Analyze Jin’s tracks “Chinese Beats” and “Learn Chinese” on his album Rest is History. Both tracks are posted on Collab. Read the lyrics:
"Chinese Beats"
"Learn Chinese"
Listen to the rhythm closely. Your analysis should focus on Jin’s expression of his ethnicity. Discuss what Oliver Wang says about Jin and “Learn Chinese.” Comment on Wang’s interpretation: you can support or challenge his claims by offering your own interpretation of Jin’s tracks.
Post your analysis on the class blog by 7pm, Tuesday March 24. And make sure that you read your peers' posts and comment whenever appropriate.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wikipedia Assignment 3: Sketching a Draft
Great work, everyone! Make sure that you take the time to read everyone's post and comment on them.
Here's the list of the guiding questions that will help you formulate the next draft. Some of these questions may be more relevant than others for you.
Here's the list of the guiding questions that will help you formulate the next draft. Some of these questions may be more relevant than others for you.
- What stands out the most in your research? Is it history? Number of figures? Important figures? Dates? Representational styles? Communities? Scholarly literature? Connections to historical/social events?
- Which scholars/writers have written on your subject? What do they say about it?
- What is the significance of this genre in Asian America?
- How are you defining "Asian American" in your research?
- What strategies are these musicians (or the music industry) using to represent themselves?
- Is everything empirical and factually supported?
- Is there anything that would fall into another section?
- Is there anything that would fall into the introductory section?
Asian American Hip-Hop
This is a very rough outline, but I've included the format that I'd like to include, as well as artists that I'd like to explore and their contributions to the hip hop community. I'm not sure if I want to include breakdancing or info about producers. I found several media clips that I'll plan to add
General History of Hip-Hop in Asian America
Timeline of Asians in Hip-Hop
Key dates
1990s emergence…politically charged groups
1995 release of Key Kool album
1998 re-emergence of music
2004 first Asian American to get signed to a major label
Influences/Contributions to the Hip-Hop Community & Culture
Fusion of traditional Asian music with American music
Transition into mainstream culture
Offering of new perspectives to Hip-Hop
Artists
Jin
Illmind
Mountain Brothers
Asiatic Apostles
Yellow Peril
Seoul Brothers
Key Kool & DJ Rhemmatic
Jamez
Tom Shimura
Visionaries
DJs
DJ Phatrick
Filipino American DJS
DJ Q-Bert
Regions
New York
Los Angeles
New Jersey
California
Breakdancing?
Media Outlets
Producers
Quote that I want to include in the general overview
"Hip Hop is American. I mean we're Asians, but the problem is we got to look at ourselves as American before we look at ourselves as Asians. Just because you're doing hip hop doesn't mean you're doing a black thing. You're doing an American thing", says Chung.
Sources
Le, C.N. 2009. "Martial Arts, Video Games, & Hip-Hop." Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. (March 17, 2009).
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:93KTPAJcgocJ:yellowworld.org/arts_culture_media/282.html+asian+american+rappers&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari
Rap's freshest face is Asian American By Alona Wartofsky | Special to The Washington Post
http://www.modelminority.com/article924.html
http://asianweek.com/111298/coverstory.html
Asian Americans and hip-hop By Oliver Wang
Mog.com
General History of Hip-Hop in Asian America
Timeline of Asians in Hip-Hop
Key dates
1990s emergence…politically charged groups
1995 release of Key Kool album
1998 re-emergence of music
2004 first Asian American to get signed to a major label
Influences/Contributions to the Hip-Hop Community & Culture
Fusion of traditional Asian music with American music
Transition into mainstream culture
Offering of new perspectives to Hip-Hop
Artists
Jin
Illmind
Mountain Brothers
Asiatic Apostles
Yellow Peril
Seoul Brothers
Key Kool & DJ Rhemmatic
Jamez
Tom Shimura
Visionaries
DJs
DJ Phatrick
Filipino American DJS
DJ Q-Bert
Regions
New York
Los Angeles
New Jersey
California
Breakdancing?
Media Outlets
Producers
Quote that I want to include in the general overview
"Hip Hop is American. I mean we're Asians, but the problem is we got to look at ourselves as American before we look at ourselves as Asians. Just because you're doing hip hop doesn't mean you're doing a black thing. You're doing an American thing", says Chung.
Sources
Le, C.N. 2009. "Martial Arts, Video Games, & Hip-Hop." Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:93KTPAJcgocJ:yellowworld.org/arts_culture_media/282.html+asian+american+rappers&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari
Rap's freshest face is Asian American By Alona Wartofsky | Special to The Washington Post
http://www.modelminority.com/article924.html
http://asianweek.com/111298/coverstory.html
Asian Americans and hip-hop By Oliver Wang
Mog.com
Traditional Asian Music
The traditional music of Asian Americans ranges from unique instruments to fanciful folk song and dance. Each region of Asia has its own distinct types of traditional music.
China: There is a vast collection of traditional music in China. String and wind instruments are an important part of much of the traditional music compositions. Examples include the pipa, erhu, banhu, suona, and guqin. Many traditional and folk musicians utilize these instruments. The variations of rhythm, beat, tone quality, and embellishments in traditional Chinese music are highly distinctive and unlike their Western counterparts. This is mainly due to the unique sounds and playing styles of traditional Chinese musical instruments. China is also renowned for its Chinese Opera. There are as many types of Chinese opera as there are dialects. The most popular form is Beijing/Peking Opera. Operas contain many aspects of performance, including acrobatics, singing, orchestra band, as well as actors and dialogue.
Japan: Japan has very diverse types of traditional music. The oldest is Gagaku. Other types include Biwagaku, Sokyoku, Nogaku, Shakuhachi, Shamisenongaku, and Minyo. All of which revolve around certain types of musical instruments. Notable instruments are the Koto and the Taiko drum. The Koto is used in Sokyoku and is a zither with 13 strings. Today, most players of the koto belong to either the Ikuta or the Yamada School. The playing techniques and sitting techniques are slightly different and certain music pieces belong exclusively to one school or another.
Taiko is the name for the small round stick drum used in Noh and Kabuki and the large stick drum that plays such an important role in Kabuki sound effects. But there are many other traditions of stick drum ranging from the smaller festival drums, to the enormous drums played with great vigor in the newer performances of Japanese percussion well known around the world.
South Asia: One major type of traditional music that originated from Inida is Bhangra. Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. There is a wide variety of drums and other musical instruments that accompany Bhangra. Bhangra has also recently enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae
http://www.sinohits.net/music/index.htm
http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/entertain.entertain?Action=Intro
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2113.html
http://jtrad.columbia.jp/eng/summary.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/traditional_music.html
http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/curriculum/monkey/opera/
China: There is a vast collection of traditional music in China. String and wind instruments are an important part of much of the traditional music compositions. Examples include the pipa, erhu, banhu, suona, and guqin. Many traditional and folk musicians utilize these instruments. The variations of rhythm, beat, tone quality, and embellishments in traditional Chinese music are highly distinctive and unlike their Western counterparts. This is mainly due to the unique sounds and playing styles of traditional Chinese musical instruments. China is also renowned for its Chinese Opera. There are as many types of Chinese opera as there are dialects. The most popular form is Beijing/Peking Opera. Operas contain many aspects of performance, including acrobatics, singing, orchestra band, as well as actors and dialogue.
Japan: Japan has very diverse types of traditional music. The oldest is Gagaku. Other types include Biwagaku, Sokyoku, Nogaku, Shakuhachi, Shamisenongaku, and Minyo. All of which revolve around certain types of musical instruments. Notable instruments are the Koto and the Taiko drum. The Koto is used in Sokyoku and is a zither with 13 strings. Today, most players of the koto belong to either the Ikuta or the Yamada School. The playing techniques and sitting techniques are slightly different and certain music pieces belong exclusively to one school or another.
