Li Meng de Bakker

It was sometime between 1 and 2am on April 6th when the party really started: a gigantic disco ball descended towards the stage at Club Cubic in the City of Dreams, Macau. Over one thousand guests watched, transfixed, as hip hop superstar, Akon, emerged from the disco ball to sing at Cubic’s 2nd Anniversary Party. Performing, an energy-packed set that included his hits like Locked Up to Beautiful and Smack That , the singer thrilled Club Cubic guests – at one point crowd surfing his way to a V.I.P. island, where he poured champagne all over himself and on ecstatic clubbers. Hours before all of the mayhem, Time Out HK caught up with the singer to learn more about his past, present, and what’s in store for the future. The 39-year old was immaculately dressed, and proved to be as laid-back as he was knowledgeable, “the golden era of hip hop for me was probably the early ‘90s, when you had people like the Fugees. It was cultural then and everybody had their own sound,” he says, lamenting the status quo, “today you go on the radio and you don’t know who’s who: everybody has the same swag. It’s hard to become a fan these days… now you're only a fan of the song, and that’s why it’s a singles market.” In light of this, Akon – who dreams of collaborating with the likes of Tiesto, Skrillex and the late Bob Marley – has managed to craft a sound that is instantly recognisable; something he partly attributes to growing up between his native Senegal and America as he says, “I grew up liste

In a historic first for our city, the HK Phil began its promised four-part odyssey that is Wagner’s Ring Cycle last week, with two performances of Das Rheingold. The remaining three parts of the cycle are due to be completed from January 2016 through to 2018. The concerts, which saw the opera’s score performed with an orchestra and a stellar cast of world-renowned singers, were certainly ambitious – but at the end of the second concert on Saturday, January 24, the audience was held in total rapture, quite fitting for such an epic undertaking. Of course an in-concert performance is naturally devoid of the staging, costume and props that form an integral part of the opera experience, but there was certainly no lack of stirring drama at the Cultural Centre’s Concert Hall. While the orchestra is usually tucked away in the pit for the regular staging of any opera, audiences had the privilege of watching Wagner’s polyphony unfold in front of their eyes thanks to the in-concert format. Nowhere was this more captivating than in the Prelude, which, beginning with the famous E-flat pedal, had different string sections weave in and out of each other as the undulating texture, symbolic of the Rhine River, gained momentum.We were utterly captivated (and a little surprised) by HK Philharmonic’s masterful execution of Wagner’s onomatopoeic musical style. The words themselves become secondary, when tonal painting is as vivid and descriptive as this. The plot is aided furthermore by the leitm

Salome: not your typical opera, and it never will be. Adapted from Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name, Salome has been shocking audiences for over a century. The diva in Strauss’ 1905 premiere refused to perform the now-infamous dance sequence, but it is the opera’s final tableau that is the most infamous of all: Salome embracing John the Baptist’s decapitated head. On Saturday October 11 at the Cultural Centre, Andrejs Zagar’s interpretation of the classic found ways to shock once again by appealing to our experience of modern life via visual cues and associations. The one-act drama, organised by Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and Opera Hong Kong, takes place in a minimalist white interior that ends in an open frame to an ominous moon in the night sky. It’s a simple set: decadent while sparse – and the “well” in which Jochanaan (St John) is being imprisoned is a holding cell controlled by a digital tablet affixed to the wall. All are impatient for Salome’s (soprano Annemarie Kremer) entrance, and when she does you can’t miss her. Dressed in a sparkling pink 60’s mini-dress with hot pink tights and heels, she reeks of glamour. The costume choice here is a compelling one, seeing as the 1960s marked an era of emancipation for women in the West; one particularly signalled by fashion. Annemarie Kremer and Ta'u Pupu'a Jochanaan’s (Tomasz Konieczny) entrance is the next shock – that drew some gasps from the audience. When he emerges, he is barefoot in a

Tucked away in an otherwise quiet Hollywood Road offshoot, Cocotte breathes new life into Shin Hing Street with excellent contemporary French fare served up in a chic setting. Draped in luxurious teal and grey-toned wallpapers, Cocotte makes good use of its intimate space, and although the bar serves no cocktails (yet) it doesn’t matter, because coupled with French wine, our meal is a delight. We begin with the scallops ($198) and foie gras ($168), both of which keep things colourful. The scallops boast a perfect amount of pan-fried crisp and inner-juiciness, with a medley of vegetables, and flavours (think truffle and shiso cress) adding a lovely balance. Then, sprinkled with a side of crumble, fresh raspberries, rhubarb and a dainty slice of duck ham, Cocotte’s flirty take on the classic foie gras terrine wins us over with its presentation and well-matched tart flavours. Last, and not least, we opt for the guinea fowl ($888). Served in two rounds – roasted breast, then fricasseed thighs – the fowl is an instant classic. Unbelievably tender, we relish the hunk of breast meat, garnished with a bed of crispy peas soaked in a wine reduction. The thighs, while good, don’t live up to the splendour of the breast meat, but we applaud the variety (and quantity) of mushrooms that adorn the cream-laden spaghetti buried underneath. Cocotte is off to a great start and we look forward to tasting more of this little slice of France. Dinner for two: $1,500.