Tag: asian-american

Peter Chung Wins Kollaboration Los Angeles 2015!

It was an electric night last Saturday at the Los Angeles Theatre Center as six finalists played their hearts out in front of their community. In the end, it was Peter Chung who would follow up his 2012 win at Kollaboration SF with another victory in his new home, Los Angeles, securing a spot in this year’s Kollaboration Star finale. Special thanks to all of our finalists, Rosy Donovan, Lisa Sonoda, Track IX, Perry & Danielle, and The Will Park for being part of such a special night. Everyone is looking forwards to seeing what everyone does next!

A full recap of the night is coming soon including coverage of the incredible Lip Sync Battle!

In the meantime, make sure to follow all of our talented finalists:

Lisa Sonoda
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Peter Chung
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Perry & Danielle
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Rosy Donovan
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Track IX
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Will Park
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Asian Americans Respond to the Tragedy in Charleston

The tragic events in Charleston, SC last week sent shockwaves across the country and has been a stark reminder that racism and hate is still very much alive in the United States. Experts and the public alike have been trying to make sense of why this tragedy occurred and what, or who, could have filled the killer, Dylann Roof, with so much hate that he had to commit this act of mass murder. The Asian American community has been very vocal with condemning the actions of Roof, his racial motivations echoing the Detroit killing of Vincent Chin 33 years ago this day. Here are some of their reactions:

AsAm News responds to Roof’s manifesto, which perversely identifies East Asians as potential allys.
“Don’t waste your time, Dylann Roof. Asian Americans are not your allies. We don’t want anything to do with you. Your nonsensical perverted thinking does not resonate in the Asian American community. We reject you and all you stand for.”

Activist blog Reappropriate calls for an appropriate response from the public and media in labeling this an act of terrorism
“As an Asian American and a woman of colour, I don’t understand how anyone can stand idly by and watch this happen. How can any moral person not be enraged by the relentless assault and murder of Black citizens, who are guilty of nothing more than going about their daily lives while wearing the colour of their skin? Do we really think we are not also stakeholders in this necessary fight for racial justice?”

Rafu Shimpo reports on the responses of APA political and community leaders to the mass shooting
“The Asian American and Pacific Islander community shares the pain of the black community in Charleston, as we have also experienced killings motivated by hate, including the murder of Vincent Chin almost 33 years ago today by Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz,” said Michael W. Kwan, national president of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates. “He, like the victims of this murderous rampage, had done nothing wrong except to be of a certain color and therefore a target in the mind of a racist killer. Make no mistake, this slaughter of innocents is an act of domestic terrorism designed to instill fear in communities of color and advance a white supremacist political agenda.”

How has the tragedy in Charleston affected your perspective on race, hate, and their institutionalized presence in our culture?

 

Sources: AsAm News, Reappropriate, Rafu Shimpo

Photo: Dallas Morning News

Top 5 Upcoming, Returning Asians Playing Asian Roles

Moving on from the Aloha and Allison Ng (aka Emma Stone) flop, audiences can now look forward to the upcoming white-washed cast of The Martian directed by Ridley Scott. Though Asian American talent getting overlooked for non-white roles is nothing new, these recent incidents show once again that AAPI talent still isn’t the obvious go-to– even for Asian roles.

However, not all hope is lost. Despite whatever mistakes Hollywood makes, television seems to be faring slightly better. Next season, audiences can look forward to seeing quite a few new AAPI faces on the TV screen, including some returning favorites. Here are five upcoming (and returning) AAPI actors that I’m looking forward to the most. Continue reading “Top 5 Upcoming, Returning Asians Playing Asian Roles”

Kollaboration Update – 6/8/2015

On Saturday, June 27, Kollaboration Los Angeles triumphantly returns to Downtown Los Angeles for our 2015 showcase. Join us at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in DTLA for a celebration of Asian American talent and passion! Get your tickets now!
Watch our Global Executive Director Christine Minji Chang chat with Halo Halo​’s host, Kat Iniba on KSCI LA-18!

​Introducing Kollaboration Artists

Arguably one of the largest collections of Asian American talent online. Hundreds of artists have graced our stages over 16 years in 16 cities. We’re working on compiling them all here as an incredible resource for‪ Kollaboration‬ and community. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we’re enjoying creating it!

Get involved with Kollaboration!

Kollaboration has open staff positions for our ​Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, SF and Toronto teams! If you’re interested in contributing to the movement, meeting new friends, & working with amazing artists, apply here: OPEN POSITIONS

Kollaboration Blog – CALLING ALL WRITERS!

