Author Archives: Monahan

From Kung Fu to Hip Hop: Week 6 Connections

leftMaking connections during Friday’s brainstorming session was a bit overwhelming. As a way of gaining new insight to M.T. Kato’s book, we listed our brainstorm items on the board. The possible connections between each category (who, what, when, where) presented many different directions for my writing to go. Needing to narrow things down a bit I focused my effort on Ch3.

Who: Warner Brothers
What: Hollywood
When: Jan 1967
Where: Unconscious

 The one category missing from the brainstorm session was Why. For this post I am defining “why” as control. Kato presents a convincing case that people in Hollywood are attempting to control your consciousness (where) through imagery and associated ideas/concepts of those images. Arguably Hollywood (what) represent the masters of imagery, and by extension a specialized form of propaganda. Kato quotes Sidney Kent, the general manager of Paramount Publix regarding his observations on “the spread of Hollywoodism:”

Mid“Motion pictures are silent propaganda, even though not made with that thought in mind at all… Imagine the effect on people… who constantly see flashed on the screen American Modes of living, American modes of dressing, and American modes of travel… American automobiles are making terrific inroads on foreign makes of cars (because) the greatest agency for selling American automobiles abroad is the American motion picture” (p74).

Kato further asserts that this kind of influence is not exclusive to film. Warner Brothers (who), one of the premier movie companies, also includes a recording label. Founded in 1958, Warner Bros Records Inc. is also one of the premiere record labels. Kato notes that corporate America’s reach and influence into the counterculture (psychedelics and hippies) of the 1960s began with Warner Brothers Jan 1967 (when) release of the first Grateful Dead album;Grateful_Dead_-_The_Grateful_Dead

 “Driven to underground rock by financial desperation, the company would do far more then figure out how to deal with the music… Warner Bros. Records would successfully absorb and package the seemingly antithetical counterculture– and do it well enough to convert the music into the financial engine for what would become America’s largest media conglomerate” (p82).”

Warner Brothers success with the Grateful Dead and subsequently with the other acts they signed enabled the company and corporate America to “ride on the ‘big wave’ of counterculture” (p82). As with Hollywoodism, control of the aesthetic realm and the unconscious by the global commodity production was (and remains?) in full swing…

 

 

API News: Spring Training/ Olympic Hockey

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There are few things that symbolically represent America better than baseball. Pitchers & catchers reported last week marking the beginning of spring training for Major League Baseball (MLB) 2014 season.

Pop-culture icons the New York Yankees announced the $175M signing of the popular Japanese pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka. Since loosing Robinson Cano to our Seattle Mariners, the Yankees needed to secure Tanaka to not only improve their team, but also to keep him from possibly signing with the Dodgers.BgPq2nnCAAAWLjv

Tanka is not the only Asian making baseball news in the US; Suk-min Yoon formerly with the Kia Tigers (S.Korea) signed with the Baltimore Orioles for $5.7M.

Of course these are not the only two Asian MLB players, but they are the ones making the headlines this week.

Also of interest to me in this weeks API news is the 2014 Winter Olympics. I LOVE hockey, and Olympic hockey is the best of the best in my book. As I write this, Team USA women’s hockey is smoking hot! They are dismantling their opponents like few teams have ever done. Ever. Tomorrow (Monday) they advance to the Semifinal against Sweden. How is this API news? Because forward, #13 Julie Chu is the first Asian/American woman to play for our Olympic team. And our women’s team is on track to score their first Olympic gold medal. 11

Go Team USA!!

 

The Black Kung Fu Experience

black-kungfu-experience._SL1500_Of the two films we watched today, this was the one that left the strongest impression on me. Due in part because my reading of the book, “From Kung Fu To Hip Hop” by M.T. Kato, and partly due to the fact I could better relate to the stories of those interviewed in the film. Each person told a story of struggle while growing up– their main struggle being with racism in the 1950s-1960s. Each person came to embrace Kung Fu in their way, through their own path. But the uniting factor was Kung Fu gave them a sense of belonging, purpose, and control over their lives.

One of the men interviewed talked about Kung Fu movies giving the inner-city kids someone to relate to– a role model of sorts. About the same time James Brown was singing about being black and proud (1968), and it being a sign of the positive change to come. This point of the movie weaves into Kato’s writing about Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix.