Taiko is the name for the small round stick drum used in Noh and Kabuki and the large stick drum that plays such an important role in Kabuki sound effects. But there are many other traditions of stick drum ranging from the smaller festival drums, to the enormous drums played with great vigor in the newer performances of Japanese percussion well known around the world.
South Asia: One major type of traditional music that originated from Inida is Bhangra. Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. There is a wide variety of drums and other musical instruments that accompany Bhangra. Bhangra has also recently enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae
http://www.sinohits.net/music/index.htm
http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/entertain.entertain?Action=Intro
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2113.html
http://jtrad.columbia.jp/eng/summary.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/traditional_music.html
http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/curriculum/monkey/opera/
Asian American Rock Music
ASIAN AMERICANS IN ROCK MUSIC
From near the birth of rock music, Asian and Asian Americans have had their hands in creating extremely relevant and ground-breaking rock music. Many of these artists, through their unique styles and experimentation, have contributed major progressions in different compositional technique, purpose, and even (in the case of Japanoise) general genre creation.
Earlier Rock
FANNY – Most likely the first all-female rock band to sign with a major label - fronted by two Asian Pacific American women (Filipinas Jean/June Millington).
YOKO ONO'S PLASTIC ONO BAND - Band formed by Yoko Ono which has only recently begun to be credited with having a major influence in the progression of rock music, particularly on musicians, grossly disproportionate to its sales and visibility (much like the Velvet Underground, cohorts of Andy Warhol).
JOHN & YOKO – releasing Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins in November 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono collaborated to form a very progressive audio art form. Combining elements of futurism, Zen philosophy, and racial/gender equalities, the two thematicized the female body and symbolized the role of women in society through their avant-garde compositions
1990s
BLONDE REDHEAD- comprises of Kazu Kakino, Maki Takahashi, Simone Pace and Amedeo Pace and is known for its dissonant and chaotic sound. Although Takahashi has left, the band continues to record and their sixth album is due out in early 2007.
"EAR OF THE DRAGON" a compilation album of Asian American indie rock bands including Seam, Versus, Aminiature, Skankin' Pickle and J Church, is released in 1995, followed by the inevitable multi-band tour
BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS - Led by Todd Park Mohr, of German, Korean, and Native American descent
CIBO MATTO - Popular Japanese rock band touring the US
HARVEY DANGER - rock/alternative band from the late 90's which rose to fame in 1998 with “Flagpole Sitta” - includes multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lin
METALLICA- Kirk Lee Hammet (lead guitarist) of Filipino, Chinese and Irish descent
MOIST - David Usher (Thai/Jewish) was the lead singer of Moist.
NO DOUBT – ska band which hit rock superstardom in 1995 with its release "Tragic Kingdom." One of their first hit singles, "Don’t Speak," is about the end of the romantic relationship between lead singer Gwen Stefani and Indian American bassist Tony Kanal.
STATIC-X – Los Angeles alternative metal band
WIDE MOUTH MASON - Group opened for the Rolling Stones
2000s
Bow Wow Wow's- ANNABELLA LWIN OF "BOW WOW WOW - their music ranges from simple, goofy, non- sensical tunes to complex, crisp pop masterpieces. Their music has been described as a pastiche of Latin and African beats, 50's rock-n-roll, and spaghetti western soundtracks placed together with an incredible sense of humor and vigor.
COCO LEE (singer) performs "A Love Before Time," from the "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" soundtrack, at the 73rd annual Academy Awards (2001)
DEFTONES - Chino Moreno (vocals), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Chi Chang (bass) and Abe Cunningham (drums) combines elements of punk, pop, hip-hop and traditional metal. The new album, the Deftones' sixth (including a 2005 rarities collection), presents another dynamic collision of atmosphere and metal guitar as singer Chino Moreno soars and tumbles through the ether, fueled by wonder and alienation. It is a sound both agonized and wistful, the kind of contemplative shoe-gazing rock that occurs when you're doubled over in agony.
DIALATED PEOPLES - The group DJ, Babu, is of Filipino descent and is a member of the DJ crew Beat Junkies.
ENDA – four-piece alternative rock band including Valerie Moorhead and Jennifer Yee, two Asian-American singer songwriters
HOOBASTANK - Led by Doug Robb (half Japanese/half White)
LINKIN PARK - Mike Shinoda (lead vocals / m.c.) & DJ Joseph Hahn (DJ, sampling, BG vocals) are part of this successful and popular group.
P.O.D. ("Payable Upon Death") - Asian Pacific Islander American (Guam) cousins Sonny Sandoval (vocals) and "Wuv" Bernando (drums) lead this group
Sum 41 - The band includes Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who is of South Asian descent, and broke onto the charts in 2001 with their album “All Killer No Filler”
SUSIE SUH - upcoming artist on a major American label
TRUST CO. - Alabama-based band features guitarist James Fukai
UNWRITTEN LAW - band's eclectic blend of punk and ska features Pat Kim on bass. Their 2005 CD is titled "Here's to the Mourning."
YELLOW CARD - Ventura-based punk quintet is led by Sean Mackin - a "Hapa"
THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Lead singer Karen O is of Polish and Korean parentage, and was born in South. She is known for her livid stage antics and quirky sense of style.
RACHAEL YAMAGATA – upcoming American born/educated singer/songwriter of the new decade
Capturing the attention of not only college radio, but critics and American musicians alike, a wave of artists originating from Asia have had a profound impact and definite success operating in multiple sub-genre's in American rock music. Although the influence of these Asian musicians has no genre-bounds, one of the most prominent of these movements within the rock genre is the surge of noise bands many have come to refer to largely as 'Japanoise' These groups include:
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - Japanese psychedelic band
AFRIRAMPO - Noise rock band from Osaka, Japan
BORIS - Japanese psychedelic/drone metal band
THE BOREDOMS – Japanese noise rock band
CUI JIAN - "Father of Chinese Rock Music combines traditional Chinese instruments and melodic sensitivities with Western rock.
DO AS INFINITY - Japan's popular hard rock band
EVERY LITTLE THING - pop rock group from Japan featuring Kaon Mochida (vocals) and Ichiro Ito (guitar)
MAD CAPSULE MARKETS - hard rock band from Japan
MELT BANANA - experimental noise band from Japan
N.E.X.T. - Korean metal, industrial, rock & techno punk band
RUINS- Experimental Japanese rock duo
ANOUSHKA SHANKAR - touring and performs classical Indian music with her father Ravi Shankar
includes Cornelius; Buffalo Daughter, who caught the eye of Luscious Jackson, followed by a contract with Beastie Boys' label Grand Royal; and Kahimi Karie.
Pizzicato Five -- currently being represented by Matador Records -- and Shonen Knife --
Other resources on Asian- Americans in Rock music:
http://www.starla.org/articles/aam.htm - Interview with James Iha, guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle
http://www.allaboutasians.com/asian-music5.html – An extensive list of websites focusing on Asian music and bands (underground and more mainstream)
http://www.explode.com/media/asianrock.shtml – an informative article discussing racial aspects in rock and media. An excerpt: "Due to their lack of presence in mainstream American rock, Asian American-led bands may automatically be viewed as a kind of marketing gimmick, which coincides with the recent influx of Asians in the media the last several years. However, Asian Americans have had long-standing, solid ties"
From near the birth of rock music, Asian and Asian Americans have had their hands in creating extremely relevant and ground-breaking rock music. Many of these artists, through their unique styles and experimentation, have contributed major progressions in different compositional technique, purpose, and even (in the case of Japanoise) general genre creation.
