KOCOWA Brings New K-Pop Reality Show from SM STUDIOS “welcome to NCT Universe” Exclusively To The Americas

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Los Angeles – November 16, 2022 – With the increasing popularity of K-Pop, along with K-Pop fans who are always hungry for new content, the number 1 all-Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to announce that, as part of a new content deal, it will be the exclusive provider of SM STUDIOS’ first global show “welcome to the NCT Universe,” in the Americas, with many more to come.

“welcome to NCT Universe” is a 10-episode reality show that debuts globally on November 16. NCT stands for “Neo Culture Technology” and is a worldwide group that recruits members freely, and…there is no limit on the number of members in the group! Currently, there are 23 active members in the NCT main group and its subunits, which include: the Billboard top 10 and platinum-selling NCT 127, teen-oriented and Billboard 21 under 21 named NCT DREAM, and Chinese boy band WayV.

A reality show, the “welcome to NCT Universe” story unfolds when SMROOKIES receive a mysterious invitation that opens the door to a special NEO CITY tour. Starting their NEO CITY exploration with professional guides SHOTARO and SUNGCHAN, viewers can follow SMROOKIES as they embark on their SMTOWN concert journey with NCT and travel with special friends.

Fans who can’t get enough of NCT can watch over eight other shows from SM C&C’s library featuring the group, including newcomers to the platform “NCT LIFE in Gapyeong” (filmed in 2021) that starts streaming on KOCOWA on November 24 and “WayVision 2” on December 28.

In addition to being the premier destination for many K-Pop stars, KOCOWA will be exclusively adding SM C&C-produced library titles and new shows with SM Entertainment artists in the upcoming months.

Yea Jee Lee, the Executive Producer and SM C&C Contents Business Unit Division Director note, “We are very pleased to partner with KOCOWA on the distribution of these shows across North, Central, and South America, as their audience of millions of K-Pop and Korean entertainment lovers truly hits our sweet spot of NCT fans. They’ve already had success with all seasons of NCT LIFE, so we’re excited to see their audience’s response to these new shows.”

KOCOWA CEO KunHee Park added, “As KOCOWA becomes more and more established as the top destination for Korean programming in the Americas, it’s exciting to work with SM Entertainment and SM C&C, such important leaders, to bring the latest in K-Pop TV to our audience. With these new shows, and our large library of K-Pop idols’ reality, behind-the-scenes, and concert shows, we are thrilled to be the streamer with the most content for dedicated K-Pop fans.”

Since its inception in 2017, KOCOWA has provided thousands of hours of fresh and classic K-Pop performances and reality shows featuring all the favorite idols to satisfy every type of fan. Some of the content includes:

Live Performances – KOCOWA streams three weekly live performance events and concert series that showcase the top shows, songs, and bands of that week. The latest K-Pop debuts and highly anticipated comebacks appear on “Music Bank K-Chart,” “Music Bank World Tour,” “Inkigayo,” and “Show! Music Core.” While these shows are new each week, KOCOWA also has a huge catalog of performances and interviews with favorite K-Pop bands for fans to explore.

Behind the Scenes Shows – KOCOWA has shows that take fans behind the scenes with the top K-Pop idols on tour, shows that feature idols as career coaches, plus auditioning, traveling, and more! Now that BTS has committed to serving in the military, their fans might love to enjoy shows like “Rookie King” where BTS offers a deeper dive into the band’s beginnings, interviews, rehearsals, and more in their absence. Other reality titles include EXO’s “Travel the World on a Ladder,” JYP and Psy’s “LOUD,” and more.

Reality Shows – Many of KOCOWA’s shows feature K-Pop fan favorite idols in everyday life, or as guest stars who play games and compete in challenges with a regular cast. Shows like the long-running, international hit “Running Man,” “Home Alone,” “The Manager,” “Idol Sports Athletic Challenge,” and others feature top music celebrities from South Korea like BTS, BlackPink, aespa, and many others.

KOCOWA’s popularity in Latin America is driven by this K-Pop programming, along with K-Dramas subtitled in Spanish. In the US, KOCOWA’s audience is 27% Latino, which is significantly overrepresented than their 19% of the US population.

About SM C&C (SM Culture & Contents)
SM C&C is a media production company that produces a variety of headline-grabbing, profitable high-quality content for local and overseas TV channels and OTT platforms by collaborating with top-tier local celebrities and artists, and strives to be No.1 in the global content business.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas, in 2017 with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 20,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com

Presenting AfroClassical Composers Brings Classical Music of the African Diaspora to Life December 17 at Los Angeles’ Founder’s Church

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Los Angeles – Presenting AfroClassical Composers, a new non-profit organization founded to celebrate the contributions of African-American, and other African Diaspora classical music composers is excited to present its first post-pandemic live event Saturday December 17 at 4pm at Los Angeles’ Founder’s Church, 3281 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90020.