In chapter three, Kato describes how Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix subverted the paradigm of transnational capital from within the factory of global commodities– meaning that they subverted the bland flavor of conformity that is packaged and sold to people. He writes that their primary field of engagement was the aesthetic realm & the unconscious. Bruce Lee defied the homogenized idea of what American film heroes were supposed to be. Likewise Jimi Hendrix’s expression in music subverted those corporate imposed ideas of what music should sound and look like. The possibility of liberation is actualized in symbolic form. (Kato p72). Both had the same affect as James Brown singing about being black & proud in 1968; it subverted the conformity of its day, and gave people a new way of thinking– liberating people from the paradigm that was imposed upon them either consciously or unconsciously.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Deaf Ninja

Here is a short clip by Austin Andrews called Deaf Ninja. He is a hearing individual who has been deeply involved in Deaf culture for many years. Some of our class has a background in American Sign Language (ASL), so get with them to figure out the stuff that doesn’t immediately make sense to you. I will say that the gestures Andrews makes about a box & ear pieces refers to an old device some deaf /hard of hearing people would wear to help them hear (before cochlear implants were widely used). It’s a fun video even if you don’t know the first thing about ASL. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is a followup video to Deaf Ninja:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shaolin Gong Fu: Original Five-Styles

What characterizes each style and/or their practitioners? From Black Belt magazine:

#1 Tiger:

Popularity: high (for tiger), rare (for black tiger)

Shaolin saying: “Tiger strengthens the bones.”

Characteristics: strength, agility; considered one of the two most powerful animals in Chinese astrology

Strategy: tends to charge the opponent and attack directly with brute force, uses circular arm movements to overwhelm the enemy, relies on the arms but occasionally uses low kicks

Targets: any part of the body, especially those that react to tearing techniques

Physical requirements: relaxed muscles, speed, solid build, ability to adopt a strong stance and quickly change to another stance

Training: push-ups, sit-ups, calisthenics, sparring, chi-development exercises

Trademark: tiger claw, an open-hand grabbing and striking weapon formed by spreading the thumb and fingers, then bending them slightly

In legend: “It offers the power to shake the earth and to be the authoritative king of its lair,” kung fu master Rob Moses says.

#2 Leopard:

Popularity: high

Shaolin saying: “Bend fingers hard, like iron.”

Characteristics: strong, efficient, fast, technical, defined by accuracy, capable of stealth attacks

Strategy: strikes quickly to inflict pain, then follows up for the kill

Targets: soft-tissue regions and other vital areas, including the ears, neck, armpits, temples and groin

Physical requirements: relaxed muscles, supple strength, ability to quickly retract the arms and legs after a strike

Training: striking drills that develop accuracy and precision

Trademark: leopard paw, a half-fist that strikes with the second knuckles of the four fingers. It’s a rigid weapon that makes contact with a small, penetrating surface.

In legend: “It’s nature’s master of precision and prowess—sharp, efficient and lightning fast,” Rob Moses says.

#3 Crane:

Popularity: medium

Shaolin saying: “The spirit of the crane resides within the stillness.”

Characteristics: evasive, rarely offense-oriented, subtle, graceful

Strategy: keeps the opponent at a distance and capitalizes on the length of the arms and legs, tends to strike with the very end of the natural weapons, attempts to overwhelm the enemy with rapid hand strikes, evades using circular movements

Targets: soft areas such as the eyes, throat, ears and heart; sides of the head; ribs

Physical requirements: tall, long reach, ability to remain still for extended periods, good balance, concentration, minimal strength

Training: mobility-enhancing drills to develop the ability to maintain distance between oneself and the opponent, speed training, quick retraction of natural weapons, chi-development exercises

Trademark: crane beak, formed by bunching the thumb, index finger and middle finger together to strike with the fingertips

In legend: “It dances with accuracy and control, and offers weightlessness to rise above crises,” Rob Moses says.

#4 Snake:

Popularity: medium

Shaolin saying: “Hard like steel and soft like a rope of silk.”

