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Shuffled! is a weekly column appearing every Thursday here on BPRLive. Each week, we welcome someone from the APA community to share some thoughts about the music they listen to. Check out the Shuffled! archive for past articles.

Today’s Shuffler: EyeASage

EyeASage is a Pinay emcee born in Angeles City, Philippines, and raised in San Francisco. Her love affair with the spotlight began as a young Hip-Hop dancer in the early 90s, armed with a Salt N Pepa cassette tape and a recurring role as the youngest b-girl in the crew. As she grew older and the path of Hip-Hop took a more aggressive turn into Gangster Rap, she struggled to continue her love of music and still find a place for a young woman to be herself.

It wasn’t until she entered San Francisco State as a journalism undergrad that she began to appreciate Hip Hop again as an active participant, giving up the choreographed dance routines for a microphone and a chance to make up for lost time. She began learning about her culture through ethnic studies classes, organizing with the League of Filipino Students, and reclaiming her identity through her writing. While organizing, she met Irene Faye Duller aka Shorty Rocwell of the 8th Wonder crew, and along with fellow organizers Valerie Francisco (Sho Shock), Natasha Pineda (Sola), and Liezel Rivera (Zelstarrr), they formed the Rhapsodistas in 2004.

Growing weary of Hip-Hop’s direction, she decided to fill the void and make music that balanced her city upbringing with social commentary. She’s been featured on the Native Guns Stray Bullets Vol.2 Mixtape, Bambu’s I Scream Bars for the Children, and Roscoe Umali’s I Love My DJs street album. Her first mixtape, Married to the Hustle, was released on February 14, 2008, and she is now working on her solo debut album, Rocky Rivera, to be released in 2009. You can hear her music on and on her Myspace Music Page at www.myspace.com/eyeasagemuzikpage.

Now for the shuffle… Read more

Tags: Shuffled!.

On Saturday and Sunday, Tufts University and the Tufts Music Department presents A Festival of Southeast Asian Music & Dance. On Saturday at 8pm, the Boston Village Gamelan, and the Tufts Gamelan, Rinengga Sih Tentrem, perform a concert of traditional Javanese Gamelan with guest I.M Harjito. Then, on Sunday at 3pm, the Angkor Dance Troupe of Lowell, Massachusetts will play some Cambodian classical music. That will be followed by gong-drum music and traditional dance from the southern Philippines by the Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble of San Francisco. Both events will take place at the Distler Performance Hall at the Granoff Music Center at Tufts University, 20 Talbot Avenue, Medford. Both events are free and open to the public. Check out http://www.tufts.edu/musiccenter for more information. Thanks to Mary Talusan Lacanlale for making us aware of this event.

November 14, 2008: The first East Meets Words after Election Day ‘08—and what an East Meets Words it was! Our featured artist Beau Sia drew in a massive crowd which helped make for an energetic, diverse bunch of open mic performers. Poems of injustice, social issues and loss intermingled with excerpts from plays, a picture book and stories of hope.

Emily Lawsin shared with us her feelings of voting in Massachusetts (“the bluest of the blue states,” is how I think she characterized our state in her lead-in) for Barack Obama through a poem full of intense personal and historic perspective. Through her words I felt a deep connection to people and events that, as my friend Michèle reminded me recently, predate me and are now integral to who we are, even if we are not fully conscious that they are embedded in our heritage and identities. Emily’s words revitalized my awareness that history continues to speak to and through us, with our words and actions.

Charismatic, long-time BPAC member Dave voiced his perspective by recounting some BPAC history, when it all began with the opening of the East Meets West bookstore and the launch of East Meets Words. Describing in his vibrant words the transformations BPAC and its members have undergone, Dave contrasted his near-breakdown psychological state after election ‘04 to his enthusiasm during and after the BPAC election ‘08 party — and what a way we’ve all come, our entire nation and world. Then beat boxing for Open Orchestra, Dave got Pen and Chuck to fill the crowded space with some lively freestyling sounds. Holding a mic in one hand and almost toasting to the audience with cup of M&Ms held in his other hand, Pen let loose some relaxed, idiosyncratically humorous rhymes (in part about buying socks!) that evoked laughter and cheer from the audience.