The event will feature the music of AfroClassical Composers Dorothy Rudd-Moore, George Walker, R. Nathaniel Dett, and Maria Thompson Corley. The compositions will be performed on piano by Maria Thompson Corley and Presenting AfroClassical Composers’ Executive Director Michael Ligon. The event will also feature a panel of experts discussing the impact of AfroClassical Composers and related disciplines. The event is FREE with RSVP at https://afroclassicalcomposers.org/.

Presenting AfroClassical Composers mission is to increase knowledge and appreciation of legacy and living composers of the African Diaspora through live performances of their compositions, interpreted by culturally diverse musicians and framed by interdisciplinary community conversations.

Michael Ligon, the Artistic Director, is bringing together culturally diverse musicians and conductors who reflect LA County’s demographics and best talent to offer a series of live performances of curated orchestral, solo and ensemble works, at venues around LA County. Performances present classical music by both female and male composers (legacy and living) of the African Diaspora, including those from Canada, Guadeloupe, Brazil, France, Guinea, the U.S., Nigeria and England.

Each performance will be framed by performers and expert panelists from Music, Ethnomusicology, Architecture, Visual Arts, Dance, Literature, Sociology, History or other complementary disciplines, enabling audiences to discuss the social context, and broad historical and cultural influences on featured compositions and composers.

The project was launched in 2018 by Ligon, as a series of monthly Sunday Salons, in tribute to and following the death of Dr. George Walker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and mentor to Mr. Ligon. The monthly gatherings set the stage for expansion on larger scale community conversations and live performances of works by composers of the African Diaspora.

Presenting AfroClassical Composers helps counter the erroneous perception that classical music involves only European composers – A study by the League of American Orchestras indicated that Black composers’ works are included in less than 1% of the top 10 compositions performed in subscription programming!

Another issue is the absence or lack of culturally inclusive studies at schools and universities. A pre-COVID/Pre-George Floyd online review of university and schools of music curricula in LA County shows that they often exclude composers of the African Diaspora. Consequently, many music and liberal arts students at universities, schools of music and conservatories are hard pressed to name only one or two (if any) classical composers of the African Diaspora, but can easily name, from memory, some five Russian composers.

Excluding such diversity creates limitations in jobs, careers and livelihoods of Black classical musicians and composers. Less than 2% of musicians employed by major symphony orchestras are Black, according to a League of American Orchestras study. Visual observation reveals similar employment stats reflected in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras. The pit orchestra of Long Beach Opera during performances of the 2020 Pulitzer-winning opera Central Park Five, reflects similar lack of cultural/racial diversity among its musicians.

Presenting AfroClassical Composers is unique in that its events feature performances of excerpts and sections of curated compositions, rather than performances of them in their entirety. This offers listeners a much wider range of repertoire and composers, while providing more cultural context than do conventional performances of entire compositions. Printed programs provide listeners with information for expanded discovery and learning after, and inspired by the presentation.

All performances are framed by interdisciplinary discussions with expert panelists, concluding with interactive, community/audience discussion (talkbacks). The organization focuses on works by accomplished composers of the African Diaspora that prior to George Floyd’s death, were rarely included in subscription concerts by similar organizations who receive public funding from LA County (like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra).

Future musicians who neither see themselves in orchestras nor hear works by diverse composers – including those of the African Diaspora – experience a form of perceived exclusion, perpetuating a general and often unspoken conclusion that they don’t belong in those organizations. Inversely, Afro-Latina conductor Kalena Bovell reflects in a YouTube interview for Sewanee Summer Music Festival, her surprise in learning that at a school she visited repeatedly, a young boy stood behind her regularly mimicking her conducting motions. He saw himself in her actions and her presence.

Mr. Ligon notes, “The current absence of cultural representation and diversity in performances offered to young musicians and composers often implies an erroneous conclusion that Black musicians and composers perceived value in those roles is diminished.” Adding, “Presenting AfroClassical Composers offers exciting programs with accomplished musicians performing the works of African Diaspora classical composers, with experts discussing their impact to bring these important composers and their brilliant work to life for current and future generations of classical music lovers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy.”

