Wu Promotion - Afterours, Italy, World Expo 2010

Eventi

Steven Vanhauwaert, Belgium, 2012

The Matangi Quartet, the Netherlands, 2012

Luisa Sello & Bruno Canino Duo, Italy, 2012

Afterours, Italy, World Expo 2010

Shanghai, October 14 2010 – As one of the last concerts, the Italian Pavilion promote the internationally best known Italian rock band Afterhours. The group after numerous projects both in Italy, Europe and Usa will bring their distinctive rock ’n’ roll sound to China for the first time.

They will perform a repertoire filled with deep, sweeping lyrics and distorted, powerful guitars first on Oct 11th, in Shanghai downtown at Mao live house and the following day, Oct 12th at the Europe Square of the Shanghai Expo 2010.

The group was originally formed in 1985 in Milan around Manuel Agnelli (vocals, guitars) and is now formed by him, Giorgio Prette (drums ), Giorgio Ciccarelli ( guitars), Rodrigo D’Erasmo (violin) and Roberto Dell'Era (bass).

Afterhours’ beginnings dates back to 1989, when the debut mini album "All the Good Children Go to Hell" is mentioned by the most influential Italian alternative music magazine Mucchio Selvaggio among the best 10 records of the 80s. A year later independent label Vox Pop releases first album "During Christine Sleep" that gets an exciting review by American magazine Alternative Press and Afterhours is invited to the New Music Seminar in New York and at the Berlin Independence Days.

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In 1995 the band releases the first album, entirely sung in italian, "Germi" defined by the music critics as one of the best example of rock made in Italy.

After 3 albums in english the band released from 1995 to 2009 nine others albums in Italian, took part at the 2009 Sanremo Festival, the main Italian music show, played a series of European shows, performed few times in Usa and collects prizes as the 2002 Italian Music Awards for best lyrics on the title track.

Afterhours' album, "Ballate Per Piccole Iene", released in Italy by Mescal in April 2005, was produced by Greg Dulli and mixed by Dulli and John Parish. Parish's collaboration with Afterhours follows the work of the English producer with PJ Harvey, Eels, Goldfrapp, Sparklehorse and Giant Sand. The album has reached n. 2 in the official Italian charts, being awarded with the gold record, and the promotional tour has registered all sold-out dates.

The collaboration with Dulli led Afterhours to play as backing band for the first ever live show of the Gutter Twins, the new project of Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan (founder member of The Screaming Trees, Queens of The Stone Age) in front of an audience of 8000 people in Rome. In March 2009 Afterhours is back in the U.S., performing at SXSW Festival in Austin and continuing with a short tour of the East Coast.

Spin Magazine has put Afterhours in the list of “The 100 Greatest Bands You've Never Heard Of”, the best bands unknown to the mainstream audience, deserving a listen.

China’s love affair with piano performances is never ending and has become a major influence amongst the Chinese audience. Western piano recital is very much alive amongst the western classical fans. For years, Wu Promotion has successfully handled some of the world’s most renowned pianist and young emerging artists. In collaboration with some of the most renowned international piano competitions, we offer the opportunity for the winning emerging artists of such competitions to tour in China; amongst them include the International Franz Liszt Competition, the Géza Anda Competition and the Maria Canals Competition.

China’s emergence as an international power in classical music has furthered its demand for western chamber music. In spite of the different cultural background and the difficulty in understanding the chamber repertoire, we have become a considerable force in western chamber music. We invite prominent chamber groups but also emerging ensembles, devoted and eager to help Chinese audiences approach this thrilling genre as well as providing them with international exposure opportunities.

The jazz scene in China has gained rapidly increasing recognition throughout the past years and is establishing a presence amongst Chinese jazz fans. Wu Promotion is contributing to China’s exploding demand for jazz by touring notable jazz players at prestigious universities around China, the paramount market for enhancing the genre’s reputation. Artists are enthusiastic as they are unable to experience such an inspiring audience in Europe and have seized the opportunity to give performances in China that always leave the audience and students in awe.

Ballet and modern dance in China ushered a thriving phase with greater diversity as it gained much popularity. Wu Promotion went beyond its passion for the classical music industry and brought in numerous distinguish ballet companies and modern dance troupes. Wu Promotion is entering the 21^st century by giving Dance & Theatre bigger prospects that would be a highlight to the Chinese cultural agenda.

China has embraced instrumental and orchestral music and now offers its audiences a variety of international artists and performances. Concert halls in China have reached the stage where they are now standing alongside international concert halls. Wu Promotion represents some of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras, performing around China’s most reputable concert halls and bringing glorious music to the Chinese audience.