Beau Sia started his performance in much the way I’ve seen various artists perform: sitting on a stool, singing while playing his guitar. That changed quickly and drastically as he hurled ideas at the audience in his stentorian voice, vehemently sharing his artistic ideas and experiences. Climbing upon the front counter, demanding that we sitting behind the counter not stare at his butt, he fervently performed poetry accompanied by vigorous gestures and fluid movements — in one piece jogging in place as he described “chasing Bruce Lee” in pursuit of his (Beau’s) own Asian Am conception of self. Up there towering over us with the blazing colors of his tie-dyed t-shirt and occasionally swigging from a one-gallon jug of water, he radiated a ferocity that asserted, almost assaulted us with an onslaught of frenetic, compellingly lyrical language. Beau started his performance by telling us that in this space he could be unrestrained in ways he can’t be in college-campus venues, and by its end, he had shown us an ecstatic spectrum of vitality possible in that freedom.

Packed would be the word to describe this East Meets Words: hours packed with performance, voices packed with power, language packed with eloquence, space packed with people, minds packed with ideas, hearts packed with feeling. As I packed up to go, I felt like I was carrying a lot more home than I brought.

[Editor's Note: I was able to record Beau's performance for those of you who couldn't go. Be prepared, he is both foul and fabulous, but also quite inspiring. It can't equal the live version.]

 Standard Podcast [48:18m]: Download (143)

Tags: Open Mic, Podcasts, Recap, spoken word.

The baseball world got really excited yesterday when it was announced that Don Wakamatsu, a fourth generation multi-racial Japanese American, was named as the new manager of the Seattle Mariners. Yeah, that makes him the first Asian American manager in the major leagues. And ESPN is making a big fuss about it. So yeah, that team is like the Asian team. Not only does it have an Asian at its helm, but it’s owned by Nintendo, has that dude Ichiro playing centerfield. There are also some other Asian position players.

So, yeah, as a Mariners fan, I’m excited. I mean, when you’re a fan of the first 100 loss/$100 million dollar payroll team, almost anything can get you excited. But, why so much excitement over this and not so much excitement when the first Asian American was hired to be the head coach of an NBA team? [see this post and this one] I don’t know. Guess Filipinos aren’t Asians or something. Do you feel the sarcasm? Read more

Tags: Hot, News.

Shuffled! is a weekly column appearing every Thursday here on BPRLive. Each week, we welcome someone from the APA community to share some thoughts about the music they listen to. Check out the Shuffled! archive for past articles.

[Editor's Note: This week's Shuffled! is a little bit different. Bryan Thao Worra submitted it like this and I'm staying true to what he submitted.]

Today’s Shuffler: Bryan Thao Worra

Bryan Thao Worra is a Twin Cities-based Laotian American writer and the author of the first full-length book of Laotian American poetry, On The Other Side Of The Eye, as well as the forthcoming Barrow (Sam’s Dot Publishing, 2009) and Winter Ink (MN Center For Book Arts, 2008). Blending pop culture, science fiction, horror and the Laotian American refugee experience, he recently shuffled his mp3 library and got the following funky results. Read more

Tags: Shuffled!.

Ask the block if they know Bam/
Every phrase’ll start with “ooh man…” and end with “goddamn”
       - “Quit” by Bambu

About a month ago, some of us folks here at Boston Progress made each other hip hop mix CDs of our favorite joints growing up. All of them were amazing, but my personal favorite was the one put together by Theresa, which had me grabbing my head in excitement, transporting me back to high school with gems like “The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World” by Keith Murray and “Shook Ones Pt. 2″ “Drop A Gem On ‘Em” by Mobb Deep.