Jai Uttal Returns to Marin Center for A Solo Acoustic Concert December 17

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San Rafael, CA – November 29, 2022 – Grammy nominated spiritual music pioneer Jai Uttal will perform an acoustic solo concert at The Showcase Theater at Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael, CA 94901, at 7pm on Saturday, December 17.

Stepping into a new and deeper level of vulnerability, Grammy nominee and World Music pioneer Jai Uttal presents an intimate solo acoustic performance of inspiring songs and devotional chants. Jai will accompany himself on a variety of instruments and create a space of invocation, prayer, and heartfelt expression. Join Jai and the Bay Area Kirtan community for this meditative and heart opening event during this special holy season of love. Tickets are $30-$59 in advance here.

Jai Uttal is a Grammy nominated sacred music composer, recording artist (22 albums to date!), multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist, combining influences from India with elements from American rock and jazz, along with Jamaican reggae, Brazilian samba, and more, to create a stimulating and exotic multi-cultural fusion that is truly world spirit music.

Having travelled extensively in India, where he met many great saints and singers, Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been performing and teaching around the world for nearly 50 years, creating a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices
Jai is a favorite performer on the yoga festival circuit, playing to thousands each summer at numerous events. He also leads his own workshops and retreats that deepen yogis’ practice of the heart-based Bhakti yoga method, Kirtan, that is chanting the names of God to further enlightenment.

With a unique boomer upbringing in the NYC music biz of the 50s and 60s (as a child he was at the session where Mitch Ryder recorded “Devil With a Blue Dress”!) Uttal understands true musicianship and has worked with top musicians including Bill Laswell, Don Cherry, and his musical guru Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, throughout his career.

Additionally, his story flows with that of his generation – in the 70s he studied with Khan in the Bay Area while making extended trips to the Indian Ashram of Neem Karoli Baba the same guru who influenced Ram Dass’ classic Be Here Now. Maharajji, as the guru is known to his students, encouraged the practice of bhakti (devotional) yoga as expressed through kirtan, the call-and-response chanting of sacred names, over and over again until they become deeply instilled in the consciousness, providing an experience of profound peace and spiritual insight.

The 80s were dedicated to his music career which took off in 1990 with his first album Footprints that featured Don Cherry and other notables, launching him into the exploding world music scene. Now, marriage, fatherhood, a Grammy nomination, and 32 years of worldwide acclaim later this acoustic solo show in Marin continues his legacy.

KOCOWA Announces New Content for December

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Eagerly Awaited “The Forbidden Marriage,” Beloved Annual Music Festival “Gayo Daejeon,” “aespa’s Synk Road” and Much More!

Los Angeles, CA – KOCOWA, the top all-Korean content streamer, is excited to announce several shows coming to the platform in December. Since KOCOWA is a joint company between Korea’s top three broadcast networks, it airs the shows just hours after they appear in Korea, a must for dedicated K-Drama and K-Pop fans!

The highly anticipated K-Drama “The Forbidden Marriage” will debut on KOCOWA on December 9. The period romance drama is based on screenwriter Chun Ji Hye’s own popular novel and webtoon of the same title. Set in the historical Joseon period, the show follows the story of King Lee Heon, who issued a marriage ban while grief-stricken after the death of his crown princess seven years earlier. Park Ju Hyun, who audiences may recognize from “Extracurricular” and “Zombie Detective,” plays a fearless con artist who claims that she can be possessed by the late crown princess’ spirit. This epic drama will air on Fridays and Saturdays and stars Kim Young Dae, who appeared in fan favorites like “Extraordinary You,” “The Penthouse,” and most recently, “Shooting Stars” and Kim Woo-Seok from “Rookie Cop” and “Voice” seasons 2-4.

On December 24th SBS’s Gayo Daejeon will stream just in time to help celebrate a K-POP Christmas! SHINee’s Key, ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo, and IVE’s An Yu Jin will host this Idol-studded show. The confirmed lineup for performances includes KOCOWA K-POP reality show stars like aespa, NCT 127, NCT Dream and other fan favorites like Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, ATEEZ, ITZY, TXT, aespa, ENHYPEN, IVE, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans. This show is sure to get every K-POP fan’s holiday off to an exciting start!

Debuting on December 28, “aespa’s Synk Road” adds even more K-POP content to the over 9,100 hours currently available on KOCOWA. aespa, a fourth-generation K-POP girl group, stars in their first reality travel show. Their first destinations on the Synk Road are Gangwon’s East Sea, a popular beach destination, and the mountainous site of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang. Throughout the trip, the band members go on various missions where they must earn or find hidden ae-key cards to complete the Synk Road as they enjoy their trip. Can aespa successfully complete the first Synk Road and open the door to the next Synk Road?

aespa consists of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. They debuted on November 17, 2020, with the hit single “Black Mamba.” The group has really blown up this year, including a performance at Coachella, inclusions in Time magazine’s Next Generation Leaders list, and on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. They also signed with Warner Records, and they spoke and performed at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2022.