Earlier Rock
FANNY – Most likely the first all-female rock band to sign with a major label - fronted by two Asian Pacific American women (Filipinas Jean/June Millington).
YOKO ONO'S PLASTIC ONO BAND - Band formed by Yoko Ono which has only recently begun to be credited with having a major influence in the progression of rock music, particularly on musicians, grossly disproportionate to its sales and visibility (much like the Velvet Underground, cohorts of Andy Warhol).
JOHN & YOKO – releasing Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins in November 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono collaborated to form a very progressive audio art form. Combining elements of futurism, Zen philosophy, and racial/gender equalities, the two thematicized the female body and symbolized the role of women in society through their avant-garde compositions
1990s
BLONDE REDHEAD- comprises of Kazu Kakino, Maki Takahashi, Simone Pace and Amedeo Pace and is known for its dissonant and chaotic sound. Although Takahashi has left, the band continues to record and their sixth album is due out in early 2007.
"EAR OF THE DRAGON" a compilation album of Asian American indie rock bands including Seam, Versus, Aminiature, Skankin' Pickle and J Church, is released in 1995, followed by the inevitable multi-band tour
BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS - Led by Todd Park Mohr, of German, Korean, and Native American descent
CIBO MATTO - Popular Japanese rock band touring the US
HARVEY DANGER - rock/alternative band from the late 90's which rose to fame in 1998 with “Flagpole Sitta” - includes multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lin
METALLICA- Kirk Lee Hammet (lead guitarist) of Filipino, Chinese and Irish descent
MOIST - David Usher (Thai/Jewish) was the lead singer of Moist.
NO DOUBT – ska band which hit rock superstardom in 1995 with its release "Tragic Kingdom." One of their first hit singles, "Don’t Speak," is about the end of the romantic relationship between lead singer Gwen Stefani and Indian American bassist Tony Kanal.
STATIC-X – Los Angeles alternative metal band
WIDE MOUTH MASON - Group opened for the Rolling Stones
2000s
Bow Wow Wow's- ANNABELLA LWIN OF "BOW WOW WOW - their music ranges from simple, goofy, non- sensical tunes to complex, crisp pop masterpieces. Their music has been described as a pastiche of Latin and African beats, 50's rock-n-roll, and spaghetti western soundtracks placed together with an incredible sense of humor and vigor.
COCO LEE (singer) performs "A Love Before Time," from the "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" soundtrack, at the 73rd annual Academy Awards (2001)
DEFTONES - Chino Moreno (vocals), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Chi Chang (bass) and Abe Cunningham (drums) combines elements of punk, pop, hip-hop and traditional metal. The new album, the Deftones' sixth (including a 2005 rarities collection), presents another dynamic collision of atmosphere and metal guitar as singer Chino Moreno soars and tumbles through the ether, fueled by wonder and alienation. It is a sound both agonized and wistful, the kind of contemplative shoe-gazing rock that occurs when you're doubled over in agony.
DIALATED PEOPLES - The group DJ, Babu, is of Filipino descent and is a member of the DJ crew Beat Junkies.
ENDA – four-piece alternative rock band including Valerie Moorhead and Jennifer Yee, two Asian-American singer songwriters
HOOBASTANK - Led by Doug Robb (half Japanese/half White)
LINKIN PARK - Mike Shinoda (lead vocals / m.c.) & DJ Joseph Hahn (DJ, sampling, BG vocals) are part of this successful and popular group.
P.O.D. ("Payable Upon Death") - Asian Pacific Islander American (Guam) cousins Sonny Sandoval (vocals) and "Wuv" Bernando (drums) lead this group
Sum 41 - The band includes Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who is of South Asian descent, and broke onto the charts in 2001 with their album “All Killer No Filler”
SUSIE SUH - upcoming artist on a major American label
TRUST CO. - Alabama-based band features guitarist James Fukai
UNWRITTEN LAW - band's eclectic blend of punk and ska features Pat Kim on bass. Their 2005 CD is titled "Here's to the Mourning."
YELLOW CARD - Ventura-based punk quintet is led by Sean Mackin - a "Hapa"
THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Lead singer Karen O is of Polish and Korean parentage, and was born in South. She is known for her livid stage antics and quirky sense of style.
RACHAEL YAMAGATA – upcoming American born/educated singer/songwriter of the new decade
Capturing the attention of not only college radio, but critics and American musicians alike, a wave of artists originating from Asia have had a profound impact and definite success operating in multiple sub-genre's in American rock music. Although the influence of these Asian musicians has no genre-bounds, one of the most prominent of these movements within the rock genre is the surge of noise bands many have come to refer to largely as 'Japanoise' These groups include:
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - Japanese psychedelic band
AFRIRAMPO - Noise rock band from Osaka, Japan
BORIS - Japanese psychedelic/drone metal band
THE BOREDOMS – Japanese noise rock band
CUI JIAN - "Father of Chinese Rock Music combines traditional Chinese instruments and melodic sensitivities with Western rock.
DO AS INFINITY - Japan's popular hard rock band
EVERY LITTLE THING - pop rock group from Japan featuring Kaon Mochida (vocals) and Ichiro Ito (guitar)
MAD CAPSULE MARKETS - hard rock band from Japan
MELT BANANA - experimental noise band from Japan
N.E.X.T. - Korean metal, industrial, rock & techno punk band
RUINS- Experimental Japanese rock duo
ANOUSHKA SHANKAR - touring and performs classical Indian music with her father Ravi Shankar
includes Cornelius; Buffalo Daughter, who caught the eye of Luscious Jackson, followed by a contract with Beastie Boys' label Grand Royal; and Kahimi Karie.
Pizzicato Five -- currently being represented by Matador Records -- and Shonen Knife --
Other resources on Asian- Americans in Rock music:
http://www.starla.org/articles/aam.htm - Interview with James Iha, guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle
http://www.allaboutasians.com/asian-music5.html – An extensive list of websites focusing on Asian music and bands (underground and more mainstream)
http://www.explode.com/media/asianrock.shtml – an informative article discussing racial aspects in rock and media. An excerpt: "Due to their lack of presence in mainstream American rock, Asian American-led bands may automatically be viewed as a kind of marketing gimmick, which coincides with the recent influx of Asians in the media the last several years. However, Asian Americans have had long-standing, solid ties"
Asian American Pop
Asian American Pop
Is the genre of mainstream musicians that are Asian American. While there are few known Asian American pop stars, the numbers are swelling as more Asian Americans enter the music scene.
One of first notable Asian Americans in pop is Yoko Ono. (direct towards her homepage). While she has been branded in the media as the one who “broke up the Beatles,” her art and music career began before she met John Lennon. Her music had a feminist approach that attempted to express itself through her heterosexual relationship with John (in opposition to the then popular means of expressing it through lesbian relationships). Her goal in her art and music was also so overcome the racial barriers she encountered as a Japanese female and as John Lennon’s wife (and to some, the one who “broke up the band”).
Levitz, Tamara. “Yoko Ono and the Unfinished…’John and Yoko’”
Through the years, other Asian American pop groups or musicians have included James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins guitarist/backup vocals & solo recording artist), successful record producer Chad Hugo (Filipino) of the Neptunes, rock band member Mike Shinoda (Japanese and Russian) of Linkin Park, pop and hip-hop group member Nicole Scherzinger (a mix of Filipino, Hawaiian, and Russian) of the Pussycat Dolls, Vanessa Hudgins (a melting pot of Irish, Native American, Filipina, Spanish, and Chinese descent), the Black Eyes Peas, and William Hung.
