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Mary J Marwan

Monica Tong Music Press Asia Head Editorial

Behind the Making of Music Press Asia with Monica Tong

On a humid evening in Kuala Lumpur, while the city thrums with its usual blend of traffic noise and late-night chatter, Monica Tong is already at her desk, sifting through a draft story submitted by a young contributor from Manila. On her screen are fragments of Southeast Asia’s music life — an indie festival in Bangkok, a contemporary art showcase in Jakarta, a new jazz collective in Ho Chi Minh City. For most, these stories might appear disconnected. But for Tong, the editor-in-chief of Music Press Asia, they are threads…

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Natasha world premiere New National Theatre Tokyo Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick

World Premiere Review: Natasha at the New National Theatre Tokyo

On 11 August 2025, the New National Theatre Tokyo (NNTT), Japan’s premier performance venue, launched the boldly imaginative Natasha — a one-act, multilingual opera by Toshio Hosokawa with a libretto by Yoko Tawada. As the third new commission under Artistic Director Kazushi Ono, this production not only continues NNTT’s recent dedication to cultivating Japanese contemporary composers but also stakes a…

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Artificial Intelligence Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick

How AI Affects Music Creation in Asia?

Introduction: AI & Music Creation: Is the Future of Music Artificial? From viral TikTok beats to chart-topping pop hits, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how music is created, produced, and shared—and it’s happening fast. Gone are the days when music relied solely on human creativity; AI-powered tools now assist with songwriting, sound design, and even artist collaborations. But does this…

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Womex Film Documentary program 2023 Jorane Castro Beto Martins. Music Press Asia

Top 5 Music Documentaries To Watch at WOMEX

Strengthening conversation between the global music and film community. WOMEX is officially open to the public starting today. Rich in culture, its program is worth some indulging in before you make the decision to attend. But if there’s anything that is worth going to, it is the film screenings of its 18 music documentaries. The selection of documentaries portray music,…

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Sphere Las Vegas debuts U2 concerts. Music Press Asia

How The Sphere Las Vegas Will Lead LIVE Music Industry in Asia

A mysterious spherical structure has been increasingly rising on the horizon of Las Vegas’ desert playground over the last several years. Teasing visitors in recent months with its LED screen that is shaped like a globe, it is most distractingly a blinking eyeball. In late August this year, Sphere Entertainment announced that Refik Anadol, an internationally renowned media artist, will…

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Ricardo Montaner and family Disney Plus tv series. Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick

A Disney Originals: The Montaners on Keeping It Together as a Family

Review: 4/5 star New Latin American Docu-Reality Series ‘Los Montaner’ Is Now Available on Disney+ Love comes in many forms and shapes. And this is no different inside Latin music’s influential family, the Montaners. With a social media audience of over 160 million, it is hard to believe the kind of authority it can harness globally. Editors at Music Press…

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Qixi Festival Love Song Playlist. Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick

Qixi Festival: Chinese Love Songs Of All Times

This year, the festival falls on the 4 August, which is on the 7th day of the 7th Chinese lunar month. With around 1,5 billion Chinese on the planet Earth, it can be quite a mushy day. Lovers and sweethearts benefit today no matter how creative their loved ones get. But chocolates and flowers would do. The Qixi Festival (Double…

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[Come Rain or Shine is a dance film directed by Justyne, Sze-Yeung Li. Music by Robert Henke]

Manifest International Dance-Film Festival

In the absence of a stage to perform, artists began to explore the medium of ‘dance in films’ to reach out to the audience. In the process, many of them saw the dance-film collaboration as an exciting option to tell a story or share creative ideas. Though as an independent genre it is still niche and new, it is gradually…

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Billie Eilish Debuts New Song Glastonbury 2022. Music Press Asia

Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever Tours Asia

In the midst of a world tour, Billie Eilish released a pair of guitar-rich songs that did not receive any pageantry that usually accompanies a major-label pop release. On the last leg of her world tour this year, Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever tour is about to slam into Asia’s largest region covering six cities – Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand,…

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Psy Gangham Style at VA UK. Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick

V&A To Stage Major Korean Culture Exhibition

As part of the first major exhibition on Korean culture in the UK, a riveting re-creation of the Oscar-winning film Parasite’s bathroom set and props from the hit Netflix series Squid Game are to go on display. Themed Hallyu! The Korean Wave, the show will open at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum on September 24 to officially recognise and celebrate…

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