If you’re interested in writing about music, film, literature, tech, culture, society & more for the Kollaboration blog, please send an email to: blog@kollaboration.org!

Check out the latest from the KollabCast

Episode 18 featuring Aaron Yeung – Aloha Hot Aaron

Episode 17 featuring Jenny Yang – Tell Us A Story

Episode 16 featuring Travis Atreo – Caveman Selfies

 

Come check out and participate in one of our local Kollaboration events, now held across the country! Here are some upcoming events:

New York – Kollaboration New York and TAP-NY are teaming up for a laid back karaoke happy hour at Karaoke Boho West4 on Tuesday, June 9th!​
Houston – Kollaboration Houston is proud to be promoting tons of talent and the hottest food trucks in the city at the upcoming Food Truck Park event on June 19th!​
Dallas – Kollaboration Dallas Showcase Auditions are now ongoing! Applications close June 16, CLICK HERE for​ more information.
D.C. – Kollaboration DC is hosting an Open Mic Night this June 27th at The Board and Brew, featuring local artists from the DMV community!

 

“Mellow Yellow” – Dumbfoundead

Listen to Dumbfoundead’s “Mellow Yellow” produced by Josh Pan. »

“adios, ozone” – Plaitwrights

Watch the official music video for Plaitwrights’ “adios, ozone”. »

“Lean On (feat. MØ)” – Major Lazer & DJ Snake Choreography by KINJAZ

Watch this Kinjaz Collab piece by Mike Fal & Anthony Lee. »

 

Help keep the Kollaboration movement alive & kicking in 2015! Every little bit helps & we are grateful for your support!

 

Kollaboration’s Global Executive Director Representing on LA18’s Halo Halo!

Kollaboration Global Executive Director Christine Minji Chang went on LA18’s Halo Halo with Kat Iniba to talk about Kollaboration’s recent award by the City of Los Angeles as well as the many projects Kollaboration has brewing!

More Pictures from the Los Angeles City Hall APAHM Event:

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Buy your Tickets Now for Kollaboration Los Angeles 2015 – June 27 @ DTLA

LA15 Button

On Saturday, June 27, Kollaboration Los Angeles triumphantly returns to Downtown Los Angeles for our 2015 showcase. Join us at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in DTLA for a celebration of Asian American talent and passion!

Six talented finalists from all across Southern California were chosen through an intense and competitive round of auditions to compete for the chance to move on to the Kollaboration Star finale later this fall and perform for the national title and $10,000 grand prize! In addition to the talent competition, Kollaboration Los Angeles will also feature amazing performances from prominent Asian American guest artists (To be Announced!).

Your 2015 Kollaboration Los Angeles Finalists:

Lisa Sonoda, Singer/Songwriter
Perry & Danielle, Acoustic Duo
Peter Chung, Singer/Songwriter
Rosy Donovan, Singer/Songwriter
Track IX, Beatbox
Will Park, Singer/Songwriter

Hosted by Sean Miura, community organizer and producer of the long running Tuesday Night Cafe

Special Performances by hip hop artist Azure

Kollaboration Los Angeles 2015
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S Spring St, Los Angeles, California
Show starts 7:00PM

General Admission tickets on sale now for $20

LA15 Button

What’s new on the TRAKTIVIST Playlist – 5/8/2015

Our friends at TRAKTIVIST.com shared with us a list of their favorite new releases from the last few weeks. Take a listen and check out some sweet new tunes from APA artists!

1. ‪Steve Aoki ft. Linkin Park‬ – ‪Darker Than Blood ‬

2. Sam Tsui & Casey Breves – Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

3. AWOLNATION – Sail (cover by Kawehi)

4. Liane V – Don’t Be That Guy feat. Honey Cocaine

5. Best Coast – Feeling Ok

6. Towkio – Reflection (Prod. Kaytranada)

https://youtu.be/4MXasLmGjcE

7. Jonwayne – Green Light (ft. Anderson Paak)

https://soundcloud.com/jonwayne/green-light-ft-anderson-paak

“TRAKTIVIST.COM is the premiere platform to discover, promote, and historically archive music made by Asian Americans. From new releases to undiscovered gems, music will be posted every week for your enjoyment. Check us out at www.traktivist.com ”

Hear more from the TRAKTIVIST on this week’s KollabCast!

Kollaboration Update – 4/30/2015

Congratulations to J.Dep, winner of our first 2015 show at Kollaboration Boston which took place on April 17th at the Royale! It was definitely a night to remember with truly incredible performances from all 6 finalists and special guests. We also wrapped up an epic few weeks in LA at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival produced by Visual Communications, one of our community partners, where we reunited and caught up with some of our favorite artist friends and family, and we got to experience some of the best in API films and shorts. It was a great lead up to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which begins in May!