Miyera Navarro “Missing: Asian American Pop Stars” International herald Tribune. 4 March 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/04/news/singer.php
“Is the US Ready for Asian American Pop Stars?” http://www.goldsea.com/Air/Issues/Pop/pop.html
The Black Eyes Peas include Filipino MC Apl.de.ap (usually referred to as Apl) who has incorporated Tagalog into some of his work, such as the song “Apl” and “Bebot”. According to Rachel Devitt, using Tagalog in mainstream music serves as a political and social commentary on US-Filipino (post)colonial relations and the diasporia now living in the US: “‘The APL Song,’ ‘Bebot,’ and their videos lay claim to the hip hop diaspora, employing its transnational language to interpolate the annals of hegemony with the experiences that have systematically slipped into its cracks. At the same time, the songs and their videos tap into rich Filipino lineages of (post)colonial artistic and cultural resistance. Interweaving history and historiography, swirling story around story, “The APL Song” and “Bebot” draw multiple lexicons together into a performative vernacular that speaks to just what ‘contentless’ mainstream pop music is capable of.”
Rachel Devitt “Lost in Translation: Filipino Diaspora(s), Postcolonial Hip Hop, and the Problems of Keeping It Real for the ‘Contentless’ Black Eyed Peas” Project Muse University of Washington http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/asian_music/v039/39.1devitt.pdf
The other popular Asian American pop icon has been William Hung, a contestant on American Idol who was popularized not for his talent but rather lack thereof and rejection on one of the most popular US television shows. His success has been considered to be racist, condescending, and a manifestation of all negative Asian American stereotypes (David Ng). Although Hung admits he is not popular for the right reasons, “I’m infamous, a joke” (Ng), he did acquire a fan base and produce four records.
http://iipa.chadwyck.com/articles/displayItemPDF.do?format=PAGE&PQID=622276911&journalID=JID00426180&royaltiesid=LOUJID00426180&product=iipa
David Ng “Hung Out to Dry: What We Laugh about when we laugh at American Idol’s most famous reject” The Village Voice; Apr 7-Apr 13, 2004; 49, 14; ProQuest Direct Complete pg. C52
Is the genre of mainstream musicians that are Asian American. While there are few known Asian American pop stars, the numbers are swelling as more Asian Americans enter the music scene.
One of first notable Asian Americans in pop is Yoko Ono. (direct towards her homepage). While she has been branded in the media as the one who “broke up the Beatles,” her art and music career began before she met John Lennon. Her music had a feminist approach that attempted to express itself through her heterosexual relationship with John (in opposition to the then popular means of expressing it through lesbian relationships). Her goal in her art and music was also so overcome the racial barriers she encountered as a Japanese female and as John Lennon’s wife (and to some, the one who “broke up the band”).
Levitz, Tamara. “Yoko Ono and the Unfinished…’John and Yoko’”
Through the years, other Asian American pop groups or musicians have included James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins guitarist/backup vocals & solo recording artist), successful record producer Chad Hugo (Filipino) of the Neptunes, rock band member Mike Shinoda (Japanese and Russian) of Linkin Park, pop and hip-hop group member Nicole Scherzinger (a mix of Filipino, Hawaiian, and Russian) of the Pussycat Dolls, Vanessa Hudgins (a melting pot of Irish, Native American, Filipina, Spanish, and Chinese descent), the Black Eyes Peas, and William Hung.
Miyera Navarro “Missing: Asian American Pop Stars” International herald Tribune. 4 March 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/04/news/singer.php
“Is the US Ready for Asian American Pop Stars?” http://www.goldsea.com/Air/Issues/Pop/pop.html
The Black Eyes Peas include Filipino MC Apl.de.ap (usually referred to as Apl) who has incorporated Tagalog into some of his work, such as the song “Apl” and “Bebot”. According to Rachel Devitt, using Tagalog in mainstream music serves as a political and social commentary on US-Filipino (post)colonial relations and the diasporia now living in the US: “‘The APL Song,’ ‘Bebot,’ and their videos lay claim to the hip hop diaspora, employing its transnational language to interpolate the annals of hegemony with the experiences that have systematically slipped into its cracks. At the same time, the songs and their videos tap into rich Filipino lineages of (post)colonial artistic and cultural resistance. Interweaving history and historiography, swirling story around story, “The APL Song” and “Bebot” draw multiple lexicons together into a performative vernacular that speaks to just what ‘contentless’ mainstream pop music is capable of.”
Rachel Devitt “Lost in Translation: Filipino Diaspora(s), Postcolonial Hip Hop, and the Problems of Keeping It Real for the ‘Contentless’ Black Eyed Peas” Project Muse University of Washington http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/asian_music/v039/39.1devitt.pdf
The other popular Asian American pop icon has been William Hung, a contestant on American Idol who was popularized not for his talent but rather lack thereof and rejection on one of the most popular US television shows. His success has been considered to be racist, condescending, and a manifestation of all negative Asian American stereotypes (David Ng). Although Hung admits he is not popular for the right reasons, “I’m infamous, a joke” (Ng), he did acquire a fan base and produce four records.
http://iipa.chadwyck.com/articles/displayItemPDF.do?format=PAGE&PQID=622276911&journalID=JID00426180&royaltiesid=LOUJID00426180&product=iipa
David Ng “Hung Out to Dry: What We Laugh about when we laugh at American Idol’s most famous reject” The Village Voice; Apr 7-Apr 13, 2004; 49, 14; ProQuest Direct Complete pg. C52
Asian American Religious Music
The most important thing for me to do at this point in time is to structure my Wikipedia article so that clearly convey the important aspects of the Asian American religious music. With that, I’ve decided to divide my topic into four main religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism and then Additional Religions, which is to include smaller, but growing religions among Asian American. Since the article does is about music, I’m making it a point to explain the role music plays within each of these religions , while also including specific artists who create music for their religion as well as Asian American performers who are associated with a specific religion. Furthermore, I can’t discuss the music effectively without putting it in cultural context. One thing I am really interested in discussing is the growing number of Asian American evangelical Christians in the US, especially on college campuses. This is other topics to include Religious Life in the US, will consist of issues and address questions facing individual religions, discrimination, among other things. To give a name and a face to each specific religion, I’d like to include prominent places of worship, and people who have been Influential Leaders within Asian American religious life. Finally, one of the most important things for me to do is to make sure that I define similarities and differences between Asian American music and Asian music and how influential the latter is within the Asian American music community and religious life in general. For the most part, my article is not going to be taken from a very historical, archival perspective, but I rather seek to write this section with a more forth-looking and modern day point of view since the face of the Asian American community is constantly changing, many not having a long history here in the United States. My goal is to make the article as thorough and clear as possible, allowing one who browses the page to get an immediate grasp on the nature of prevalence of Asian American religious music on just a cursory glance. If possible, I would like to include listening samples and pictures, because the best way for me to accomplish that is with clear subtitles and opening sentences, as well as charts, graphs and pictures with subtitles.
Notes and Resources
Artists
Koti Hu
http://us_asians.tripod.com/ articles-koti-hu.html
"US ASIANS: What do you see as your role/participation in the Contemporary Christian Music industry as an Asian American?
KOTI HU: I see it as peripheral only. I do not have that strong of an ethnic identity and therefore don’t have too much of an agenda at all concerning that. I will let my music speak for itself. Anything that develops will be a byproduct of that"
Asian American evangelical Christian movement on the campus of Berkley
http://us_asians.tripod.com/articles-koti-hu.html
http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Kim.pdf
Book
Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity
Monolid Magazine
Christan Organizations at Harvard
Changing Dynamic of the Churches
http://www.modelminority.com/article1091.html
Human Resources
http://www.religionlink.org/tip_071015zones.php
Pluralism Project at Harvard University
University of Texas, music journals
Harvard Asian American Christian Fellowship
http://hraacf.org/about/Ethnic
Notes and Resources
Artists
Koti Hu
http://us_asians.tripod.com/ articles-koti-hu.html
"US ASIANS: What do you see as your role/participation in the Contemporary Christian Music industry as an Asian American?
KOTI HU: I see it as peripheral only. I do not have that strong of an ethnic identity and therefore don’t have too much of an agenda at all concerning that. I will let my music speak for itself. Anything that develops will be a byproduct of that"
Asian American evangelical Christian movement on the campus of Berkley
http://us_asians.tripod.com/articles-koti-hu.html
http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Kim.pdf
Book
Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity
Monolid Magazine
Christan Organizations at Harvard
Changing Dynamic of the Churches
http://www.modelminority.com/article1091.html
Human Resources
http://www.religionlink.org/tip_071015zones.php
Pluralism Project at Harvard University
University of Texas, music journals
Harvard Asian American Christian Fellowship
http://hraacf.org/about/Ethnic
Monday, March 16, 2009
Asian American Jazz
So for my article, there already exists a wikipedia article on Asian American Jazz. However, as it exists now, it is little more than just a listing of links to other wikipedia articles on various artists. Even some of the links don't work (the article to Jordan White points to a deleted article). The links that do exist are very insubstantial (only 2 sentences on Mark Izu and a paragraph on Jon Jang). The paragraph in the article mentions the San Francisco Asian American Jazz Festival only in passing, and doesn't even provide a link.
I intend to take the current article and use it more of an outline to develop something more of it. I want to take some of the ideas presented in the articles we read in class previously and apply some analysis, rather than just a presentation of facts. I want the article to look more similar to the wikipedia article on Jazz fusion. This includes tracing the influences of Asian American Jazz, a chronology, and some text on representatives of Asian American Jazz. I also want to include information on the Asian American Jazz Festival.
I intend to take the current article and use it more of an outline to develop something more of it. I want to take some of the ideas presented in the articles we read in class previously and apply some analysis, rather than just a presentation of facts. I want the article to look more similar to the wikipedia article on Jazz fusion. This includes tracing the influences of Asian American Jazz, a chronology, and some text on representatives of Asian American Jazz. I also want to include information on the Asian American Jazz Festival.
Asian Americans in Classical Music
Asian Americans in Classical Music
According to Mari Yoshihara there are different classifications for Asian American Classical musicians:
Asian American
Merely a descriptive rather than political/social identity
Many are sheltered in conservatories
International
“discovered” by American teachers
Immigrant Geniuses
Midori
Migrant Performers
Transnational Offspring
“Hybrid” Asians
Asian American Classical Musicians
Akira Tana
Born March 14, 1952 in San Jose California
Self taught drummer
Studied Jazz drumming
Has worked with Al Cohn, Tete Montoliu, Spike Robinson, James moody, Dizzy Gillespie
Yo Yo Ma
Born October 7, 1955 in Paris, France
Took up cello at age 4
Performed for JFK, with Leonard Bernstein by age 15
Plays in Silk Road Ensemble
Known for his smooth, rich tones and well considered for his virtuosity
Has won several Grammys for various works on albums
Midori Goto
Born October 25, 1971 in Osaka, Japan
Taught violin by her mother
Moved to New York to study at Juilliard
Legendary performance at Tanglewood at 14
Sarah Chang
Born December 10, 1980 in Philadelphia, PA
Admitted to Juilliard School at 6
By 8 was accepted to play with New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra
Kyung-wha Chung
Born Mrach 26, 1948 in Seoul, South Korea
Fame peaked in 70s when she was performing with Zukerman and Perlman
By age 9 was playing with Seoul Philharmonic
Moved to US at 13 to study at Juilliard
Margaret Leung Tan
Born in 1945 in Singapore
Studied at Juilliard at 16
Most famous for performing on toy pianos and other unconventional instruments
Pioneer in prepared piano playing
Met John Cage in 1981 and worked together for 11 years
According to Mari Yoshihara there are different classifications for Asian American Classical musicians:
Asian American
Merely a descriptive rather than political/social identity
Many are sheltered in conservatories
International
“discovered” by American teachers
Immigrant Geniuses
Midori
Migrant Performers
Transnational Offspring
“Hybrid” Asians
Asian American Classical Musicians
Akira Tana
Born March 14, 1952 in San Jose California
Self taught drummer
Studied Jazz drumming
Has worked with Al Cohn, Tete Montoliu, Spike Robinson, James moody, Dizzy Gillespie
Yo Yo Ma
Born October 7, 1955 in Paris, France
Took up cello at age 4
Performed for JFK, with Leonard Bernstein by age 15
Plays in Silk Road Ensemble
Known for his smooth, rich tones and well considered for his virtuosity
Has won several Grammys for various works on albums
Midori Goto
Born October 25, 1971 in Osaka, Japan
Taught violin by her mother
Moved to New York to study at Juilliard
Legendary performance at Tanglewood at 14
Sarah Chang
Born December 10, 1980 in Philadelphia, PA
Admitted to Juilliard School at 6
By 8 was accepted to play with New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra
Kyung-wha Chung
Born Mrach 26, 1948 in Seoul, South Korea
Fame peaked in 70s when she was performing with Zukerman and Perlman
By age 9 was playing with Seoul Philharmonic
Moved to US at 13 to study at Juilliard
Margaret Leung Tan
Born in 1945 in Singapore
Studied at Juilliard at 16
Most famous for performing on toy pianos and other unconventional instruments
Pioneer in prepared piano playing
Met John Cage in 1981 and worked together for 11 years
Asian Americans in Spoken Word
*Note that the wikipedia entry on spoken word is cited in several places. Because of a lack of sources cited in that entry, other sources of information will be used to appropriately update the wikipedia citings.
Also note that artist descriptions were taken directly from each artists' respective website. More critical views of each artist will be searched for and used to update descriptions.
What is Spoken Word?
Defining spoken word is a difficult task. To some, the term is very closely related to performance poetry. Other consider this art form to be much more. The writers at SpokenOak contend that spoken word has "no simple, singular definition" for spoken word. However, they write that "for the sake of scholarly study" and "federal arts funding", the following definition of spoken word is useful:
"A category of performance art to encompass any new seriously developed genre or traditional form that is primarily word-based & is not exclusively Music, Theatre or Dance but may include collaborations with other non-word-based art genres or works created in collaboration with artists from non-word-based disciplines."
Wikipedia also suggests that all spoken word contain "the common element ... protest and a critical or corrective tone." Answers.com differentiates between performance poetry and commentary of a political and social nature.
Origin of Spoken Word
Finding the history of spoken word is also a difficult task. According to spoken word's wikipedia entry, spoken word developed out of the poetry slams, or cabaret-style duels between poets, of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Why spoken word in an entry about music in Asian America?
Some would say that spoken word has nothing to do with music and should not be included in this wikipedia entry. However, as stated above, the definition of spoken word is very difficult to pin down. Also, some spoken word prominently features aspects of music performance, though this fact does not need to be emphasized in order to justify the inclusion of spoken word within the framework of music in Asian America. Rather the flexible and encompassing definition of spoken justifies its inclusion.
Asian Americans in Spoken Word
Several notable Asian Americans in spoken word perform. Many perform with a special emphasis on issues of race and culture in America. Below is a short list and description of notable Asian Americans involved with the art of spoken word.
Yellow Rage
Michelle and Catzie are a dynamic duo of Philly-based Asian American female spoken word poets. Through their voices, Catzie and Michelle hope to provide an awareness that is not often heard. Exploring topics from fetishes to cultural appropriation to ethnic pride, Yellow Rage challenges mainstream misconceptions of Asianness.
