Daily Archives: May 22, 2009

JYP and the Asian Music Movement

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This is a very insightful interview with JYP on the Wonder Girls, how the Internet is breaking down barriers for Asian artists, and the Asian Music Movement. It’s part of NY1’s Asian Music Special as they explore America’s Great Asian Pop Star Race

JYP talks about how the Wonder Girls got together, each member of Wonder Girls (Sun Ye, Ye Eun, Yubin, Sohee, Sun Mi), and on the popularity of Wonder Girls globally

This is the most interesting section of the interview as JYP talks about how the Internet is breaking down barriers and helping Wonder Girls take off globally. (You can see the footage JYP is referencing here.) In the past, no Asian singer has successfully crossed over to the US. This has been one of the biggest obstacles for JYP. However, by showing the YouTube footage that shows people from Madison, WI to Northern Ireland singing and dancing to Wonder Girls have opened some doors. JYP believes that the reason why no Asian stars have made it in America are the timing wasn’t right (the US was not ready) and artists were trying to Americanize themselves to cross over. By keep true to their colors, Wonder Girls should be able to breakthrough. Another thing to note with the latest artist trying to crossover is collaboration with US artists. For example, BoA collaborated with Sean Garrett and Se7en collaborated with Darkchild. Is the right strategy to collaborate or go at it alone?

JYP thinks there is an Asian Movement going on as 4 different record labels trying to bring their Asian music star over to the US including JYP Entertainment with Wonder Girls, SM Entertainement with BoA, Island Records with Utada, and YG Entertainment with Se7en. While BoA, Se7en, and Utada are Americanizing their music, Wonder Girls are staying to their true colors. With his Michael Jackson inspired influence, JYP has crossed over behind the scenes where other Asian artists have failed. JYP has already worked with Will Smith, Mase, and Cassie. Besides his experience in the US market, he also leverages his background in choreography to help his group cross over to the US.

2009 National Geographic Bee Champion Eric Yang

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Thirteen-year-old Eric Yang of Texas swept the toughest National Geographic Bee to date—with a perfect score. The Griffin Middle Schooler from The Colony, Texas won the annual competition during a tie-breaker round with this question: “Timis County shares its name with a tributary of the Danube and is located in the western part of which European country?” The answer is Romania. By winning the competition Eric Yang gets a U.S. $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to the Galápagos Islands with Jeopardy! host and GeoBee moderator Alex Trebek.

Yang was one of ten finalists whittled down from 55 fourth to eighth graders during the GeoBee. The 55 contestants had beat out nearly five million students in their state bees to earn spots in the national championships. Second place goes to 14 year old Arjun Kandaswamy from Oregon.



Watch the tense final moments of the 2009 National Geographic Bee as host Alex Trebek grills the finalists in Washington, D.C. and crowns 2009 Geography Bee Champion Eric Yang

Win tickets to Asian Rock Fest in San Francisco

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Asian Rock Fest is coming to San Francisco. With recent sold out Asian American concerts for ISA SF and Map the Soul tour along with the popularity of videos games for Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour, San Francisco readers will wanna rock out with Asian American bands including Burning Tree Project, Johnny Hi-Fi, Festizio, and United High. If you don’t think Asian rock, you will after this concert. BTW – check their websites for free music downloads.

If you are in the San Francisco area, you can win an Asian Rock Fest Prize Package which includes (2) Tickets to the Asian Rock Fest at Slim’s, automatic entry to win an iPod Shuffle & other great gifts, and an autographed official event poster (signed by all the bands). Thanks to the Asian Rock Fest team for making this giveaway possible.

This is how you can win. Email us at webmaster@channelapa.com or twitter us with “I want Asian Rock Fest Tickets” and let us know how you found us. Contest ends May 28, 2009. Tell your friends and family.



Asian Rock Fest

F#@k the stereotypes. This is how Asians Rock!

Hero by Burning Tree Project

Man Overboard by Johnny Hi-Fi

2009 Talent 1 Media Film Festival

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Talent 1 Media is proud to announce the 4th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival. The All-day event is set to begin at 1:00pm on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at the Aratani Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo, in Downtown Los Angeles, CA. The event will be FREE and open to the entire public.

This special 1-day event will kick-off premiere 10 original short films, feature live outdoor music, and will also feature an Awareness Resource area for partnering organizations. Film goers will not only enjoy Free admission for the festival, but they’ll have the opportunity to find out more about local and global initiatives to fight and end modern day slavery.

The Talent 1 Media Film Festival does not present awards to filmmakers but instead it’s a celebration and a unique event geared towards raising awareness for social justice causes. This year we’ve partnered up with organizations such as Oasis USA, Just One, NightLight Bangkok, Free The Slaves, The SOLD Project, LA Unity Coalition and others to raise awareness on the injustices of Human Trafficking.

More info here.

2009 Talent 1 Media Film Festival Trailer

Map the Soul Tour heads to NYC and Seattle

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NYC and Seattle, it’s your turn to experience the Epik Movement. Map the Soul Tour is headed to your city for the Memorial Day weekend. Get ready for Epik High, Far East Movement, Myk, and Kero One. FM fans it’s time to go galactic.

Map the Soul Tour in San Francisco with Far East Movement

Map the Soul Tour in Los Angeles with Epik High, Myk, and Kero One

Ghosts of the Heartland

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NYC reader, if you can’t get into the Map the Soul Tour, head over the Quad Cinemas for Ghosts of the Heartland. Here’s the synopsis for Ghosts of the Heartland:

It is the summer of 1952. We are at war with China and Chinese Americans are ill at ease, as they know what happened to Japanese Americans a few years before. As the ‘red scare’ of the McCarthy era gains momentum, people are worried and they don’t feel safe. As this oppressive atmosphere permeates the country, Chinese American reporter, Roland Lu (Phil Moon), returns to his hometown of Millville. Things are not as he remembers. Millville is now a scary place.

As Roland strolls down Main Street on his first night in town, a Chinese man himself in front of city hall. Roland smells a story and seems a lot more concerned about hat story than he is about the dead man. He soon learns that below the surface, Millville is full of interracial relationships that could tear the lid off the town. Roland also learns the Chinese are gradually being fired from their jobs.

Roland suspects that his old nemesis, Mayor Frank Dugan (Michael Santoro), is plotting to take the Chinese’ property from them… Why? Frank is a bully, a thief, a McCarthyite thug, the editor of the Millville Chronicle and the mayor of the town. The only thing Frank hates more than communists is Chinese reporters. To add to his problems, Roland’s old girl friend, Liz (Rosanna Ma), thinks Roland wants to be a success, so he can be accepted into white society. She fears that Roland will sell out her family and all of the Chinese for a shot at the Pulitzer.

More info about the movie here.

Ghosts of the Heartland Trailer