next month's playlist... I think.
waiting for your food playlist that i remember we talked about before someday…
will look forward to that as well as which cantopop singer you feature!