Characteristics: deceptive, agile, fast, accurate

Strategy: relies on awareness, employs coiling motions and hisses to intimidate, uses whipping toe kicks to the lower half of the opponent’s body, utilizes simultaneous striking and locking techniques, avoids using the traditional fist

Targets: vital parts of the body, especially the eyes, face and throat

Physical requirements: thin build, quick muscles

Training: drills to increase explosiveness, which enables one to take the opponent by surprise; exercises that enhance balance and accuracy

Trademark: snake hand, which uses one or two fingers—or, in the case of the spearhand, all of them—to attack and defend

In legend: “It has extreme chi power, which helps activate profound sensitivity and enables all the muscles to work as one,” Rob Moses says.

#5 Dragon:

Popularity: rare

Shaolin saying: “Dragon fist trains the spirit.”

Characteristics: strong, smart, deceptive, unpredictable; includes traits of the other four Shaolin animals; considered one of the two most powerful animals in Chinese astrology and the sign of the emperor

Strategy: uses quick, snapping kicks that hit with the blade of the foot; uses the full fist and the forearms to strike; may combine physical techniques of the other Shaolin animals

Targets: any body part that can be grabbed; the head, which is simultaneously grabbed and struck

Physical requirements: relaxed muscles, ability to switch from soft movements to hard movements

Training: drills to build explosive power

Trademark: dragon-tail kick, which is used to hit or sweep; dragon claw, which positions the digits in a flatter orientation than does the tiger claw

In legend: “It protects treasure, defends against famine and floods, and is filled with ancient wisdom and folklore,” Rob Moses says.

 

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Globalization Pop-osition

“Globalization’ is a contemporary term used in academic and non-academic contexts to describe a late-twentieth-century condition of economic, social, and political interdependence across cultures, societies, nations, and regions precipitated by an unprecedented expansion of capitalism on a global scale.” (Lisa Lowe, in Keywords for American Cultural Studies, ed. Bruce Burgett and Glen Handler, New York: New York University Press, 207, p. 120)

The pop-osition our group’s four that I’ll expand upon is:

Kato Readings- Martial arts was a very integral part 0f Asiatic culture. Starts in China and spreads to Japan. The martial arts spread in a way that is “iconic” to the 2cd group.

UnknownThrough Bruce Lee, author M.T. Kato writes in his book, “From Kung Fu to Hip Hop” that Kung Fu originated in China, and was the root for all other forms of martial arts– specifically Japan’s Karate;

“When I was a student at the University (University of Washington, Seattle)’ Bruce once recalled, ‘I gave a demonstration of Kung Fu. While explaining the art is the forerunner of Karate, I was rudely interrupted by a black belt karate man from Japan who sat in front of the stage. ‘No no, Karate not from China. Come from Japan!’ he hollered.’ Bruce reiterated superciliously, “Karate is from Kung Fu.’ After the crowd left, the karate man challenged Bruce. ‘You want to fight?’ ‘Anytime,’ Bruce retorted. ‘OK, I fight you next week.’ ‘Why not now?’ asked Bruce. ‘It took me two seconds to dispose of him,’ Bruce recalled. ‘He was too slow and too stiff’” (p20)

So in this case martial arts originates in China, goes to Japan and becomes its own art form. Later Karate becomes very popular in America. Kato writes;

“Once karate had been converted into the disciplinary art of the imperialist culture, it was widely circulated as a representative cultural property of Japan along the channels of postwar Japanese expansionism, greatly aided by the American importation of karate-do through the military.   Thus, in contrast to the original tou-di, which developed and spread out through the channel of popular defense, largely in secrecy, karate as an art of imperialist discipline became integrated into the dominant cultural paradigm” (p21).

Adding to the globalization of martial arts, living in America Bruce Lee creates his own Jeet Kune Do– “the way of the intersecting fist” (p49).

Lastly, a quick Google search on the subject provides another example of the globalization of martial arts in the FFP (Fight For Peace). Their Alumni map provides a visual of the arts global presence beyond Asia.  GAP-MAP1

 

 

 

Red Barchetta: “A Nice Morning Drive”

1948_ferrari_166_mm_barchetta1Knowing there are a few folks in our course who enjoy various car cultures, I wanted to post one of my favorite short stories, “A Nice Morning Drive.” Printed in an issue of Road & Track, it was the inspiration for one of my all-time favorite songs; “Red Barchetta.”