So why am I telling you this? Because Bambu’s newest release – “Exact Change” – did the impossible by replacing Theresa’s mix in my CD player. Yeah. It is that good. If you love hip hop – or if you once did – then you have to get it.

Some API* hip hop heads I know are kinda down on what they call Yellow Power rap, like they think Asian American hip hop artists dwell too much in politics and conscious themes. But even those knuckleheads (Vinnie, Sung – I see yall) must agree that Bam killed it on some “ill emcee” shit this time.

Bambu’s great strength is that he can ride any beat. A casual listener may not notice how he switches his style from track to track, but if you take a second to check for it, there’s no way you can listen without being impressed. The sheer variety in flow, delivery, and rhyme structure throughout is somewhat reminiscent of Jay-Z’s “Black Album” – from track to track, he reveals another facet of himself.

No doubt wanting to show off this gift, the first four full tracks after the intro feature real different sounds on production. “Spare Change” could have been done by The Ummah, “Swing” is unmistakably Bay Area, and “No Fuss” fits in the vein of that stuff the European homies cook up. It’s not until “Crooks and Rooks” that we hear Bam on some LA shit, probably waiting that long on purpose.

But not just to dwell on some hip hop nerd shit – of course we all knew he would come with the political game correctly. Read more

Tags: CD, Reviews.

Louie Chin a 25 year old aspiring comic artist shies away from any hype or praise. He starts out by answering any question including ones about his ongoing comic project, “It’s Not All Okay,” with an I don’t know.

Chin is an introvert currently studying graphic design at New York City College of Technology. He is not thrilled about his major, but it is something to hold him down until he figures a way to make a reputation of his work. Chin’s interest lies in comics, but he also does drawings and may even pursue a career in children’s books.

As consumers we all want to be inspired. Chin accomplishes this in a unique way. He intertwines his beliefs, his doubts, his everyday mundane, his relationships, and his hopes with sarcastic humor while easing the reader’s own problems and uncertainties. He allows for his illustrations to reveal his genuine feelings. When reading one of Chin’s comics you get lost between reality and cartoon because his pictures resemble a moment captured by a camera, a moment that could be a memory in your own life.

JM: Why the hesitancy with sharing your work?

Louie Chin: Yeah I’m scared of failure. I don’t show my work to important people, if I went to a gallery and there are people who can make me famous, I will be too shy to even mention my work. I don’t know if I am afraid of criticism, just the part where I have to show my work. If I muster the courage to do that then it is not so bad. I have anxiety in general. I am too shy of a person, large crowds and party type atmosphere scare me.

JM: When did you start doing “It’s Not All Okay?”

LC: Around February of 2006. I just wanted a way to vent things. I think to myself, I have conversations with myself and I wanted to put it in a comic. Then I decided to make it about other things because I didn’t want it to be only about me venting. It was originally named “Things that Bother Me,” but I changed it after the third comic. At the time I was writing stories that didn’t have a happy ending and I decided to use the name of the blog I had a long time ago which was “It’s Not All Okay.” Read more

Tags: Interview.

Shuffled! is a weekly column appearing every Thursday here on BPRLive. Each week, we welcome a person from the APA community to share some thoughts about the music they listen to. Check out the Shuffled! archive for past articles.

Today’s Shuffler: Saymoukda “moOks” Vongsay

Saymoukda Vongsay is a Lao American writer, spoken word poet, dj-in-training, and agent for social change.

Currently holding it down as an associate editor for Bakka Magazine, she is also an advice columnist and associate editor for Focus Entertainment Magazine. “moOks,” as she is known by many of her friends, has performed at universities, museums, theaters, and festivals in the United States as well as in Japan and Italy. Saymoukda recently released a collection of poetry entitled, No Regrets. Along with several community projects, she is currently working on a new novella entitled, Flooded With Blood and Breath. For more information, peep http://refugenius.blogspot.com.

Now, on to the shuffle… Read more

Tags: Shuffled!.