Blasian Perspective: Black-Asian Artists Thrive
June 16, 2008
Akira’s Hip-Hop Shop (popcultureshock.com/akira) is a movie about a black woman who falls in love with a Japanese man. Released last year as an indie short, this BlAsian production has been making the rounds nationwide, including the recent Hollywood Black Film Festival and the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Producer Joseph Doughrity, who got his first break as an assistant to Oscar-nominated director John Singleton (Boyz 2 Men), has drawn enough raves from industry insiders to obtain funding to make the film a feature-length production. If you plan on being in Atlanta this summer, check out the film at the Atlanta Pan-African Film Festival from July 18 to 27. The film festival is part of the National Black Arts Festival (nbaf.org), a cultural celebration of the dance, music, film, theater, visual arts and literary arts of the African diaspora. For ticket information, call (404) 733-5000 or go to woodruffcentertickets.org. For ladies interested in checking out James Kyson Lee, the Asian male actor in Akira’s Hip-Hop Shop, go to tiny.cc/LjeZL.
Rapper Taiyo Na, a Renaissance man of words, prides himself on being influenced by Curtis Mayfield, Nas and Chris Ijiima. In his latest album, Love is Growth, the New York City resident makes his own contribution to the growing Asian American soul genre. Featuring collaborations with singers Vudoo Soul, Conchita Campos and Emily C. Chang, rapper/producer Koba, jazz violinist Jason Kao Hwang, guitarists Minimum Tek of Outernational and Mark Concerto of P.I.C., and more, the album is composed, arranged and produced entirely by Taiyo. Socially conscious, often funky and always personal, the album showcases the artist’s urgency, scope and depth through songs such as the champion’s anthem title track, the pulsating introduction “One More Time” and the ethereal rock-soul ballad “Take My Breath Away.”
Like the Latin American soul music of Palmieri and La Lupe generations before, Taiyo’s Love is Growth marks the emergence of Asian American soul music through songs such as “Lovely to Me (Immigrant Mother)” and “Kasama.” It is a distinct American music — African and European in its roots — and now Asian in its perspective.
In an American pop culture that often doesn’t see Asian people as performing artists, time will only tell if the mainstream is ready for more diversity. Two things, however, are certain: Taiyo represents an entire movement of young Asian American musicians creating a voice all their own, and Love is Growth is the latest charge forward. See taiyona.com for information about his upcoming shows.
Sam Cacas is the author of BlAsian Exchanges, A Novel. View his blogs at
blasianexchangesanovel.blogspot.com and beyondborders.asianweek.com.
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6 Responses to “Blasian Perspective: Black-Asian Artists Thrive”
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I will definitely have to check out taiyo’s album. We know Asians and Asian Americans are talented and diverse, now ti’s time for the world to give thier recognition!!
I’ve heard of Taiyo and Akira’s Hip Hop Shop before but this is al news to me. It sounds pretty cool. I’ll have to check them out! Thanks for this.
Taiyo is a talented singer, and songwriter as well as a politically aware, socially conscious brother on the real side of hip hop.
Walk in Harmony Taiyo…. from the 718 :)
Great resources , as always, Sam. Thank you. Looking forward to more of these tidbits…
Dede, Jacqueline, Day and Sandra:
Thank you for supporting my work. I will
do my best to continue searching for and
publishing more and more content about
BlAsian unity!
Please see my interview this month Los Angeles LA-18 T.V. station on
June 18. See it at
http://www.la18.tv/Video.aspx?vid=495888be-45e7-4a08-8add-d9ad1a1f855f