If you are unfamiliar with the song, read the story first, then watch the video. Enjoy!

A Nice Morning Drive
by Richard S. Foster
Road and Track Nov,1973 pp.148-150

It was a fine morning in March 1982. The warm weather and clear sky gave promise of an early spring. Buzz had arisen early that morning, impatiently eaten breakfast and .gone to the garage. Opening the door, he saw the sunshine bounce off the gleaming hood of his I5-year-old MGB roadster. After carefully checking the fluid levels, tire pressures and ignition wires, Buzz slid behind the wheel and cranked the engine, which immediately fired to life. He thought happily of the next few hours he would spend with the car, but his happiness was clouded – it was not as easy as it used to be.

A dozen years ago things had begun changing. First there were a few modest safety and emission improvements required on new cars; gradually these became more comprehensive. The governmental requirements reached an adequate level, but they didn’t stop; they continued and became more and more stringent. Now there were very few of the older models left, through natural deterioration and . . . other reasons.

The MG was warmed up now and Buzz left the garage, hoping that this early in the morning there would be no trouble. He kept an eye on the instruments as he made his way down into the valley. The valley roads were no longer used very much: the small farms were all owned by doctors and the roads were somewhat narrow for the MSVs (Modern Safety Vehicles).

The safety crusade had been well done at first. The few harebrained schemes were quickly ruled out and a sense of rationality developed. But in the late Seventies, with no major wars, cancer cured and social welfare straightened out. the politicians needed a new cause and once again they turned toward the automobile. The regulations concerning safety became tougher. Cars became larger, heavier, less efficient. They consumed gasoline so voraciously that the United States had had to become a major ally with the Arabian countries. The new cars were hard to stop or maneuver quickly. but they would save your life (usually) in a 5O-mph crash. With 200 million cars on the road, however, few people ever drove that fast anymore.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Buzz zipped quickly to the valley floor, dodging the frequent potholes which had developed from neglect of the seldom-used roads. The engine sounded spot-on and the entire car had a tight, good feeling about it. He negotiated several quick S-curves and reached 6000 in third gear before backing off for the next turn. He didn’t worry about the police down here. No, not the cops . . .

Despite the extent of the safety program. it was essentially a good idea. But unforeseen complications had arisen. People became accustomed to cars which went undamaged in lO-mph collisions. They gave even less thought than before to the possibility of being injured in a crash. As a result, they tended to worry less about clearances and rights-of-way, so that the accident rate went up a steady six percent every year. But the damages and injuries actually decreased, so the government was happy, the insurance industry was happy and most of the car owners were happy. Most of the car ownersi-the owners of the non-MSV cars were kept busy dodging the less careful MSV drivers, and the result of this mismatch left very few of the older cars in existence. If they weren’t crushed between two 6000-pound sleds on the highway they were quietly priced into the junkyard by the insurance peddlers. And worst of all, they became targets . . .

Buzz was well into his act now, speeding through the twisting valley roads with all the skill he could muster, to the extent that he had forgotten his earlier worries. Where the road was unbroken he would power around the turns in well controlled oversteer, and where the sections were potholed he saw them as devious chicanes to be mastered. He left the ground briefly going over one of the old wooden bridges and later ascertained that the MG would still hit 110 on the long stretch between the old Hanlin and Grove farms. He was just beginning to wind down when he saw it, there in his mirror, a late-model MSV with hand-painted designs covering most of its body (one of the few modifications allowed on post-1980 cars). Buzz hoped it was a tourist or a wayward driver who got lost looking for a gas station. But now the MSV driver had spotted the MG, and with a whoosh of a well muffled, well cleansed exhaust he started the chase . . .

Click here to view the embedded video.

It hadn’t taken long for the less responsible element among drivers to discover that their new MSVs could inflict great damage on an older car and go unscathed themselves. As a result some drivers would go looking for the older cars in secluded areas, bounce them off the road or into a bridge abutment, and then speed off undamaged, relieved of whatever frustrations cause this kind of behavior. Police seldom patrolled these out-of-the-way places, their attentions being required more urgently elsewhere, and so it became a great sport for some drivers.

