Published : Oct. 30, 2012 - 19:12
From left: Duo Tasty, singer Baek Ah-yeon, Mu:Con co-chairs Hong Sang-pyo and Patti Kim, the head of Music for YouTube Korea & Japan John Hirai and the band Galaxy Express attend a press conference for the global music conference and showcase Mu:Con Seoul 2012 on Monday. (Yonhap News)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Asian music market will be presented at the 2012 global music conference and showcase Mu:Con, which will be held in Seoul from Thursday to Saturday.
Mu:Con is a gathering of key players in the world music industry who come together to discuss various topics on creative global cooperation and communication, including the planning, production and distribution of the Asian music market.
The three-day event, which is co-chaired by the legendary Korean pop singer Patti Kim, will showcase 81 domestic and international artists including K-pop idol groups B.A.P., Tasty, M.I.B., Baek Ah-yeon and many more.
The conference will also feature entertainment experts from around the world including guest speakers Harvey Mason Jr., William Derella, Rob Schwartz and John Hirai.
Mason is a six-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter who has produced songs for some of the biggest names in music including Britney Spears, Beyonce and the late Whitney Houston. He will give a keynote address on Thursday regarding how Asian music is making a breakthrough to the world.
Deralla, the manager of the world famous hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas and president of Das Communications Ltd, will give a presentation on Friday titled, “How Asian music collaborates with the world.”
Discussing the worldwide success of K-pop via the Internet will be Hirai, who is the head of music for YouTube Japan and Korea. He will discuss YouTube’s role in perpetuating the international viral sensation “Gangnam Style” and Psy to global superstardom.
“Korea as a nation is not only a leader in Asia, but also a leader in the world regarding using the Internet and also global capital like YouTube, to not only promote music, but all areas of entertainment,” said Hirai. “And as you all know, K-pop has truly become a global phenomenon.”
Hirai has chosen to use the Psy phenomena as a case study for how YouTube and music work better together.
“It’s fantastic. Everybody tried so hard to break someone from Asia. There are so many companies and artists who tried and it really never happened. And then you have a guy like Psy come out and it’s amazing,” he said.
Hirai commented on how many of his partners in Japan and other countries ask how K-pop has been able to grow and spread so successfully on a global scale.
“I truly believe that K-pop and YouTube come hand in hand,” he said. “I hope to see more artists to upload their content on YouTube and continue our success together for many years to come.”
The conferences will be held at Nuritkun Square in Sangam-dong while showcases will be held in Hongdae. For more information, visit www.mucon.kr
By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)