Giles Li
Giles Li is a spoken word performer based in Boston. He is affiliated with community groups both locally and nationally to work for social change.
Throughout her evolution as a writer, performer, filmmaker, and multidisciplinary hip hop theater artist, Kelly constantly strives to broaden the impact and reach of spoken word poetry in its efforts to transform political realities, revolutionize arts and entertainment, and empower audiences across the globe.
Sources
Long live giles li. http://www.gilesli.com, 16 March 2009.
SpokenOak. http://www.spokenoak.com, 16 March 2009.
"Spoken-word", Answers.com.http://www.answers.com/topic/spoken-word, 16 March 2009.
"Spoken Word", Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoken_word, 16 March 2009.
Yellow Rage. http://www.yellowrage.com, 16 March 2009.
Yellowgurl.com : Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. http://www.yellowgurl.com/bio, 16 March 2009.
Also note that artist descriptions were taken directly from each artists' respective website. More critical views of each artist will be searched for and used to update descriptions.
What is Spoken Word?
Defining spoken word is a difficult task. To some, the term is very closely related to performance poetry. Other consider this art form to be much more. The writers at SpokenOak contend that spoken word has "no simple, singular definition" for spoken word. However, they write that "for the sake of scholarly study" and "federal arts funding", the following definition of spoken word is useful:
"A category of performance art to encompass any new seriously developed genre or traditional form that is primarily word-based & is not exclusively Music, Theatre or Dance but may include collaborations with other non-word-based art genres or works created in collaboration with artists from non-word-based disciplines."
Wikipedia also suggests that all spoken word contain "the common element ... protest and a critical or corrective tone." Answers.com differentiates between performance poetry and commentary of a political and social nature.
Origin of Spoken Word
Finding the history of spoken word is also a difficult task. According to spoken word's wikipedia entry, spoken word developed out of the poetry slams, or cabaret-style duels between poets, of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Why spoken word in an entry about music in Asian America?
Some would say that spoken word has nothing to do with music and should not be included in this wikipedia entry. However, as stated above, the definition of spoken word is very difficult to pin down. Also, some spoken word prominently features aspects of music performance, though this fact does not need to be emphasized in order to justify the inclusion of spoken word within the framework of music in Asian America. Rather the flexible and encompassing definition of spoken justifies its inclusion.
Asian Americans in Spoken Word
Several notable Asian Americans in spoken word perform. Many perform with a special emphasis on issues of race and culture in America. Below is a short list and description of notable Asian Americans involved with the art of spoken word.
Yellow Rage
Michelle and Catzie are a dynamic duo of Philly-based Asian American female spoken word poets. Through their voices, Catzie and Michelle hope to provide an awareness that is not often heard. Exploring topics from fetishes to cultural appropriation to ethnic pride, Yellow Rage challenges mainstream misconceptions of Asianness.
Giles Li
Giles Li is a spoken word performer based in Boston. He is affiliated with community groups both locally and nationally to work for social change.
His experience and leadership within Asian American communities has led to his having been quoted as an expert on Asian American community issues in many publications, including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, and Oakland Tribune. Most recently, he appears in the book The Snake Dance of Asian American Activism: Community, Vision, and Power.
Kelly TsaiThroughout her evolution as a writer, performer, filmmaker, and multidisciplinary hip hop theater artist, Kelly constantly strives to broaden the impact and reach of spoken word poetry in its efforts to transform political realities, revolutionize arts and entertainment, and empower audiences across the globe.
Sources
Long live giles li. http://www.gilesli.com
SpokenOak. http://www.spokenoak.com
"Spoken-word", Answers.com.
"Spoken Word", Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoken_word
Yellow Rage. http://www.yellowrage.com
Yellowgurl.com : Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. http://www.yellowgurl.com/bio
Asian Americans in Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre
Anything Goes (1934)
• Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
• Takes place in various locations on an Ocean Liner (www.ibdb.com)
• Characters: Ching and Ling
o Two Chinese ‘Converts’ and reformed gamblers who accompany the Bishop
• Character Sir Evelyn also admits to a one-night stand with a young Chinese woman in Act II
South Pacific (1949)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Set in two islands in the South Pacific during WWII
• Based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific
• Musical won Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1950
• Main theme is not traditionally of that island, but more of what Rodgers imagined to evoke the island feel (PBS documentary on Broadway)
• “Bali Ha’i”
o sung by Bloody Mary, who is an islander
o she is often cast as Black but is supposed to be Asian or Pacific Islander
The King and I (1951)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Set in and around the Royal Palace in Bangkok (“Siam”) in the 1860’s (www.ibdb.com)
• Based on the book Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon, which was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens
• Story of an English governess who goes to Siam to teach the king’s children
• Integrates European culture with Siamese elements “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance”
Flower Drum Song (1958)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein musical
• Based on the novel of the same name by C.Y. Lee
• Story is about Asian and Asian American cultures and the differences in these cultures, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the present time
• Features 4 main characters:
o Linda Low (Americanized female)
o Sammie Fong (Americanized male)
o Mei-Li (not Americanized female)
o Want Ta (not Americanized male)
• “Chop Suey”
o “Song that celebrates American culture as defined by a white popular culture, not the ethnic pluralism that the title suggests” (Wang, Oliver. “Between the Notes: Finding Asian America in Popular Music”)
• “I Enjoy Being A Girl”
o About the stereotypical qualities of an American girl
• Musical emphasizes the importance of such “Asian” qualities as honor, family, and background
Miss Saigon (1991)
• Lyrics by Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.; Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg
• Set during Vietnam War
• Based on Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
• About an American soldier fighting in the Vietnam War who falls in love with Vietnamese prostitute
• Controversy: Casting European American actor, Jonathan Pryce, to play Eurasian pimp (Wei, William. “Who Am I? Creating an Asian American Identity and Culture”)
o Asian American Theatre Company protested
o “Cameron Mackintosh and his associates maintained that casting Pryce in the lead was purely an artistic decision”
• Originally starred Lea Salonga (Filipino singer and actress)
o She went on to play both Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables, both traditionally European roles (www.ibdb.com)
• Inclusion of Vietnamese traditions – “The Ceremony (Dju Vui Vai)”
• Also features various images of the American Dream – “The Movie in My Mind”
• Ends with the main Asian female character, Kim, committing suicide so that her American lover (and husband), Chris, would be forced to take their son back to the States
Avenue Q (2003)
• Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
• Won Tony for Best Musical in 2004 (www.ibdb.com)
• Original musical, satire and political humor, set in present day (2003)
• Details the lives of various characters, both human and puppets, who live on Avenue Q
• Character: Christmas Eve
o Asian American, married to Brian, who is a white male
o Japanese, therapist with no clients (song “It Sucks to be Me”)
o Has an Asian accent and some grammar issues throughout the show
• “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”
o Song is about racial slurs and discrimination coming from everyone
o Christmas Eve has a part complaining of the term “Oriental” and how it is “offensive to me”
o They mention in the song that the correct term is “Asian American”
• “It Sucks to be Me”
o Christmas Eve has a solo
o “It suck to be me! I say it Sucka-Sucka-Sucka…”
• “The More You Ruv Someone”
o Christmas Eve song
o Highlights her Asian accent (absence of the “l” sound in some Asian languages results in the “r” sound)
Anything Goes (1934)
• Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
• Takes place in various locations on an Ocean Liner (www.ibdb.com)
• Characters: Ching and Ling
o Two Chinese ‘Converts’ and reformed gamblers who accompany the Bishop
• Character Sir Evelyn also admits to a one-night stand with a young Chinese woman in Act II
South Pacific (1949)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Set in two islands in the South Pacific during WWII
• Based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific
• Musical won Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1950