Buzz wasn’t too worried yet. This had happened a few times before, and unless the MSV driver was an exceptionally good one, the MG could be called upon to elude the other driver without too much difficulty. Yet something bothered him about this gaudy MSV in his mirror, but what was it? Planning carefully, Buzz let the other driver catch up to within a dozen yards or so, and then suddenly shot off down a road to the right. The MSV driver stood on his brakes, skidding 400 feet down the road, made a lumbering U-turn and set off once again after the roadster. The MG had gained a quarter mile in this manner and Buzz was thankful for the radial tires and front and rear anti-roll bars he had put on the car a few years back. He was flying along the twisting road, downshifting, cornering, accelerating and all the while planning his route ahead. He was confident that if he couldn’t outrun the MSV then he could at least hold it off for another hour or more, at which time the MSV would be quite low on gas. But what was it that kept bothering him about the other car?

Click here to view the embedded video.

They reached a straight section of the road and Buzz opened it up all the way and held it. The MSV was quite a way back but not so far that Buzz couldn’t distinguish the tall antenna standing up from the back bumper. Antenna! Not police, but perhaps a Citizen’s Band radio in the MSV? He quaked slightly and hoped it was not. The straight stretch was coming to an end now and Buzz put off braking to the last fraction of a second and then sped through a 75-mph right-hander, gaining ten more yards on the MSV. But less than a quarter mile ahead another huge MSV was slowly pulling across the road and to a stop. It was a CB set. The other driver had a cohort in the chase. Now Buzz was in trouble. He stayed on the gas until within a few hundred feet when he banked hard and feinted passing to the left. The MSV crawled in that direction and Buzz slipped by on the right. bouncing heavily over a stone on the shoulder. The two MSVs set off in hot pursuit, almost colliding in the process. Buzz turned right at the first crossroad and then made a quick left, hoping to be out of sight of his pursuers, and in fact he traveled several minutes before spotting one of them on the main road parallel to his lane. At the same time the other appeared in the mirror from around the last comer. By now they were beginning to climb the hills on the far side of the valley and Buzz pressed on for all he was worth, praying that the straining engine would stand up. He lost track of one MSV when the main road turned away, but could see the other one behind him on occasion.

Climbing the old Monument Road, Buzz hoped to have time to get over the top and down the old dirt road to the right, which would be too narrow for his pursuers. Climbing, straining, the water temperature rising, using the entire road, flailing the shift lever back and forth from 3rd to 4th, not touching the brakes but scrubbing off the necessary speed in the corners, reaching the peak of the mountain where the lane to the old fire tower went off to the left . . . but coming up the other side of the hill was the second MSV he had lost track of! No time to get to his dirt road. He made a panicked turn left onto the fire tower road but spun on some loose gravel and struck a tree a glancing blow with his right fender. He came to a stop on the opposite side of the road. the engine stalled. Hurriedly he pushed the starter while the overheated engine slowly came back into life. He engaged 1st gear and sped off up the road, just as the first MSV turned the corner. Dazed though he was, Buzz had the advantage of a very narrow road lined on both sides with trees, and he made the most of it. The road twisted constantly and he stayed in 2nd with the engine between 5000 and 5500. The crash hadn’t seemed to hurt anything and he was pulling away from the MSV. But to where? It hit him suddenly that the road dead-ended at the fire tower, no place to go but back . . .

Still he pushed on and at the top of the hill drove quickly to the far end of the clearing, turned the MG around and waited. The first MSV came flying into the clearing and aimed itself at the sitting MG. Buzz grabbed reverse gear, backed up slightly to feint, stopped, and then backed up at full speed. The MSV, expecting the MG to change direction, veered the wrong way and slid to a stop up against a tree. Buzz was off again, down the fire tower road, and the undamaged MSV set off in pursuit. Buzz’s predicament was unenviable. He was going full tilt down the twisting blacktop with a solid MSV coming up at him. and an equally solid MSV coming down after him. On he went, however, braking hard before each turn and then accelerating back up to 45 in between. Coming down to a particularly tight turn, he saw the MSV coming around it from the other direction and stood on the brakes. The sudden extreme pressure in the brake lines was too much for the rear brake line which had been twisted somewhat in his spin, and it broke. robbing Buzz of his brakes. In sheer desperation he pulled the handbrake as tightly as it would go and rammed the gear lever into 1st, popping the clutch as he did so. The back end locked solid and broke away, spinning him off the side of the road and miraculously into some bushes, which brought the car to a halt. As he was collecting his senses, Buzz saw the two MSVs, unable to stop in time, ram each other head on at over 40 mph.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It was a long time before Buzz had the MG rebuilt to its original pristine condition of before the chase. It was an even longer time before he went back into the valley for a drive. Now it was only in the very early hours of the day when most people were still sleeping off the effects of the good life. And when he saw in the papers that the government would soon be requiring cars to be capable of withstanding 75-mph headon collisions, he stopped driving the MG altogether.

