Celebrity Guests, Surprise Performers, and a Marriage Proposal

Anderson Paak
Fourty4B Judges

On Thursday, June 26, Kollaboration Los Angeles celebrated its 15th anniversary in Hollywood at The Troubadour—previously named NBC’s “Best Venue in LA” and Rolling Stone’s second best American rock club of 2013. Celebrities Harry Shum Jr., Joe Hahn (of Linkin Park), Parker (aka Dumbfoundead), Clara C, and Mike Song were among the hundreds of guests who came to support Kollaboration.

The Rhee Brothers, winners of Kollaboration LA 2013, opened the show with their indie-alternative set led by brothers John and Daniel. #FOURTY4B followed as this year’s first finalist act with harmonious a capella renditions of popular hit songs—including Janet Jackson’s “All for You”—demonstrating the talent that crowned them LA Regional Harmony Sweepstakes Champions of 2014. Afterwards, Phanith Sovann took the stage with her keyboard and sang sentimental, uplifting songs dedicated to her parents and her humanitarian interests. Next was Julynn Kim, who captivated the audience with an impassioned performance that showcased her pitch-perfect vocals and songwriting abilities. Julianne Manalo followed with her multi-talented act, combining her enticing voice, sensual dance moves, and bubbly personality to energize the crowd. As the closing finalist act, the Primaries maintained the upbeat atmosphere with their unique blend of funky melodies, soulful vocals, and peculiar band members—such as their blindfolded trumpeter.

After all the finalists performed, world-renowned beatboxer KRNFX made a surprise appearance on stage and mesmerized the crowd with his set. He masterfully looped different sounds made from his mouth and vocal chords to create nuanced beatbox renditions of popular hip-hop classics. Shortly after, Anderson .Paak and his band took over the Troubadour with their avant-garde R&B and rock fusion performance. The lead man demonstrated his vocal and rhythmic prowess by singing and drumming simultaneously. Hip-hop artist Parker—previously formerly known as Dumbfoundead—jumped on stage during Anderson .Paak’s final song to cap off the night’s live entertainment with a fun, energetic collaboration.

While Judges Oliver Wang, Gingger Shankar, and Grammy-Winner Christopher Tin deliberated to select a winner, the show’s emcee, Kenneth Yi, romantically proposed to his girlfriend—a veteran Kollaboration staff member—on stage producing a heartwarming, romantic moment before the winner was announced. The finalists were then called to the front, and the Primaries were announced as the winners of Kollaboration LA 2014. The R&B/soul collective will take their talents to Kollaboration Star later this year to compete against winners from other participating Kollaboration chapters from across the nation for the grand prize of $10,000.

About Kollaboration – Kollaboration is an Asian Pacific Islander American/Canadian (APIA/C) 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting positive and accurate perceptions of APIA/Cs by not only providing a platform for young artists to showcase their talents, but also supporting the APIA/C community as a whole. Founded in 2000 by Paul PK Kim, the Kollaboration movement began with a single show in Los Angeles and has since then expanded to 13 other cities in North America: Chicago, New York, Toronto, Atlanta, Tulsa, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C, East Lansing, Boston, Dallas, and Honolulu. In 2013, we will proudly host a total of 15 shows in our 14 cities, all united under Kollaboration’s mission statement and mantra “Empowerment through Entertainment.”

Julianne Manalo Julynn Kim KRNFX Phanith Sovann Primaries Proposal Rhee Bros

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *