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Recap: WONG FU "A Moment With You"- Vancouver screening
By Ethnic CoolLast night at UBC's Norm theatre, a screening of Wong Fu Productions film "A Moment With You" was shown to a sold-out crowd that started lining up well before the theatre was opened. The guys of Wong Fu (Wesley Chang and Philip Wang) and actor Austin Chong was also at yesterday's Canadian premiere and Schema was able to catch up to them for an interview before the show.
Considering their humble beginnings, Wong Fu have truly come a long way in establishing their own growing fan base and attracting significant media attention. It all started with the idea of making their own rendition of a Justin Timberlake video ( "Senorita" ) and posting it online; over time, the buzz created for their work (through people passing the links to their video online) enabled Wong Fu to make a name for themselves and embark on a creative journey through their rising popularity. Judging from the eager fans that stayed behind for the autograph session after the screening yesterday, the Wong Fu guys have not only become an idol and positive role model for Asians and aspiring film makers, but they have also become a prime example that 'nothing is impossible and hard work does pay off'.
"A Moment With You" is Wong Fu's newest work following their tremendously successful short film "Yellow Fever", and Vancouver was their first stop in their 2-week Canadian tour that will include 7 Universities from Vancouver to Calgary to Toronto.
Posted by ethnic cool | November 29, 2006 | Comments (0)Tags:
SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE comics - a comic with a message
By Tamiko
What are you? Canadian. No, I mean, WHAT are you? If you've heard this before, you'll appreciate Ethan Lee's comic SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE. The goal of the Bay Area comic writer was to "facilitate discussion and raise awareness about historical and contemporary issues in the Asian American community" via a young Chinese-American female's point of view.
SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE was launched in 2003, with illustrations by Lanny Liu. Initially, Ethan planned to have a Asian male character, but realized, "Asian American females suffer dual oppression and they experience racism and life differently from Asian American males. With an Asian male lead character, I couldn't tell the story about Asian females getting hit on by white guys with Asian fetishes." You know who you are!
More:
Lots more SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE comics HERE.
Read article about Ethan Lee and SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE in Asianweek @ HERE.
Read about Ethan Lee and SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE in "Do you think we're sexy?" in SF Gate @ HERE.
Tags:
2 for dat Tango: Federico Aubele and the Gotan Project
By Boon Kondo
Lets break down Spanish and Latin music down for a sec: Flamenco comes from Spain, Mariachi music is Mexican, the Mambo and Rumba are Cuban, Merengue is Dominican, Samba and Bossa Nova are Brazilian, and Salsa came from from the Cuban and Puerto Rican descendants in the NYC. Tango, however, is distinctly Argentinian and instantly recognizable from the sound of the bandoneon and in Astor Piazzolla, its most famous exponent from the latter half of the 20th century.
Where much of today's groove oriented music stems from funk, jazz, soul, reggae & dub and predominantly salsa of the latin genres (as well as Afrobeat and the beat of the Indian tabla and vibe of the sitar), FEDERICO AUBELE and the GOTAN PROJECT are 2 artists bringing the Tango back into the beats of today.
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 27, 2006 | Comments (0)Tags:
NLC gig pics
By Boon Kondo
While the flu held back Pluskratch and thus NLC from performing as their full trio and the Stones concert cross the street took up most parking in the vicinity, NLC still brought down their unique beats and cuts to a mixed and packed house in anticipation of their new material, while Mike from Calamalka threw down a laptap set of deep ambient dub tracks (as others in the band could not make it out either) and Mary Ancheta and the Mantra opened the night with her brand of hazily rich, laid back soul. While the former 2 acts' dopeness is well known round town, it was cool to get a first glimpse of Ms. Ancheta who makes a good addition to the city's music scene with the kind of style she's coming from.
CHECK THE EXTENDED ENTRY FOR FULL PICS
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 26, 2006 | Comments (2)Tags:
Not your average guide to travel (when its from Vice Mag)
By Boon Kondo
Bulgarian Dirty Bombs, the Last Dinosaur of Congo, the Last Aryans of Paraguay, the Illegal Gun Markgets of Pakistan, PLO Boyscouts in Beirut, Surviving the Slums of Rio, Hunting the Radioactive Beasts of Chernobyl? Say want you want about them peeps at Vice Mag but chances are you will see stuff there that you dont normally see around and it will be good for a shit and/or giggle.
This Vice Guide to Travel DVD is no different. From Johnny Knoxville to Spike Jonze and the Vice people themselves, take a trip around the world's most not so desirable / interesting places.
Also, check out the accompanying Vice Guide to Travel jukebox as well featuring ditties from DJ Rekha, DFA 1979, Bonde Do Role, Japanther, etc.
TRAILER
CLIPS OF TRAVEL SEGMENTS (Bulgarian Dirty Bombs, the Last Aryans of Paraguay, etc).
Tags: DVDs
It's Here! Almodovar's Volver finally opens up
By Boon Kondo
After winning winning the best screenplay and best actress awards at Cannes (in which the whole ensemble female cast was awarded the best actress prize), limited American city screenings of the Viva Pedro film festival and kicking off the Vancouver Film Fest, Pedro Almodovar 's Volver is finally playing in town, starting this past Friday, NOV. 24.
Read the feature on Almodovar in this week's STRAIGHT.
Volver is playing at Tinseltown and Fifth Avenue.
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 25, 2006 | Comments (0)Tags:
New Nor-Wave
By Boon Kondo
Norway's indie scene: Whats happening in a music scene even more northbond than ours
"Known for white nights and black metal, this northern kingdom hasn't taken on the global pop scene since A-Ha 's 30 million selling cartoon capers 2 decades ago. In an earlier interview Royksopp, the country's biggest international crossover act since, placed the blame on the domestic commerical scene's lack of imagination. 'Norway has been suffering from the phenonenon that many nations suffer, in that they try to make lesser versions or copries of what is going on in the US or UK....do you prefer the Norweigan almost-Eminem or the real Eminem?" Royksopp's Svein Berge told me; this sentiment remains prevalent in Norway today."
