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www.groovekorea.com / October 2014 38 Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com) COvER STORy a s the expat community continues to grow and diversify, so too do the arts and music circles within. Over the last eight years, the scenes have welcomed new ways of thinking, creating, performing and sharing. Costa Rican photographer Joe Wabe, who arrived in Korea 11 years ago, has seen the number of active foreign photographers mul- tiply. “Social media has been an incredible tool that has tripled the amount of people that can be involved in any project, and that has made a huge difference.” Canadian belly dancer and instructor Eshe agreed. “Everyone’s online presence has dra- matically increased, so events are easier to find, book, promote and attend.” Eshe arrived in 2007, and within no time was able to begin teaching classes and forming her own per- forming troupe, Navah. The year 2010 saw an increased appetite for international activi- ties, and this was the perfect time for Eshe to open Dream Dance Studio. Social media has also created an opportuni- ty for Korea to share its wealth of creative tal- ent with the rest of the world. Over the years, music collective Loose Union has received in- ternational attention and they’ve used this to pinnaclE & tHE antidotE: tHE sicKnEss and tHE curE Pinnacle and the Antidote provide an atypical formula for collaborative musical success. Since winning the Stompers Battle of the Bands, they went to work on releasing an EP mixing hip-hop, rock, jazz, funk and blues. Pinnacle commands the vocals while his experienced band members use electric guitar, keyboard and bass instruments to trip up and jam down with their hooked audience. With songs that “span the gamut of hard-rocking, to dance-able, to just plain fun,” as Pinnacle puts it, it’s hard for listeners not to get caught up in the live show experience from these musical geniuses. tHE sExy Hips of EsHE Korea’s most recognizable belly dancer, Eshe, is a sexy, powerful trailblazer. She performed around the world before opening Dream Dance Studio, becoming the frst foreigner to open a dance studio in Seoul. It’s the only spot in Korea that offers American Tribal Style and improvisational classes, the latter creating a dance on the spot, and she encourages students to use their bodies to “speak to one another” through dance. “For me, the more interesting and rewarding work is in creating dancers,” she said, “whether they perform for themselves in their living rooms or on stages around the world.” bEHind Hbc fEst When Haebangchon Festival was started in July 2006 by Lance Reegan-Diehl and Jim Gaynor, 23 acts performed at three venues. Today those numbers have tripled and quadrupled to make the biannual shindig the go-to event for local expat indie talent. Thousands of music fans flock to HBC Fest for a night of big crowds, packed streets and omnipresent debauchery. Weird is often the way to go. “The local scene may not be as vibrant without something like the HBC festivals providing a larger audience and stage to players who many not get such a chance to play at any other festival in Korea,” said Reegan-Diehl. social mEdia brEaKs down barriErs help promote other musical talents born in the Korean expat scene. “We believe in indepen- dent music and culture in Korea,” said Adam Brennan, one of the group’s contributing art- ists. His comments are obviously not an idle claim if you look at the Korean gigs and North American tours they have organized for expat bands based here. As the cultural hub of both the Korean and expat art and music milieus, Hongdae has seen the rise of many artistic ventures. This is where the founding members of rock band Magna Fall first met and where they contin- ue to play gigs. The band started playing five years ago and says a lot has changed since then. Members have come and gone, styles and influences have been transformed and personal musical abilities have developed and improved. “It’s still tough to get your name out there and people at your shows,” the band’s drum- mer David Holden said. “But appearing on Korean TV shows like ‘Top Band’ has helped a lot,” added guitarist and singer Kevin Heintz. In the television world, opportunities for ex- pat entertainers are on the rise. Stars such as Robert Holley, Sam Hammington and Bronwyn Mullen have made waves over the ‘EvEryonE’s onlinE prEsEncE Has dramatically incrEasEd, so EvEnts arE EasiEr to find, booK, promotE and attEnd.’ EsHE 03.2011 05.2011 09.2011