When That Audience Takes the Stage for a Freestyle Dance-Off, That Can Only Mean One Thing!

From the 2015 Kollaboration Star Showcase, it’s Kollaboration’s long-running fan-favorite segment, the Freestyle Dance Competition, where audience members take the stage to show off their moves!

Videographers: Derek Lee, Eva Hsia, Lance Heruela, Brandon Kim
Edited by: Marvin Yueh

Special thanks to Zenith Division for production support

The Kinjaz Electrifies the Crowd at Kollaboration Star 2015

The Kinjaz have had a very busy 2015, but they found time to perform a very special routine at last year’s Kollaboration Star to close out the first half of the show. Check out the intricate choreography and badass swagger that took the dance world by storm!

Learn more about the Kinjaz and what they’re up to!

Videographers: Derek Lee, Eva Hsia, Lance Heruela, Brandon Kim
Edited by: Marvin Yueh

Special thanks to Zenith Division for production support

Dia Frampton Performs at Kollaboration Star as ARCHIS

Last November, the audience of Kollaboration Star 2015 was treated to a very special performance by ARCHIS, Dia Frampton’s new project with composer/producer Joseph Trapanese. Accompanied by a live orchestra, Dia’s hauntingly beautiful voice enchanted the crowd and left everyone wanting more.

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“Blood”
“Bittersweet”
“Let me Love”

Songs written and performed by: Dia Frampton
Music composed by: Josepg Trapanese
Orchestral Accompaniment: Waraynon Initiative Network
Percussionists: Akemi Imai (Taiko) & Perry Sekigawa (Snare)
Conductor: George Shaw

Videographers: Derek Lee, Eva Hsia, Lance Heruela, Brandon Kim
Edited by: Derek Lee

Special thanks to Zenith Division for production support

 

AJ Rafael, Kai, One Vo1ce, Travis Atreo, Jun Curry Ahn, MC Jin, and more come together for an Epic Collab

We’re proud to share our epic medley from Kollaboration Star 2015, featuring some of our favorite Asian American artists from past and present! Arranged by AJ Rafael and backed up by the WIN Orchestra w/ conductor George Shaw, this was a performance of a lifetime!

The Kollaboration Epic Medley
“Say You’ll Stay” – AC Lorenzo from Kai
“It Might be You” – AC Lorenzo from Kai ft. Perry & Danielle
“Always on my Mind” – Anne Marie Ceralvo from One Vo1ce ft. Rosy Donovan & Perry Sekigawa
“Take me On” – Travis Atreo ft. WIN Orchestra & Jun Sung Ahn
“Wedding Dress Mashup” – Jun Sung Ahn
“Glow” – MC Jin ft. Tim Be Told & TrackIX

Arrangement and Accompaniment: AJ Rafael
Orchestral Accompaniment: Waraynon Initiative Network
Conductor: George Shaw
Videographers: Derek Lee, Eva Hsia, Lance Heruela, Brandon Kim
Edited by: Marvin Yueh

Special thanks to Zenith Division for production support

That’s a Wrap! LA’s Peter Chung wins Kollaboration Star 2015

It was a beautiful night in Los Angeles this past Saturday, November 14 as Kollaboration wrapped up it’s 16th season with Kollaboration Star 2015, a grand celebration of the creative passion and talents of the Asian American community. Six up-and-coming Asian American artists, all winners of their local Kollaboration showcases,  gave the performances of their lives on stage. In the end, it was Peter Chung, representing Kollaboration Los Angeles, who took the title of Kollaboration Star 2016!

Congratulations to Peter and thanks to all of the finalists and guest performers for a great night! Videos and a full recap of the night will be coming soon to kollaboration.org so keep checking in!

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Meet the Kollaboration Star 2015 Finalists: DC’s Audrey Huwae

Audrey Huwae is the finalist representing our nation’s capital, Washington DC, for the upcoming Kollaboration Star showcase, taking place Saturday, November 14, 2015. She takes a moment in between preparing for the show to answet a few questions with the Kollaboration Blog.

What is your self-described style and influences?

I would describe myself as a pop/r&b singer. My biggest influences would be Justin Timberlake and Pentatonix. I have always been inspired by their approach on music.

How did you start playing music and what are your musical dreams?

I started playing music when I was 8 and I’ve never stopped since. All throughout middle and high school I was in choir and an acapella group. My passion for music has moved me to one day become a business manager for artists.