Sound familiar...aside from the A-ha thing? Well, it kinda used ta, no?
Anyhow, READ ON...
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 22, 2006 | Comments (0)Tags:
Better Luck this Saturday? No Luck Club II release party this weekend
By Boon Kondo
Having been signed to Dan the Automator's then 75 Ark label which eventually folded, Van-City's turntablist and sample crew (which then consisted of bros Trevor and Matt Chan) No Luck Club's first disc, Happiness, was released by west coast hip hop label Illboogie. The boys then made URB magazine's Next 100 soon after, had Saul Williams "guide" a mixtape of theirs, opened for a slew of acts like J5, Krush, Money Mark, M.I.A., Mike Relm, etc. and recently added Vancouver DMC champion Pluskratch to the roster.
The 3 man ensemble (with Trevor maestro'ing the beats and sample sequences and with Matt and Pluskratch scratching, juggling beats and making narratives) are now releasing their second effort, Prosperity on their own and end a string of cross country dates with a homecoming release party this Saturday, Nov. 25 at the Media Club.
Local acts Calamalka (moody dub rock) and Mary Ancheta & the Mantra (Morcheeba like, hazy Brit soul) also join the party.
Check out some of their new tracks HERE
Read on NLC in this month's Exclaim
NO LUCK CLUB: PROSPERITY RELEASE PARTY
Saturday - Nov. 25
Media Club - 695 Cambie
Doors @ 8pm, $8
Check the extended entry for a brief review of Prosperity...
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 21, 2006 | Comments (1)Tags:
How to be called a white man pawn, sambo and Uncle Tom by K-os?
By Boon Kondo
Be a black writer and give him 3/5 stars, thats how!
While comparisons have been made between K-os and Kanye West, including just recently in the Straight, the obvious factors being talent plus pretention, Kanye's over-the-top, comical ways in which he gets pretentious at least make him entertaining. K-os has repeatedly shown himself to have this hypocritical, bitter, smarty pant ass chip on the shoulder that only confirmed itself to me as he hurled accusations of a racist agenda, Uncle Tom'ish behavior and questioned the ethnicity of a fellow black Canadian and hip hop music critic who gave K-os' new album, Atlantis: Hymns For Disco, a not entirely favourable review.
Posted by Boon Kondo | November 20, 2006 | Comments (0)Tags:
Wong Fu comes to Vancouver!
For those that haven't yet heard of Wong Fu Productions, then you truly do not browse the web enough. In 2003 a bunch of college dormmates from UC San Diego decided to pick up a videocamera (a Canon ZR10 to be exact) and make a homemade music video version of Justin Timberlake's "Senorita". They created a website and placed the video online which attracted hundreds of hits a day, from places all around the world.
Through word-of-mouth and friends showing friends, the video and website soon gained tremendous fame and popularity; since then Wong Fu has consistently put out several other video productions and with the success of their short comedy "Yellow Fever" (that sets out to answer the question on every Asian male's minds of "why all the white guys are taking our girls") that was released earlier this year, the guys are now back with their first feature full-length film "A Moment With You" (which explores love and relationships).
The film was featured at the 2006 San Diego Asian Film Festival and is now being screened in a North American tour that will hit Vancouver on November 28th, 2006 at the University of British Columbia's Norm Theatre (tour blog). More information is available through UBC's Chinese Varsity Club (CVC).
Tags: Vancouver
Code-name Agent 50 - William Chong, BEM
By Alden E. Habacon
Before Ian Fleming's portrayal of James Bond 007, there were the Asian Canadian Commandos of the #136 British Intelligence Unit. One notable super-spy was Vancouver-born Agent 50. His name was ... Chong, Bill Chong -- sorry, I know that doesn't quite work. In any case, I'd see that movie!
Bill Chong (short for William) was born in Vancouver in 1911, and was in Hong Kong when the Japanese invaded in December of 1941. Bill volunteered after witnessing a massacre of unarmed Canadian soldiers by members of the invasion force. "Working well behind enemy lines, ... code-named Agent 50, carried medical supplies between posts, gathered intelligence, translated messages, and helped downed air personnel escape across the Japanese line."
Pretty cool, huh?
"After the war, Mr. Chong received several decorations including the British Empire Medal (Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service)." Excerpt from National Defence Asian Heritage Month Website
Of course, there are many more notable Canadians who served at a time when racial dicrmination was acceptable. There was Alex Louie, Daniel Lee, John Ko Bong, Howe Lee, Bing Wong, Douglas Jung, Dodson Mah, Roy Mah (who led the first Chinese Canadian contingent to fight the Japanese Army in the Malaysia-Singapore battle during the Second World War) and many many others (read more after the jump). There was also all-black No. 2 Construction Battalion, and the many aborginal veterans.
More
The Chinese Canadian Military Museum
First Nations Summit Aboriginal Veterans Recognition Ceremony
Fighting for Canada - Chinese and Japanese Canadians in Military Service is a new Canadian Forces publication celebrating the military service of Chinese and Japanese Canadians.
Tags: Flashback
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Recent Posts
SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE comics - a comic with a message
2 for dat Tango: Federico Aubele and the Gotan Project
Not your average guide to travel (when its from Vice Mag)
It's Here! Almodovar's Volver finally opens up
Better Luck this Saturday? No Luck Club II release party this weekend
How to be called a white man pawn, sambo and Uncle Tom by K-os?
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