boston progress radio

Check this out, Theodore S. Gonzalves, from the University of Hawai’i is coming through Boston to talk about his book Stage Presence: Conversations on Filipino American Performing Artists. He’s going to be at Boston College. The book is not new, but it contains some interesting interviews with critically acclaimed and popular Filipino American artists. The performers in the book speak about their creative processes and talks about the challenges they face as artists of Filipino heritage. Check it out on Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 7pm at Higgins 310.

The atmosphere at the East Meets Words Open Mic can feel much like a constant invitation to be creative and persistent encouragement to engage in artistic conversation. We thought we’d try to cultivate some more of that here with this new feature, Prompt! Every month or every other week (depending on how this develops), a BPRLive contributor will post a prompt for you to make whatever you are compelled to with it. If you’d like to share, post your response (like a poem, thoughts or sudden/micro fiction) or a link to your response (like a blog post, scanned drawings, video, an mp3 of a music composition or photos) in the comments section of the Prompt! blog post. The contributor will (probably) also respond to the prompt and post that in the comments section at some point.

Here’s one to get this feature rolling: What echoes resound in your heart?

Looking forward to your responses!

Tags: Collaborative Art, Community, Creativity, Prompt!.

Recently, the Boston Globe published a piece about Sam Yoon and his use of his ethnicity for political purposes. For those of you who don’t know, Sam Yoon is running for mayor of Boston against incumbent Thomas Menino and Michael F. Flaherty, a former Boston City Council president.

Mr. Yoon, a Korean American, was recently seen parading around with a large fortune cookie at a St. Patrick’s Day function. In my opinion, he can’t be seen perpetuating Asian stereotypes and just say it is a joke. He is sending the wrong message about what the Boston mayoral competition should be about.

He hints a lot about riding the coattails of Obama’s historic victory and how much he idolizes him (I can probably beat him on that though), but he forgets that the key to Obama’s victory was to avoid the race issue and focus on the issues of everyone. If someone brings race up, address it of course, but downplay it because it should not be the focus of his campaign.

If I were his political adviser, I would tell him that if he really wants to emulate the Obama momentum, there a few things he can do. First, stop stating the obvious that he’s Asian. Second, focus on how to fix our schools especially in the neighborhoods of Roxbury and where he lives in Dorchester. Third, establish a working relationship based on mutual respect with the unions. Fourth, provide more opportunities for affordable housing. Finally, find a way to provide more jobs in the city of Boston to people that actually live in the city of Boston. Once he outlines this, the other things will fall into place.

One more thing, don’t rely on people that just want change for change sake. He’s got to find an identity and find issues that he is passionate about changing. He’s just not clear on this and that is what makes me so frustrated about him.

I have met him a couple of times, his passion for the city of Boston is admirable. However, these missteps make him look bad. Please stop pandering to people and start focusing on the issues that affect the people in the city of Boston! I know he is more than capable of doing this. He just needs a push and a good dose of reality.

Tags: News.

It just seems like yesterday that East Meets Words celebrated its fourth birthday. Yes! Fourth birthday. But that isn’t any time to stop. The April open mic is just around the corner. This month’s feature is Boston-born Kevin So.

In over a decade of performing his music around the country, Kevin So has earned the respect of fellow musicians, won over members of press and radio, and has built a loyal fan base across the US. Kevin So has recorded a number of CDs including his latest, A Brighter Day, released in 2007.

Also, in 2007, Kevin So was awarded the “Overall Excellence Award” for his work for “Victor Woo: An Average Asian American,” a musical based loosely on his life. In 2009, he is expecting to release his solo acoustic album entitled “Best Foot Forward.”

Come join us at 934 Massachusetts Avenue, in Cambridge, on April 10, 2009 at 8pm for another awesome open mic. Bring $3, something to share or just an open ear.

Tags: Boston Progress, Open Mic.

Open Orchestra, an open cipher, was in the house last friday night, filling the cozy space with heart—felt beats which set the tone for people to share anything, and everything.