Other new shows launching in December include two new K-Dramas, and new reality shows featuring K-POP Idols, and six awards shows celebrating the best entertainment of 2022:

More K-Dramas:
“Recipe for Farewell,” launched December 1st, is about a family whose sweet working mom finds herself unable to eat while suffering from cancer. Her husband, who has never cooked before, begins cooking to take care of her health and the family’s meals. He handpicks the ingredients and tries to develop healthy recipes to make each meal precious and healing. Although he may be clumsy, he begins to realize how he treasures the time spent cooking and having meals together with his family.

“Red Balloon,” premieres on December 17th. Seo Ji Hye from the hit “Crash Landing On You,” stars alongside Lee Sung Jae, Hong Soo Hyun, and Lee Sang Woo in a story about four people trying to quench their desires and apprise their heartbreaks in this slice-of-life dramedy.

More Reality Shows featuring K-Pop Idols:
On the 11th, “Adventure By Accident,” a reality show, features Kian84 and Lee Si Eon from the popular reality series “Home Alone” as they travel around South America. This has been called “a travel show like never seen before!”

“K-Idol Goods Tour Paradaro” debuts December 22nd. This show features WEi and fromis_9, two of the most popular idol groups in Korea, as they go on a trip for two days and a night to sell specific goods. In each episode, they play hilarious games or are forced to barter with the production crew to get items essential for survival, selling, and enjoying this exciting and fun-filled trip.

More Year-end/Awards Shows:
“KBS Song Festival” kicks off the year-end award shows on December 16th. This show will be hosted by comedian Kim Shin Young, “Music Bank MC” host Jang Won Yeong, and “2 Days and One Night” star Na In Woo. The show celebrates the musical hits of the year and features favorite songs, performances, and pop-culture moments, and it is known to consistently deliver an experience that is beyond fans’ wildest imaginations!

“SBS Entertainment Awards” streams December 17th, and will be hosted by the 2021’s winner of “Variety Entertainer of the Year” Tak Jae Hoon. This awards show celebrates and recognizes the stars and the variety shows they are on. Always entertaining with lots of appearances from fan favorites from the year’s top shows!

“MBC Entertainment Awards” debuts December 29th – A recap of all of the trending moments in entertainment that defined the year featuring fans’ favorite moments, idol appearances, and lots of fun! It will be hosted by Jeon Hyun Moo from “Home Alone,” and “Idol Track and Field Championships,” Lee Yi Kyung, who has become popular on “How Do You Play?” and singer, actress, and entrepreneur Kang Min Kyung.

“MBC Music Festival” debuts December 31 – This will be hosted again by three popular hosts – Lee Jun Ho (singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor,) Yoona (part of the hit band Girl’s Generation and an actress considered as one of the top Idol-actresses today,) and Jang Seong Gyu (a popular host and personality). This show is a celebration of all things K-POP.

Finally, the “MBC Drama Awards” debut on December 30thst – Top South Korean TV host Kim Seong Joo will be the sole MC for the third consecutive year. From dramas with various genres and characters, such as “Tracer,” “Witch’s Game,” and “FanLetter, Please,” which were greatly loved on MBC in 2022, to “The Forbidden Marriage,” the most anticipated show at the end of the year, all the dramas that made viewers stop everything they were doing to watch in 2022 will be celebrated and awarded. Who will be the main character to take the glory in 2022?

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-POP content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information, please visit: www.kocowa.com

El evento musical más importante del K-Pop: Music Bank World Tour regresa a Santiago de Chile el 12 de noviembre con NCT DREAM, (G)I-DLE, TXT, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, and STAYC

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Santiago, Chile – La gira más emocionante del fenómeno mundial que es el K-Pop regresa a Santiago de Chile a las 8 p. m. el 12 de noviembre en el destacado estadio de fútbol de la ciudad Estadio Monumental con los artistas NCT DREAM, (G)I-DLE, TXT, ATEEZ , LOS BOYZ y STAYC.

El estadio de 47,000 asientos es el hogar del popular club de fútbol Colo-Colo y ha sido sede de conciertos internacionales con Guns N’Roses, Pearl Jam y otros. Este es el primer concierto de Music Bank en Chile desde 2018, cuando TWICE, Wanna One, BAP, SF9 y VIXX se presentaron allí. Ese evento se puede ver en KOCOWA aquí.

