Reggae fest to roll through Sentosa Why is it that reggae sounds better on a beach? Most people who have been drawn to Jamaican-themed bars on the sandy fringes of Southeast Asia would have to agree that it does. Singapore is taking the idea to its logical conclusion next month by handing over a beach on Sentosa Island to some of the biggest names in modern reggae, plus a few blasts from the past. The main acts at the Singapore Reggae Festival 2009 are Buju Banton, a politically charged dancehall and roots-reggae performer, and Shaggy, a pop-oriented singer who has enjoyed chart success since 1993. But most serious modern reggae fans will be there to catch Beenie Man (right), a Kingston native who took to the mic at the age of five and was steered to international stardom after his career was kick-started by the legendary Jamaican production team Sly and Robbie. They will be appearing alongside Rita Marley - yes, Bob's widow - and others on October 17 at Sisolo Beach, venue of the ZoukOut dance parties. Keep an eye on singaporereggaefestival.com for more details. Mega boy band Super Junior return South Koreans don't do many things by halves - they have the world's most fanatical sports followers, the most hardcore protesters, and even the world's largest boy band: the 13-member manufactured outfit known as Super Junior. Since being unleashed in 2005, the lads have become an Asian pop phenomenon, moving millions of CDs, selling out concerts and winning endorsements in South Korea, Japan and here, where they caused a huge stir during their last visit in 2007. Now they're coming back after a couple of rough years, including a car accident that left four members injured and allegations of lip-synching at concerts. They defended themselves against the latter charge by saying that only six out of 36 songs performed at their first concert were lip-synched. Their urban K-pop and slickly choreographed dance moves remain hugely popular among youngsters, and their next Hong Kong concert at AsiaWorld-Arena on September 18 will likely come close to selling out. As of press time, tickets ranging from HK$480 to HK$980 were still available through HK Ticketing.