The brainchild of the BPAC beat collective, Open Orchestra (OO) is no open mic. Forget the sign-up sheet and waiting for your name to be called.  OO is an organic rhythm/rhyme space that gives people a chance to informally play any instrument and share their hearts’ desire on the mic, to collectively create a true cipher.  people rotated instruments and the mic all night long.  it really was a dope time.  but you don’t have to take my word for it… you can hear it from the people (in edited form):

Beatbox PhD: How was the inaugural open orchestra?? Fill a brother in!!

King of Sultans: Dopest shit ever. (One of).  It took some time for peopel to get warm to the idea of joining in at any point, but just trying to remember, this might not be completely right:

Keys: Playdro, Yasuhito, Eric, Chuck
Bass: Chuck, Kenny P, Maanav, Playdro
Drums: Kevin, Nate, Kenny P
Guitar: Kenny P, Chuck, Giles, Seth
Vocals: Victor, Giles, Playdro, Theresa, Yasuhito, Rich, Matt, Jen Lin, Eric
Kubing: Leona
Wendy and Jenn Liang ran the door thanklessly.

I’m sure I’m missing some stuff. I heard Chuck rhymed too. We also played “Check it our one time one time check it out”.  Awesome last night.

King of Sultans: it was pretty hilarious when Yasuhito was on the keys and he asked for the mic and we were all like “OH!” and he goes “uh, does anyone else play the piano?”

SudoIntellectual: Dude, that sounds so awesome! Did anyone record the stuff?

w722: I came home and tried doing the check it 3, 2—didn’t work too well and ended up stuffing chips in my mouth instead.

ma gress: OO was totally awesome. vibe is different from open mic. it did take a while for people to feel less guarded, but people did start to open up and cipher, get loose, feel free. it’s nice open mic is more performance-based, oo is more of a jam, so initial vision= accomplished!!!!    hurray. OO is offically oooh, ooooh, oooooh, hot fire.

Open Orchestra is every third friday of the month at East Meets West bookstore. it’s only going to get better… we’ve only just begun!  stay tuned…. (pun intended).

Tags: east meets west, Open Orchestra, Recap.

Welcome back to Aural Presence: Asian American Presents! This regular Boston Progress Radio podcast series brings the voices of Boston-area API* artists and activists to you by sharing conversations, music, poetry and more.

This week, we speak with Bhurin Sead.

First brought to my attention as the first and only Asian-American Blue Man, Bhurin Sead (of the Silk Mangos) is a man of (at least in my encounters with him) initially unobtrusive presence, but once we got talking on Inauguration Day, the enthusiasm took only minutes to manifest, to the extent that our exuberance became disruptive (unintentionally, of course) to our fellow cafe denizens. So we relocated to Bhurin and Bonnibel’s apartment just down the street and recorded this podcast in which Bhurin shares his Blue Man stories as well as his current aspirations and thoughts.

Here are a couple things Bhurin energetically expresses in the podcast:

“The Blue Man character finds himself in all these different moments, and he is just completely honest, and his ego is out of the picture, and he’s really… captivated in the moment by whatever it is… he’s examining or experimenting [with]… The Blue Man is fully committed to that moment.”

“The character exists in everyone. It’s whether or not we want to allow that character to come out… I feel that everyone has a Blue Man inside them… It’s the youthful energy that wants to explore, that wants to connect with people and that wants to share and be around people and, you know, move forward…. And the character is so much fun to play… it allows you do things your wouldn’t normally do… it teaches you to not take things for granted.”

Check back for part 2, in which Bhurin talks about growing up in a small Texan town, his perspectives on art (which reminded me of feelings Pen Khek shared about the selfishness art seems to involve) and Asian Americans in the media.

Thanks to Bhurin for allowing us to use his song “Dorothy” in this podcast, to Leona for the picture and to Eugene for general awesomeness.

 Bhurin Sead's Perspective on Being a Blue Man: Download

Tags: Aural Presence, Blue Man, Podcasts.

