Sundown in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines - With the Sundown Festival bringing in leading acts from China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the F1 Pit Building at Marina Promenade in Singapore is going to be the place to be on Dec. 1.

Japanese visual kei group Alice Nine, whose most recent release is the self-titled album “9”, headlines this year’s festival. Riding on the recent surge outside of Japan in popularity of their brand of glam-metal rock and “visual style” of music, Alice Nine’s highly-anticipated appearance at Sundown promises to be an evening of head-bopping entertainment.

Also heading the line-up is Korean pop band Born to Beat, or BTOB, a seven-man group recently unveiled by Cube Entertainment (the same management company behind the likes of 4Minute and G.Na). Fans around the world are hooked by their fancy footwork and masked mystique.

To complement the festival, Sundown will also present the Singapore debut of Jeno Liu Liyang, a Guangzhou native whose first shot to fame came when she won Super Girls, a popular singing contest in China, in 2006. Rounding up Sundown’s 2012 roster are TVB series singer-actor, Raymond Lam and charismatic Taiwan Mandopop prince Anthony Neely, who will come together on one stage.

2012 marks the fourth anniversary of Sundown. The event began in 2009, focusing on Korean music. Each year, a new Asian country is added to the list of performers, creating a snowball effect with the hope of uniting culturally diversified Asia through music.

“It was necessary to continue this tradition [for] anyone who is interested in Asian music and is proud of the immense talents the region has to offer,” said organizer Samantha Chan, director of Red Spade Entertainment.

Meanwhile, Lynette Pang, executive director at the Singapore Tourism Board says the festival will “set Singapore apart as a global city.” Ellena Liu, associate director of Sundown co-sponsor SingTel, on the other hand, says Sundown “illustrates the boundless power music has to unite people and unify differences.”

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For more information about the Sundown Festival, visit www.sundownfestival.sg. The event is executive produced by Red Spade Entertainment, and is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and presenting co-sponsor SingTel. Global wireless innovation leader, BlackBerry, is this year’s newest sponsor to come onboard.