• Main theme is not traditionally of that island, but more of what Rodgers imagined to evoke the island feel (PBS documentary on Broadway)
• “Bali Ha’i”
o sung by Bloody Mary, who is an islander
o she is often cast as Black but is supposed to be Asian or Pacific Islander
The King and I (1951)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Set in and around the Royal Palace in Bangkok (“Siam”) in the 1860’s (www.ibdb.com)
• Based on the book Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon, which was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens
• Story of an English governess who goes to Siam to teach the king’s children
• Integrates European culture with Siamese elements “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance”
Flower Drum Song (1958)
• Rodgers and Hammerstein musical
• Based on the novel of the same name by C.Y. Lee
• Story is about Asian and Asian American cultures and the differences in these cultures, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the present time
• Features 4 main characters:
o Linda Low (Americanized female)
o Sammie Fong (Americanized male)
o Mei-Li (not Americanized female)
o Want Ta (not Americanized male)
• “Chop Suey”
o “Song that celebrates American culture as defined by a white popular culture, not the ethnic pluralism that the title suggests” (Wang, Oliver. “Between the Notes: Finding Asian America in Popular Music”)
• “I Enjoy Being A Girl”
o About the stereotypical qualities of an American girl
• Musical emphasizes the importance of such “Asian” qualities as honor, family, and background
Miss Saigon (1991)
• Lyrics by Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.; Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg
• Set during Vietnam War
• Based on Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
• About an American soldier fighting in the Vietnam War who falls in love with Vietnamese prostitute
• Controversy: Casting European American actor, Jonathan Pryce, to play Eurasian pimp (Wei, William. “Who Am I? Creating an Asian American Identity and Culture”)
o Asian American Theatre Company protested
o “Cameron Mackintosh and his associates maintained that casting Pryce in the lead was purely an artistic decision”
• Originally starred Lea Salonga (Filipino singer and actress)
o She went on to play both Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables, both traditionally European roles (www.ibdb.com)
• Inclusion of Vietnamese traditions – “The Ceremony (Dju Vui Vai)”
• Also features various images of the American Dream – “The Movie in My Mind”
• Ends with the main Asian female character, Kim, committing suicide so that her American lover (and husband), Chris, would be forced to take their son back to the States
Avenue Q (2003)
• Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
• Won Tony for Best Musical in 2004 (www.ibdb.com)
• Original musical, satire and political humor, set in present day (2003)
• Details the lives of various characters, both human and puppets, who live on Avenue Q
• Character: Christmas Eve
o Asian American, married to Brian, who is a white male
o Japanese, therapist with no clients (song “It Sucks to be Me”)
o Has an Asian accent and some grammar issues throughout the show
• “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”
o Song is about racial slurs and discrimination coming from everyone
o Christmas Eve has a part complaining of the term “Oriental” and how it is “offensive to me”
o They mention in the song that the correct term is “Asian American”
• “It Sucks to be Me”
o Christmas Eve has a solo
o “It suck to be me! I say it Sucka-Sucka-Sucka…”
• “The More You Ruv Someone”
o Christmas Eve song
o Highlights her Asian accent (absence of the “l” sound in some Asian languages results in the “r” sound)
Asian Americans in R&B
Asian Americans in R&B
There are two types of Asian American artists in the R&B genre: the Asian American artists who choose to control their image and ethnicity in attempts to appeal to a broader audience to achieving mainstream success AND the Asian American R&B artists who openly discuss ethnicity and identity through their music.
(1) Asian American R&B Artists who control their Asian identity
Popular artists such as Cassie, and Amerie are more well known it seem as a result of their efforts to downplay their racial differences and appeal to a larger mainstream audience.
Similar to that of Hip Hop, many R&B artists of Asian decent have found that “listeners hear them differently on whether they’re already known to be Asian American.” (Wong 252) In this way, the R&B artists who are Asian American try to control listener’s initial perception to their sound in an attempt to achieve mainstream success. These artists acknowledge that it is harder to receive the claim that her other counterparts (black and some white) do if they incorporate their ethnicity into their music. Hip hop group The Mountain Brothers, relate similarly with R&B artists looking for mainstream success in stating that
We avoid initially making explicit references to ethnicity so that we can be given a fair unbiased listen based on the merits of our music, lyrics and style, as opposed to avoiding making explicit references to ethnicity so that we can pass for Black. (Wong 252)
Like the Mountain Brothers in Hip Hop, Asian American artists trying to get into or already in the mainstream, fail to comment on their Asian ethnicity and heritage in the hopes of appealing to a bigger audience to achieve mainstream popularity and success.
Mainstream artists like Cassie, who’s father is Filipino and mother is Caribbean, Mexican and Native American, does not make any explicit references to her father’s Asian heritage or its influence on her music and identity. Her big hit “Me & U,” released in 2006, sold over 1 million digital downloads and was a dance club success (Cohen). “Me & U” does not make any references to Asian culture and could be sung by a number of R&B artists of various ethnic backgrounds as the song pertains to a typical heterosexual relationship situation experienced by all ethnicity.
Other R&B artists such as Amerie, create similar music in which discussion of their ethnicity is limited and songs with themes of love, hate and relationships in which any two people could be place into the situation are sang about more often.
Amerie who’s father is African American and mother is Korean has allowed her the ability to move between identities, sometimes embracing her Asian heritage singing in Korean and other times embracing her African American heritage appealing to urban radio airwaves and competing with non-Asian artists such as Ashanti and Tweet.
Interesting, many of the best known and most popular Asian American musical artists tend to be multiracial Asians ('hapas')… Successful multiracial Asian solo artists include Norah Jones (Asian Indian and White), Michelle Branch (Indonesian and Irish), and Amerie (Korean and African American). Many believe that record executives feel multiracial Asian American artists are more "culturally acceptable" or "marketable" to American consumers and therefore are more eager to promote them than monoracial Asian American artists. (Writers, Artists, Entertainers: Asian Nation)
The generalization of her songs topics is common among R&B artists. In singing about common love issues, Amerie is able to appeal to a greater audience and achieve success. BUT she also keen to incorporate some Asian features into her music, whether is being the Korean language or symbolism in her music videos. Interestingly enough, these Asian images are used to displaying attractive exoticism that is intriguing to mass culture.
Both of these artists are of Asian decent and another ethnicity. Being mixed allows these artists to highlight one identity over another when they feel necessary. More often, it is the African American identity that is highlighted as R&B is typically seen as originating from African American culture.
RELATED MEDIA:
Cassie “Me & U” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EJZtQjiYA
Amerie “One Thing” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa1qaAcJG70
Amerie “Touch” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0tub17v3E&feature=PlayList&p=6D45D545ACE74C23&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17
(2) Asian American R&B artists who incorporate their Asian identities into their Music
These artists and bands are typically less well-known because their musical aesthetics and politics are applicable to a smaller audience, usually Asian Americans or smaller niche audiences.
Artists:
-ROSE ANN DIMALANTA - Vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Ann_Dimalanta
-KEVIN SO
"I'm not accepted by the Black culture because I'm Asian, and I'm not accepted by Asian people because I'm not 'Asian'. Let's face it, who is the racist here?" says Kevin So. "Asian American artists have to create a thing, [where] artists have to band together and work together to create a show worth seeing. The people who are complaining about it - they got to come out and support people. If you want to see change and you're too busy to do the change yourself, then you've got to do at least something."
“Rhythem” Christine Chen
http://www.hkvpradio.com/rhythm/music/features/20040517.php
Kevin So and Midnight Snack “A Brighter Day”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiCc4fzRJlk
-JENI FUJITA - Japanese "Teena Marie" who worked w/Wyclef Jean
“She stole the show by singing Japanese lyrics over a seductive reggae beat. Wyclef, Lauryn Hill and the recently pardoned John Forte were also fans of her distinctive voice, and they all tapped her to sing background vocals on their albums.”