The energy and vibe of Friday night’s Beat Collective performance on the 4th Anniversary of East Meets Words had been building up for quite some time. After countless hours hanging out and jamming at the East Meets West Bookstore had honed their cohesiveness, it all came to a zenith with a performance that felt like it was the hottest ticket in town (but BPAC never sold any tickets).

With guest feature performers TVu displaying her mad talent on the mic, Vudoo Soul with his smooth vocals and downright insane keyboard skills, Afro D with his wickedness on the horn and Glenn on guitar, extraordinary energy was added to the regular Beat Collective members, Dave Kong (The DNA remixer), Pen Khek Chear (a 65-year old senior citizen from Upper Darby, PA rapping since he was five), Victor Chien (aka MC Papadop), Pedro Magni (the Filipino sensation), and Charles “Chucky” Kim (the Kangol hat lovin’ Californian on bass guitar).

Words cannot do justice what was performed since a lot of it was freestyled which fed off the energy from the crowd. One really had to be there in order to experience the exuberance of the performance. Those that were there had few seats to sit on and a lot of the audience was either standing near the doorway or in the back stairway next to the store listening breathlessly to the music.

Before the feature, 15 open mic performers came up to show their stuff to the crowd with words and music that were just as powerful and vibrant as Beat Collective. Each one displayed a passion and heart for their pieces more so than any artist in today’s popular culture. Overall, it was a night that was unreal, full of energy, and good vibes from Beat Collective and friends. It will be very difficult to top this month’s open mic because they really brought down the house (or bookstore).

(Follow this link for the BPAC Photo Gallery of this event.)

Tags: Open Mic, Recap.

I have to say that East Meets Words’ fourth birthday was simply amazing. Since I began going to the open mic event in 2007, I don’t remember ever seeing a bigger crowd. I think I’ve had the privilege of going to every open mic (except one) since January 2007. So, that’s… 1… 2… 28 open mics that I’ve attended. In total, there have been 49 51 (49 on the second Friday of every month and 2 special ones—Native Guns/ill-Literacy and Denizen Kane) open mics since the start of East Meets Words in March 2005. Wow! This month’s event drew more people to the store than the Beau Sia open mic. Beau who? Yes, the open mic has truly become bigger than any individual performer.

I don’t remember all the performers that came to grace the open mic that day, but all of them came to celebrate and give a gift to the open mic, a gift of the mind and soul. Fifteen folks came up to share before the feature hit the stage. I don’t remember all the pieces, but I do remember a few. I remember a piece by Jess about rice and it’s impact on the world’s well-being. I remember a piece by Emily Lawsin on domestic violence, classism and racism. I remember Vudoo Soul showing up and singing his ballad Ready for Love, Ready for You. I remember Eric’s piece about superheroes that made me remember when I was kid and all I wanted to do was be a goalie and win the Stanley Cup. It was a night where the energy surrounding the store started high and ended even higher. We literally blew the roof off.

Almost 2 hours after the open mic started, the feature finally hit the stage. The BPAC Beat Collective playing publicly for the second time. Comprised of a crew of talented musicians, the Beat Collective brought their best and lit the store on fire. With guest Vudoo Soul on a second keyboard and Afro D on the trumpet, Glenn on guitar, the beats, melodies and rhythms got me up on my feet, bobbing my head, waving my arms and tapping my feet. Guest emcees tvu and Amon picked up when regulars Victor and Pen Khek caught their breaths. Even now, I can still feel the notes from the bass guitar resonating around in my chest.

For me, the open mic has always been special. It was the open mic where I first met the cool kids: Theresa and Hsindy. It was a hot summer night in July 2006 and I remember Hsindy hosting. Fast forward to January 2007—when I went on my last first date. And 25 26 open mics later, it is still as fresh as when I first experienced it. Happy Birthday East Meets Words… may you live forever and ever.

Tags: Open Mic, Retrospective.