(The text above was found HERE) 

This post isn’t too far off from my blog theme of music; music and cars are synonymous just as music and motorcycles– but thats a topic for an upcoming post.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

Asian Musicians With Taste

“On the path of Zen Guitar, develop your sense of taste as you would your sense of hearing. Learn from those players whose taste you like. Then trust your taste like the cook who knows how hot he likes his chili. If rejection follows, so be it. At least you have satisfied yourself”.

Remember, too, that tastes can change. Some music we learn to appreciate with study. Some music grows on us with the passage of time. And some music we ignore for years until it catches us at exactly the right moment as we are driving down the highway. Play the truth and it will remain the truth for listeners to discover when they are ready” (p67) ~Philip Sudo, Zen Guitar

With music being one of the primary focuses of week-five, I decided to search for Asian musicians outside the genre of pop and hip-hop to see what influence they have had in guitar-centric rock.

I’ve assembled and present for your viewing & listening pleasure a short list of serious, established Asian/American players of the highest caliber who leave behind the mass of teenage marketed genres. These cats are true musicians who transcend stereotypes by being true to themselves and their music. I selected a video for each musician that showcases their craft, rather than posting their bands music videos; this way it is the musician talent being presented instead of a producers story.

John Myung bassist and founding member of Dream Theater (Wikipedia):

photo-2“Born in Chicago to Korean parents, Myung grew up in Kings Park, Long Island, New York. He played the violin from the age of five until he was asked to play electric bass in a local band when he was fifteen. He accepted. After graduating from high school he and his high school friend John Petrucci enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, where they met future bandmate Mike Portnoy. The three of them formed the band Majesty with another friend from high school, keyboardist Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. The band would later change its name to Dream Theater.

…he has appeared as a guest on numerous records. He also played keyboards in the spoof band Nightmare Cinema… Myung’s main influences include Chris Squire, Steve Harris, Geddy Lee and Cliff Burton, and their respective bands Yes, Iron Maiden, Rush, and Metallica.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kirk Hammet, the lead guitarist for Exodus (1980-83) followed by his current band, Metallica (Wiki):

“Hammett was born on November 18, 1962 in San Francisco to a Filipina mother Teofila “Chefela” Oyao from Cebu and an Irish Merchant Marine father.[3] He attended De Anza High School in Richmond, California.” 

Click here to view the embedded video.


Herman Li was born in Hong Kong in 1974, and is the lead guitarist for the band Dragon Force (Wiki):

Li is such an influential guitarist that Ibanez produced a signature model for him

Click here to view the embedded video.

Arnel Pineda replaced Steve Perry as the lead singer for the classic rock band, Journey (Wiki):

“Born in 1967 is a Filipino singer-songwriter. He came to prominence in the Philippines during the 1980s and internationally in 2007 as the lead singer of the American rock band Journey.”

10_3_09_JOURNEY_kabik-198-2-570“Videos… performing cover songs by Journey, Survivor, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Air Supply, The Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Stryper and other popular acts from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, began appearing on YouTube in February 2007. On June 28, 2007, Neal Schon of Journey contacted Noel Gomez, a longtime fan and friend of Pineda who uploaded many of these videos, to ask for Pineda’s contact information. Schon sent an e-mail to Pineda inviting him to audition for Journey. Pineda initially dismissed the e-mail as a hoax, but after being persuaded by Gomez, he finally replied to Schon’s e-mail. Ten minutes later, Pineda received a phone call from Schon. On August 12, Pineda, along with his manager Bert de Leon, flew to Marin County, just north of San Francisco, for a two-day audition. The star-struck Pineda was welcomed warmly but he described the audition as “nerve-wracking, tense”. On December 5, 2007, Pineda was announced as the lead singer of Journey.”

 A feature-length documentary of Pineda’s story titled, “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” was released in 2012. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

This list was just a sampling of the many Asian/American rock musicians who stand head & shoulders above the rest. There are a host of others in America– many of whom can be heard right here at Evergreen’s public radio station, KAOS 89.3 Olympia.

 

Winter Olympics, J.R. Celski & the Blue Scholars

JR CelskiI’ve always been a sucker for the Winter Olympics. The down-hill skiing, luge and of course hockey. This year however, I’ll be keeping an eye on the short-track speed skating. Why? Because J.R. Celski will be competing.

“Celski was born in Monterey, California where his father Robert Celski was serving in the U.S. Army. He was raised in Federal Way, Washington. His father, Robert, is of Polish descent and his mother, Sue, is of Filipino descent” (Wiki).

Celeski also made a 47-minute documentary of the Seattle hip-hop scene called, “The Otherside.” 

“We went to a whole mix of local shows,” said Dom, who graduated from the University of Washington. “We wanted to first show the diversity of the types of sounds coming from here for those not familiar with the hip-hop scenes. We followed Macklemore way before he got where he is now. We’ve seen the work and dedication that he put into his music.”

Other Seattle hip-hop artists featured in “The Otherside” include the Blue Scholars, Fresh Espresso, Massive Monkees, Mad Rad, RA Scion, Grynch, The Physics and many more.”

46510fedwaycelski.macklemore.web

“The Otherside” is also available for streaming HERE

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

API News: Defying Culture Code/ Star Types & Stereotypes/ Angry Little Girl

So I visited a few on-line newspapers and using their search function I entered, “Asian American.” Some interesting returns have connected nicely with topics discussed in our seminars. Even though some of the stories are from last year, they are good reads– perfect for the Scissors category.

The first two are from the New York Times:

As Parents Age, Asian-Americans Struggle to Obey a Cultural Code

This article is about Asian Americans who distance themselves from the tradition of caring for their parents. At the prospect of being sent to a home many elders believe being in a nursing home creates “trouble in the head.”

“In a country that is growing older and more diverse, elder care issues are playing out with particular resonance for many Asian-Americans. The suicide rate for Asian-American and Pacific Islander women over 75 is almost twice that of other women the same age.”

 

Star Types and Stereotypes: Maggie Q and Lucy Liu: Asian-Americans as Leading Ladies

lucy-liu-elementary

Lucy Lu; Elementary

Next, this one takes a look at Asian American women on television and how they are overcoming stereotypes– mostly.

“In both cases [Maggie Q-- "Nikita," and Lucy Liu-- "Elementary"], though, the actresses and their writers have avoided or transcended easy stereotypes. A lot of effort has gone into humanizing Nikita, and making her a sisterly or even maternal figure for the younger assassin Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), and the emphasis on violent action has decreased over the show’s run. In “Elementary,” Watson has embraced her role as apprentice detective after suffering a catastrophic failure as a doctor, taking some of the shine off her super-competence. And unlike other characters in the same mold, she appears to have a normal, nonneurotic romantic life.”

Watch out! Angry little girl is sharing her feelings

1144420_ME_1116_me_adv_angry_little_asian_girl-MAM

When I read this next one in the Los Angles Times, the first thing that came to mind was the Secret Agent Man we read about in East Main Street. This main difference is that this comic is from a female point of view and has become a TV show.

“Against all odds — Lee figured — critics from the LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Times gave it sparkling reviews, saying it offered “bold dialogue on subjects often kept unspoken.” Twenty people went up to her after the showing, telling her, “I love ‘Angry Little Asian Girl.’ She says everything I want to say. I was her growing up.”

“It’s not easy being a girl, stuck with mean parents, a dumb boyfriend and annoying friends,” Lee says, by way of introducing her main character. “I love the freedom of being able to say just what you need to say.”

The comic-strip heroine acts out where her creator never had the nerve. Lee tells of being raised by ultra-strict parents, the youngest of four daughters in a Korean American household who were constantly pushed to achieve and “be somebody.”