Kollaboration Los Angeles is a proud recipient of the Dream Award presented by the City of Los Angeles for Asian Pacific Heritage Month.

If you’re in Southern California, please feel free to join the ceremony on Friday, May 8th at the LA City Council Chambers.

Kollaboration Blog – CALLING ALL WRITERS!

If you’re interested in writing about music, film, literature, tech, culture, society & more for the Kollaboration blog, please send an email to:blog@kollaboration.org!

Get involved with Kollaboration!

Kollaboration has open staff positions for our Seattle, Atlanta, LA, and Global teams! If you’re interested in contributing to the movement, meeting new friends, & working with amazing artists, apply here: Seattle | Atlanta | LA | Global

Check out the latest from our official Kollaboration Podcast “KollabCast”

Episode 10 featuring Christine Chen & Linda Dong – Hey New Media, Where the Women At?

Episode 11 featuring Paul PK Kim – PK’s Adventures in Parenting

Episode 12 featuring Kollaboration Boston, Seattle, DC, & LA – Boston Double Header

“Dear No One” cover – #Fourty4B

Check out this acapella arranged cover of Tori Kelly’s “Dear No One” by Kollaboration LA 2014 competitors #Fourty4B. »

“All For You, Together Again, Escapade” cover – Jane Lui

Watch the super fun video of Jane Lui’s Janet Jackson medley cover, featuring friends Scott Okamoto, Daniel Blinkoff, Tamlyn Tomita, Phil Yu, Paul Dateh, Sean Miura, Mikey De Lara, Kari Lee, & Joe Tomasini. »

“Suddenly” – Lions Ambition

Watch the music video for Lions Ambitions 2015 original “Suddenly”. »

 

Help keep the Kollaboration movement alive & kicking in 2015! Every little bit helps & we are grateful for your support!

 

Congratulations to Kollaboration Boston IV Winner J.Dep!

On April 17th, 2015, Kollaboration Boston saw a whole new wave of talented artists pour their hearts out on stage. The atmosphere in Royale Nightclub was historic: guests were cheering for each performance and clapping for every high note, every move. During Derek Hsu’s performance, we even had a few guests jump up from their seats out of amazement. Our 4th showcase was a success. Our finalists were EastSide, Esther Chung, Harrison Kim, Juice, JDep, and Elise Go. The amount of talent we saw that night was unbelievable and we’re glad our guests were able to witness the magic on stage. Our guest performers, Unofficial Project, Derek Hsu, and danAKAdan were also important assets to the night.

All our performers made the night memorable. Some artists played original songs and others played original medleys, all the while inspiring the audience to move with their music. The Kollaboration Boston team worked hard for a year and a half to put the show together and it definitely shows. Adlai Grayson was the host this year, and as he did last year, he did an incredible job. After Harrison Kim’s “Chocolate Green” song, Adlai jumped right in and added, “Can I be your chocolate…green?” This is just a small example of how he was so witty and interactive with not just the guests, but the performers as well.

Overall, the show went smoothly and the guests were able to go back during actual club hours (10:30pm-2am) to party with Cedric Gervais as the DJ of the night. We would like to thank Amazon and Mint Nightlife as our official sponsors this year. It was a great kick off to the new Kollaboration season, and we’re excited for what’s in store next year for Kollaboration Boston!

Kollaboration Boston IV | Friday April 17 @ Royale

Kollaboration Boston is excited to begin Kollaboration’s 2015 season with our fourth annual showcase!

Kollaboration Boston IV will be held Friday, April 17 at Royale Nightclub in downtown Boston, which features young AAPI artists from around the Greater Boston Area.

Doors open at 6:30PM!

FINALISTS:
EastSide
Elise Go
Esther Chung
Harrison Kim
J. Dep
Juice

These six artists are competing for a chance to perform at Kollaboration Star 2015 in Los Angeles later this year and win $10,000!

GUEST PERFORMERS:
DANakaDAN
Derek Hsu
Unofficial Project

HOST:
Adlai Grayson

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GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
GA + AFTER PARTY (21+, featuring Cedric Gervais): $25
For groups of 10+, please contact us at: bostonkollab@gmail.com

Tickets can be bought at:
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/823079?utm_medium=bks

Stay up to date with Kollaboration Boston, the show, and our finalists on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Get excited and we’ll see you there!

Questions?
bostonkollab@gmail.com