Korean pop stars take on London.
- 12 years ago
They might not be big in the UK or the U.S. yet -- but watch this space, as boy band Beast are one of a number of Korean acts trying to crack the western pop music scene.
And by the looks of things they're not doing badly.
Hundreds of screaming fans gathered at London's Brixton Academy on Monday night for a concert dubbed -- The Invasion of K-Pop
That's Korean Pop, by the way!
Glamourous girl group 4 Minute were amongst the stars who took to the stage, keen to show they're on a par their western counter parts.
Certainly this man -- Simon Hong -- thinks they are. Leading the campaign to get Korean pop into the mainstream in Britain, the head of record label Cube Entertainment is enthusiatic about his acts:
SOUNDBITE: Simon Hong, Cube Entertainment Head, saying (Korean, with English translation):
"The quality of music the K-pop artists can produce is the same level as all the great bands all over the world. it could be a risk it's one that's worthwhile taking. I am happy to be here and to be the first one to begin this whole K-pop phenomena."
With a lot of the songs on Korean - the language barrier is seen as the toughest challenge for K-pop's success in English speaking counntries.
But as well as this gig in London, there have been similar events outside Asia, including one in the States, showing the determination of K-pop acts and management to conquer the west and beyond.
Sarah Mills, Reuters
And by the looks of things they're not doing badly.
Hundreds of screaming fans gathered at London's Brixton Academy on Monday night for a concert dubbed -- The Invasion of K-Pop
That's Korean Pop, by the way!
Glamourous girl group 4 Minute were amongst the stars who took to the stage, keen to show they're on a par their western counter parts.
Certainly this man -- Simon Hong -- thinks they are. Leading the campaign to get Korean pop into the mainstream in Britain, the head of record label Cube Entertainment is enthusiatic about his acts:
SOUNDBITE: Simon Hong, Cube Entertainment Head, saying (Korean, with English translation):
"The quality of music the K-pop artists can produce is the same level as all the great bands all over the world. it could be a risk it's one that's worthwhile taking. I am happy to be here and to be the first one to begin this whole K-pop phenomena."
With a lot of the songs on Korean - the language barrier is seen as the toughest challenge for K-pop's success in English speaking counntries.
But as well as this gig in London, there have been similar events outside Asia, including one in the States, showing the determination of K-pop acts and management to conquer the west and beyond.
Sarah Mills, Reuters