Entertainment Weekly (http://margeauxs-mix.ew.com/2009/01/jeni-fujita-ind.html)
-GERRY WOO - was signed with Polydor in 1988, issued one LP Listen To My Heart, sang on one track on the UCLA Gospel Choir's CD and reappeared as Harlemm Lee who won on Debbie Allen's TV Show on NBC.
“Rebirth of Gerry Woo” AARising used to have an article but it got taken off the internet
-IBU – “IBU has been called Chicago's hottest male vocal group by WGN Channel 9 and was introduced as "Asians with Soul" by Chicago's power 92.3FM, IBU is different from the most pop/R&B groups. This three member group delivers such rich harmonic sound that makes them different from the other boy bands. IBU can perform a cappella, they sing with acoustic guitar accompaniment, they perform with instrumental tracks, have choreographed numbers, and they break dance on stage too. It’s the complete package that makes IBU a truly entertaining group.”
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=83063
I’m sure there are more…if anyone found anything let me know!!
Mia
Sources and Websites:
Cohen, Johnathan. “Diddy: Cassie CD Will Catch People ‘Off Guard.’” Billboard.Com. April 7th 2008. NY. Date accessed: 3/15/09 < http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003786642 >
Le, C.N. 2009. "Writers, Artists, & Entertainers." Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. (March 16, 2009).
Wong, Deborah. “Speak it Louder”
Afro Asia By Fred Wei-han Ho, Bill Mullen pg 306
http://www.allaboutasians.com/asian-music3.html
There are two types of Asian American artists in the R&B genre: the Asian American artists who choose to control their image and ethnicity in attempts to appeal to a broader audience to achieving mainstream success AND the Asian American R&B artists who openly discuss ethnicity and identity through their music.
(1) Asian American R&B Artists who control their Asian identity
Popular artists such as Cassie, and Amerie are more well known it seem as a result of their efforts to downplay their racial differences and appeal to a larger mainstream audience.
Similar to that of Hip Hop, many R&B artists of Asian decent have found that “listeners hear them differently on whether they’re already known to be Asian American.” (Wong 252) In this way, the R&B artists who are Asian American try to control listener’s initial perception to their sound in an attempt to achieve mainstream success. These artists acknowledge that it is harder to receive the claim that her other counterparts (black and some white) do if they incorporate their ethnicity into their music. Hip hop group The Mountain Brothers, relate similarly with R&B artists looking for mainstream success in stating that
We avoid initially making explicit references to ethnicity so that we can be given a fair unbiased listen based on the merits of our music, lyrics and style, as opposed to avoiding making explicit references to ethnicity so that we can pass for Black. (Wong 252)
Like the Mountain Brothers in Hip Hop, Asian American artists trying to get into or already in the mainstream, fail to comment on their Asian ethnicity and heritage in the hopes of appealing to a bigger audience to achieve mainstream popularity and success.
Mainstream artists like Cassie, who’s father is Filipino and mother is Caribbean, Mexican and Native American, does not make any explicit references to her father’s Asian heritage or its influence on her music and identity. Her big hit “Me & U,” released in 2006, sold over 1 million digital downloads and was a dance club success (Cohen). “Me & U” does not make any references to Asian culture and could be sung by a number of R&B artists of various ethnic backgrounds as the song pertains to a typical heterosexual relationship situation experienced by all ethnicity.
Other R&B artists such as Amerie, create similar music in which discussion of their ethnicity is limited and songs with themes of love, hate and relationships in which any two people could be place into the situation are sang about more often.
Amerie who’s father is African American and mother is Korean has allowed her the ability to move between identities, sometimes embracing her Asian heritage singing in Korean and other times embracing her African American heritage appealing to urban radio airwaves and competing with non-Asian artists such as Ashanti and Tweet.
Interesting, many of the best known and most popular Asian American musical artists tend to be multiracial Asians ('hapas')… Successful multiracial Asian solo artists include Norah Jones (Asian Indian and White), Michelle Branch (Indonesian and Irish), and Amerie (Korean and African American). Many believe that record executives feel multiracial Asian American artists are more "culturally acceptable" or "marketable" to American consumers and therefore are more eager to promote them than monoracial Asian American artists. (Writers, Artists, Entertainers: Asian Nation)
The generalization of her songs topics is common among R&B artists. In singing about common love issues, Amerie is able to appeal to a greater audience and achieve success. BUT she also keen to incorporate some Asian features into her music, whether is being the Korean language or symbolism in her music videos. Interestingly enough, these Asian images are used to displaying attractive exoticism that is intriguing to mass culture.
Both of these artists are of Asian decent and another ethnicity. Being mixed allows these artists to highlight one identity over another when they feel necessary. More often, it is the African American identity that is highlighted as R&B is typically seen as originating from African American culture.
RELATED MEDIA:
Cassie “Me & U” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EJZtQjiYA
Amerie “One Thing” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa1qaAcJG70
Amerie “Touch” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0tub17v3E&feature=PlayList&p=6D45D545ACE74C23&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17
(2) Asian American R&B artists who incorporate their Asian identities into their Music
These artists and bands are typically less well-known because their musical aesthetics and politics are applicable to a smaller audience, usually Asian Americans or smaller niche audiences.
Artists:
-ROSE ANN DIMALANTA - Vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Ann_Dimalanta
-KEVIN SO
"I'm not accepted by the Black culture because I'm Asian, and I'm not accepted by Asian people because I'm not 'Asian'. Let's face it, who is the racist here?" says Kevin So. "Asian American artists have to create a thing, [where] artists have to band together and work together to create a show worth seeing. The people who are complaining about it - they got to come out and support people. If you want to see change and you're too busy to do the change yourself, then you've got to do at least something."
“Rhythem” Christine Chen
http://www.hkvpradio.com/rhythm/music/features/20040517.php
Kevin So and Midnight Snack “A Brighter Day”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiCc4fzRJlk
-JENI FUJITA - Japanese "Teena Marie" who worked w/Wyclef Jean
“She stole the show by singing Japanese lyrics over a seductive reggae beat. Wyclef, Lauryn Hill and the recently pardoned John Forte were also fans of her distinctive voice, and they all tapped her to sing background vocals on their albums.”
Entertainment Weekly (http://margeauxs-mix.ew.com/2009/01/jeni-fujita-ind.html)
-GERRY WOO - was signed with Polydor in 1988, issued one LP Listen To My Heart, sang on one track on the UCLA Gospel Choir's CD and reappeared as Harlemm Lee who won on Debbie Allen's TV Show on NBC.
“Rebirth of Gerry Woo” AARising used to have an article but it got taken off the internet
-IBU – “IBU has been called Chicago's hottest male vocal group by WGN Channel 9 and was introduced as "Asians with Soul" by Chicago's power 92.3FM, IBU is different from the most pop/R&B groups. This three member group delivers such rich harmonic sound that makes them different from the other boy bands. IBU can perform a cappella, they sing with acoustic guitar accompaniment, they perform with instrumental tracks, have choreographed numbers, and they break dance on stage too. It’s the complete package that makes IBU a truly entertaining group.”
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=83063
I’m sure there are more…if anyone found anything let me know!!
Mia
Sources and Websites:
Cohen, Johnathan. “Diddy: Cassie CD Will Catch People ‘Off Guard.’” Billboard.Com. April 7th 2008. NY. Date accessed: 3/15/09 < http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003786642 >
Le, C.N. 2009. "Writers, Artists, & Entertainers." Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America.
Wong, Deborah. “Speak it Louder”
Afro Asia By Fred Wei-han Ho, Bill Mullen pg 306
http://www.allaboutasians.com/asian-music3.html
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