El cabeza de cartel de Santiago Music Bank, NCT Dream, es la tercera y más joven subunidad de la sensacional boy band surcoreana NCT de SM Entertainment. Los miembros de NCT Dream incluyen a Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle y Jisung. Sus primeros dos álbumes vendieron millones, han sido incluidos en la lista de 21 Artistas menores de 21 años en Billboard y fueron llamados los artistas más influyentes de 2018.

¡El mejor servicio de streaming con contenido coreano, KOCOWA, está mandando a algunos afortunados ganadores y fanáticos al concierto de Santiago en los asientos “Dreamers” para que puedan sumergirse por completo en la diversión del K-Pop! Para aquellos que no puedan asistir en persona, KOCOWA transmitirá el concierto en su plataforma de streaming el miércoles, 7 de diciembre en Norteamérica.

Desde su creación en 2017, KOCOWA, ha ofrecido más de 1.000 horas de conciertos, eventos y programas de K-Pop con todos los ídolos favoritos para satisfacer a todo tipo de fanáticos. Parte del contenido incluye:

Música En Vivo – KOCOWA transmite tres programas semanales en vivo y series de conciertos que muestran los mejores espectáculos, canciones y bandas de esa semana. Los últimos debuts y regresos de K-Pop aparecen en “Music Bank K-Chart,” “Music Bank World Tour,” “Inkigayo” y “Show! Music Core.” Con KOCOWA puedes disfrutar nuevos episodios cada semana, y también tiene un gran catálogo de presentaciones y entrevistas con las bandas favoritas de K-Pop para que los fanáticos exploren.

Behind the Scenes Shows – ¡KOCOWA tiene espectáculos que llevan a los fanáticos detrás de escena con los mejores ídolos de K-Pop en gira, espectáculos que presentan ídolos como entrenadores de carrera, o rookies audicionando por nuevas subunidads, los viajes lujosos y más! Ahora que BTS se ha comprometido a servir en el ejército, a sus fanáticos les encantará disfrutar sus programas como “Rookie King,” donde BTS ofrece una inmersión más profunda en los comienzos de la banda, entrevistas, ensayos y más en su ausencia. Otros títulos de contenido musical incluye “Travel the World on a Ladder” de EXO, “LOUD” de JYP y Psy, y más.

Los Reality Shows – Muchos de los programas de KOCOWA presentan a los ídolos favoritos de los fanáticos del K-Pop en la vida cotidiana, o como estrellas invitadas que juegan y compiten en desafíos con un elenco regular. Programas con éxito internacional como “Running Man,” “Home Alone,” “The Manager,” “Idol Sports Athletic Challenge” y otros presentan a las principales celebridades musicales de Corea del Sur como BTS, BlackPink, Aespa y muchos otros.

La popularidad de KOCOWA en América Latina es atribuido por esta programación de K-Pop, junto con K-Dramas subtitulados en español. En los EE. UU., la audiencia de KOCOWA es 27% latina, que está significativamente sobrerrepresentada en comparación con el 19% de la población de EE. UU.

Sobre wA and KOCOWA
wA es una empresa conjunta entre las tres principales emisoras de televisión coreanas: KBS, MBC, SBS y SK Telecom. wA lanzó KOCOWA, una plataforma de streaming con suscripción premium en las Américas en 2017, con audiencias principales en los Estados Unidos, Canadá, América Latina y Brasil. KOCOWA ofrece contenido premium con más de 20.000 horas de dramas coreanos, reality shows y K-Pop en varios idiomas. Para mayor información por favor visite:

www.kocowa.com

K-Pop’s Top Music Event – Music Bank World Tour Returns to Santiago, Chile November 12 with NCT DREAM, (G)I-DLE, TXT, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, and STAYC

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Santiago, Chile – The most exciting tour in the global phenomenon that is K-Pop is returning to Santiago, Chile at 8 pm November 12 at the city’s noted football (soccer) stadium Estadio Monumental with artists NCT DREAM, (G)I-DLE, TXT, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, and STAYC.

The 47,000-seat venue is the home of popular football club Colo-Colo and has hosted international concerts with Guns N’Roses, Pearl Jam, and others. This is the first Music Bank concert in Chile since 2018, when TWICE, Wanna One, BAP, SF9, and VIXX performed there. That event can be seen on KOCOWA here.