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What has participating in Kollaboration meant to you?

My Kollaboration experience has taught me so much. I am so honored that I get to represent the Indonesian community in the DMV area through something I love. Kollaboration has also given me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, which I’ve struggled with throughout my life.

How are you preparing for STAR, and what do you hope the audience will take away from your performance?

Aside from singing in the shower, I’ve been practicing with my guitarist, Gerard Silalahi, and cajonist, Patty Rarumangkay. We’ve been working very hard to make this a memorable performance. I hope that the audience will truly feel how meaningful this song is to me through the performance.

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Watch Audrey perform for the chance to win $10,000 at Kollaboration Star, taking place 11/14/15! Tickets are on sale now at star.kollaboration.org

 

Meet the Kollaboration Star 2015 Finalists: LA’s Peter Chung

Peter Chung is Los Angeles’ representative for the upcoming Kollaboration Star showcase, taking place Saturday, November 14, 2015. Kollaboration Blogger Frankie Victoria caught up with him a few weeks ago to chat about the upcoming Kollaboration show!

When I called Peter Chung for this interview, the first thing he commented on was the area code of my phone number.

“Santa Barbara, right?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, knowing from previous research that he went to UCSB.

“Yeah, I went to UCSB,” he said. “Did you go to college there too?”

I said that Santa Barbara was home for me and that I attended college at to USD. He then proceeded to ask me about my whole life, including where I lived now, what I was doing, and how I joined Kollaboration.

“You thought you were calling to interview me, huh?” he said jokingly.

I laughed. If this conversation taught me anything about Peter Chung, it’s that he seems to appreciate irony.

I point this out because there is something very ironic about Peter’s life story: he hated music as a kid.

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Both of Peter’s parents were in the Church choir in his hometown of San Jose. He describes being forced to take piano and trumpet lessons, but enjoyed being part of the church choir with his parents. While he learned how to play the drums and guitar during this time, he didn’t do it for the music.

“I was surrounded by people who were cool,” said Peter. “When you have a crappy job, but you’re surrounded by cool people, it’s more fun.”

The “crappy job” of playing music started to turn into something else entirely when he started to learn covers of John Mayer songs on the guitar. He had learned guitar without any official lessons and mostly thrived on tips from friends before YouTube guitar lessons were a thing.

“I got into [John Mayer’s] music by asking what songs I should learn on the guitar,” said Peter. “They would say it’s really easy to and ‘oh, these chords on this song are easy.’”

Peter describes learning the popular song “No Such Thing” as a good learning experience because it taught him to incorporate lead guitar and rhythm guitar. When Peter started learning covers, he started to enjoy the music for one thing: the attention.

“I’m an attention whore,” said Peter. I can assume he’s joking, but he said it so seriously, it’s hard to tell.

Whether or not all eyes are on him now, Peter is in the music business for the long haul. Before he went professional, he had uncertainties about dedicating his whole life to being a musician.

“I was scared to put myself out there,” he said. “But I had friends who told me that I had to put [my music] out.”

By the time he was discovered by Kollaboration reps, he had already started pursuing music full-time.

“All I did was go to open mics,” said Peter. “I saw the open mic Kollaboration SF and decided to do it. They liked me, so they told me about [the showcase].”

He went on to participate in Kollaboration SF 3 and the opportunity opened up doors for him.

“I think Kollaboration is fantastic for opportunities for exposure. They’re really helping musicians and artists and they connected me with so many gigs I never expected.”

Now that Peter is pursuing the coveted national title of Kollaboration Star, he didn’t seem nervous at all. When I talked with him, he was doing some maintenance on his guitar for a string of gigs he was performing in San Francisco.

“I literally have done nothing to prepare,” he said.

That was a few weeks ago. Even if he did anything to prepare, I wouldn’t be too worried about the Kollaboration vet. Peter dreams of performing his original music around the world. Specifically, he hopes that his lyrics stick with audiences.

“For any show, I hope that there’s a connection. A fear I have is people won’t understand what I’m saying.”

“What can really touch you or have an impact is the message behind it,” Peter said. “And that’s why the lyrics can have a greater impact.”

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Watch Peter perform for the chance to win $10,000 at Kollaboration Star, taking place 11/14/15! Tickets are on sale now at star.kollaboration.org