Santiago Music Bank headliner NCT Dream is the third and youngest sub-unit of the sensational South Korean boy band NCT from SM Entertainment. NCT Dream Members include Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung. Their first two albums sold millions, they have been listed in 21 Artists under 21 in Billboard and were called the most influential artists of 2018.

The number one 100% Korean content streamer KOCOWA is sending some lucky winners and fans to experience the Santiago concert in premium seats so they can be fully immersed in the K-Pop fun! For those that can’t attend in person, KOCOWA will be streaming the concert on their platform on Wednesday, December 7, in North America.

Since its inception in 2017, KOCOWA has provided 1,000 hours of fresh and classic K-Pop performances and reality shows featuring all the favorite idols to satisfy every type of fan. Some of the content includes

Live Performances – KOCOWA streams three weekly live performance events and concert series that showcase the top shows, songs, and bands of that week. The latest K-Pop debuts and highly anticipated comebacks appear on “Music Bank K-Chart,” “Music Bank World Tour,” “Inkigayo,” and “Show! Music Core.” While these shows are new each week, KOCOWA also has a huge catalog of performances and interviews with favorite K-Pop bands for fans to explore.

Behind the Scenes Shows – KOCOWA has shows that take fans behind the scenes with the top K-Pop idols on tour, shows that feature idols as career coaches, plus auditioning, traveling, and more! Now that BTS has committed to serving in the military, their fans might love to enjoy shows like “Rookie King” where BTS offers a deeper dive into the band’s beginnings, interviews, rehearsals, and more in their absence. Other reality titles include EXO’s “Travel the World on a Ladder,” JYP and Psy’s “LOUD,” and more.

Reality Shows – Many of KOCOWA’s shows feature K-Pop fan favorite idols in everyday life, or as guest stars who play games and compete in challenges with a regular cast. Shows like the long-running, international hit “Running Man,” “Home Alone,” “The Manager,” “Idol Sports Athletic Challenge,” and others feature top music celebrities from South Korea like BTS, BlackPink, Aespa, and many others.

KOCOWA’s popularity in Latin America is driven by this K-Pop programming, along with K-Dramas subtitled in Spanish. In the US, KOCOWA’s audience is 27% Latino, which is significantly overrepresented than their 19% of the US population.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 20,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com

Noted Music Exec and Songwriter Brian Lukow Created the ONE SIX to release “Be Afraid,” his Musical Reaction to the Events of January 6, 2021 and the Work of the January 6 Committee

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TikTok Cancelled the Song by Removing the Video in Just 12 Hours! Twitter Recently Suspended Artist Account as Well!

Mt. Kisco, NY – The One Six is a new ensemble whose musical mission is to make strong and honest political statements against Donald Trump and the dangers he poses to America. Their first single “Be Afraid” has recently been released and is currently building momentum among Democrats, anti-fascists, resistors of all stripes, and regular people concerned about the threats to American democracy.

The One Six was formed by music industry veteran Brian Lukow, using his contacts to recruit four incredibly talented professional singers, who with the rise of violent threats, political backlash, and violence from the MAGA faithful, have chosen to remain anonymous.

Lukow wrote the group’s first single after watching the January 6th committee hearings. Lukow stated, “I was appalled by the insurrection, it’s enablers and the state of our country. I was moved to write “Be Afraid” to put the exposed corruption to words and music.” He adds, “While there have been many musical parodies pertaining to our current political state, this song is an anthem for accountability and change, and was inspired by Bob Dylan’s classic topical hit “Hurricane.”

This song is a departure for Lukow, whose background has been primarily with the creation of teen idols including the successful boy band Dream Street, and girl groups Huckapoo and Drama Drama. This song is accompanied by a powerful lyric video to help further promote his message.

After only 12 hours on TikTok, the video was ironically removed, citing “violent extremism.” The cancelling of the video on the popular video sharing app is all the more shocking since the video is against the violent extremism of the January 6 rioters. Luckily, for everyone concerned about further political violence in the US, the video can still be found on YouTube and the song is available anywhere listeners stream music.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eusa4fENsU
https://open.spotify.com/album/1YkS9S5fU4Ipd40aBBskjE?highlight=spotify:track:0KLoUEyjMCcgdE1AsQfZ0q
https://music.apple.com/us/album/be-afraid-single/1645480919
https://www.tiktok.com/@theonesix_

Global LA Welcomes Celebrity Ambassador Earvin “Magic” Johnson to Aid in Bringing International Businesses to Los Angeles

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Mayor Eric Garcetti and Magic Johnson (with Arsenio Hall and Danny Trejo)Los Angeles – Global LA, the recently launched public-private partnership established by the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles and supported by L.A.’s most dynamic businesses, dedicated civic leaders, and economic development organizations is excited to announce that Earvin “Magic” Johnson is joining the organization as a celebrity ambassador to help attract international businesses to Los Angeles in the run-up to the 2028 Olympics.

The mission of Global LA is to attract international businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and other opportunities to fortify Greater L.A.’s communities, create jobs, and contribute to a resilient economy. Together with our partners and members, Global LA will enable a more equitable, vibrant, generative economy that grows and thrives as a result of an increasingly international and diverse population.

Johnson, one of the city’s most noted entrepreneurs and investors notes, “I’m looking forward to working with Global LA, the Mayor’s office, and the one-of-a-kind business community here to bring international companies to Los Angeles, and to bring jobs and economic growth to our underserved neighborhoods. This has been the foundation of my company Magic Johnson Enterprises and I look forward to seeing the difference we can make in this incredible city.”

Regarding Global LA’s appointment of Magic, Mayor Eric Garcetti noted, “Los Angeles is a global crossroads — there is simply no better place to start or expand a business than here. By making it easier for companies, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to invest in our city, Global LA will attract international opportunities that benefit Angelenos across our city with good-paying jobs and a more resilient, inclusive local economy. We couldn’t ask for a better ambassador of the program than Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, a legend in business and sports, to help with this pre-Olympics initiative.”

Global LA promotes the Los Angeles region for foreign investment in key sectors including sustainability and cleantech, transportation and logistics, entertainment and tech, advanced manufacturing, biotech, and life sciences, and space and aerospace. Global LA is also working towards directing new international investment that will directly benefit underserved communities.

The President and CEO of Global LA is Debbie Adler, a longtime Los Angeles strategy executive known for her work at SoCal’s noted NPR station KCRW and the British Consulate’s Department of International Trade. She has also consulted for local organizations such as Homeboy Industries, Liberty Hill Foundation, Cause Communications, and LA Commons, among others.

Adler notes, “Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson symbolizes so much of what makes L.A. great: he used his platform as a world-famous athlete to create a thriving business empire and continues to give back to the communities that supported him through thoughtful investments. As Global LA’s Ambassador, his support in connecting with international CEOs will help to tell the story of why L.A. is the best city in the world for innovative and ambitious business leaders.”

The partner organizations that have come together to support Global LA include the City of Los Angeles, the LA Tourism & Convention Board, the Los Angeles Urban League, the LA County Economic Development Corporation, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center LA, the Alliance for SoCal Innovation, Pacific Council on Foreign Affairs, LA Cleantech Incubator, GO-Biz, Sister Cities, and the International Visitors Council of LA.

Los Angeles’ companies and organizations that have committed to support Global LA as members include The Walt Disney Company, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, City National Bank, East West Bank, Evite, WasteFuel, the Los Angeles Football Club, Goldman Sachs, Neuehouse, The Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, and Edison International.

Global LA Advisory Board members include Jaime Lee, President of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, former US Ambassador to UNESCO Crystal Nix-Hines, Evite President Jason Woo, SCI-Arc Director Hernan Diaz Alonso, CEO, Director-General, and Dean, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University Dr. Sanjeev Khagram, Wastefuel Chairman and CEO Trevor Neilson, Ambassador Michael Lawson, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, and Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group Danny Acosta.

In preparation for hosting the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Global LA aims to collaborate with a broad network of partners to support new businesses that will help secure LA’s Olympic legacy through economic opportunity.

Evergent Announces Partnership with KOCOWA to Optimize Payments and Customer Flexibility Across Global Audience Base

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New agreement simplifies payment and customer management for Korean content service in the Americas and worldwide

Sunnyvale, CA – September 8, 2022 — Evergent, the customer management and monetization leader for streaming and digital subscription businesses, today announced a new partnership with KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform serving Korean content to audiences throughout the world. Through the agreement, Evergent will provide optimized payment solutions for KOCOWA customers in different global regions, while also incorporating multiple currencies, languages and payment models.

KOCOWA was launched in 2017 by wavve Americas (wA), a joint company of KBS, MBC and SBS, the top three Korean broadcasters, together with SK Telecom. The streaming video platform delivers Korean dramas, reality and K-pop content to a subscription audience in North, Central, and South America.

As wA introduces KOCOWA to new markets and geographies, Evergent’s agile monetization and CRM products will make it possible to accommodate for both global and regional considerations and provide the adaptability required to seamlessly integrate different currencies, languages and payment processes. With Evergent’s flexible monetization tools, KOCOWA will be able to rapidly scale and reach the growing global audience for premium Korean entertainment content. The new partnership will also allow KOCOWA to explore and deploy multiple pricing and payment options for existing customers in North and South America.

“KOCOWA presents an ideal use case for Evergent’s highly flexible solutions, as they operate at the nexus of three cultures, languages and geographies,” said Vijay Sajja, founder and CEO of Evergent. “KOCOWA has already demonstrated the viability of delivering premium Korean content to customers in North, Central, and South America, and we look forward to supporting them with agile monetization tools as they extend this service to other areas of the world.”

“The success of our streaming platform in the Americas demonstrates the tremendous global demand for premium Korean content, but capitalizing on that demand requires speed and agility as we work to meet the needs of diverse markets and audiences” said KunHee Park, CEO at KOCOWA. “Evergent makes our platform better and more competitive by enabling us to pursue multiple new monetization models with minimal deployment effort, which in turn provides us with new tools to inform our sales and marketing campaigns. We expect Evergent to play a key role in our growth as we bring KOCOWA to new customers throughout the world.”

ABOUT EVERGENT
Based in Sunnyvale, CA, Evergent delivers customer relationship management tools for global digital media, entertainment and telecommunications providers. With customers in 175 countries ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, Evergent creates flexible, user-friendly solutions that enable each customer to streamline their CRM processes and maximize monetization efforts. For more information, visit www.evergent.com.

ABOUT wA AND KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters — KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com.

Small Factory Films Premieres Filmmaker Joe Bartone’s Everything Will Be Fine in the End at Silicon Beach Film Festival on September 14 at the TCL Chinese Theater

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Everything Will Be Fine Key ArtHollywood, CA – Indie film company Small Factory Films is excited to premiere their feature film, Everything Will Be Fine in The End from award-winning, screenwriter, filmmaker, and composer, Joe Bartone as part of the Silicon Beach Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theater 6 in the heart of Hollywood on September 14 at 7:30 pm.

The neurotic film follows the maniacal Buzz, who has taken his girlfriend George’s dog, a labradoodle named Leo. George goes on a revenge spree of poor decisions with her friends Kai and Renka to get Leo back, ignoring that she, in fact, had previously stolen Leo from Tom, a kindly man also searching for his beloved pet. Narrated by Isaiah, an urban shaman, George, Kai, and Renka botch a break-in robbery ending in homeowner Julia’s death – who then follows George around in her ghost form to witness the consequences of their actions.

The film features Kent Harper as Buzz and introduces Elsa Kennedy in her first lead role as George, the film also stars musician actors Cheska Zaide and Steven Michael Martin.

The film features an original score and songs written and performed by the director joined by Kennedy on vocals and Martin on drums, making this film unique for today’s productions and is reminiscent of the punk/DIY spirit of legendary indie films of the 80s, 90s, and 00s such as Paranoid Park, and Repo Man. Trailers for Everything Will Be Fine in The End can be seen here and here.

Filmmaker Bartone notes, “I never dreamed writing songs for my friends would one day bring me to standing in front of an audience at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theater to share my vision, words, and music. I hope that my hard work and that of my cast and crew can show others that all things are possible if we choose life.”

The event will kick off at 6:30 pm at TCL Chinese Theater 6 at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 with a red carpet featuring stars of the film and notable supporters. The screening will take place at 7:30 pm. Following the screening there will be a premiere party at the nearby Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd, starting at 9:30 with a red carpet. In the Hollywood Roosevelt Pool bar, music and a cash bar will continue until 11:15 pm.

Joe Bartone is a WGA caucus member. His films have won 18 awards in filmmaking, screenwriting, and composing. He has also notched 19 finalist placements and 8 semi-finalist placements in film festivals. He was a member of the Warner Bros. team that took the 2013 Technical Emmy for innovative digital delivery systems. His screenplay, Worst Night Ever was chosen as the 3rd best horror screenplay at Slamdance in 2021. In music, he was named among the 2015 best new jazz artists from JazzFM – the top syndicated jazz radio programming for NPR for the album Master Plan B with his group Thelonious Dub.

In addition to his own films, Bartone has been on the sound team of over 120 film and television productions.

The public can purchase tickets at the film festival in advance or at the door. Advanced tickets may be purchased online at https://www.siliconbeachfilmfestival.com/tickets, please scroll down to Block OO Wednesday, 7:30 pm 9/14. Tickets must be added and then scroll down to the check-out at the bottom.