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Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, considered by many to be among the greatest musicians of our times, passed away in San Rafael, CA on June 18, 2009. He was in many ways a true embodiment of Asian America and was one of India's most important musical ambassadors to the west. His father, the mystical music genius Baba Allaudin Khan, trained Ali Akbar Khan rigorously and instructed him to take classical north Indian music to the West. Khansahib carried with him the open spirit of his father, who made it possible for any one, regardless of background, to learn classical north Indian music from a master. He established the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA in 1967, and went on to teach thousands of students.

You can watch a brief video of Ali Akbar Khan demonstrating the sarode here. 


The following obituary was written by Teed Rockwell:

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
1922 - ­2009

 




















Swara Samrat Maestro Ali Akbar Khan passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on June 18, 2009.  Khansahib (as he was affectionately and respectfully addressed) had been a dialysis patient since 2004, and had been enduring numerous health issues ever since. He continued teaching publicly at the Ali Akbar College until just weeks ago, and taught music at home until the day he died.
 
The obituaries throughout India and the rest of the world have rightly stressed that Khansahib was a musical genius of the stature of Beethoven and Mozart. However, those of us in the Bay Area are especially grateful for another of his great accomplishments. This was not something he directly created, but rather something that he inspired in others. Students of Indian music came to the Bay area solely because he was here, from Japan, South America, Europe, even India itself. Other great Indian teachers followed, and the result was a community devoted to classical Indian culture that deeply influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The early issues of India Currents were devoted almost entirely to calendar listings of concerts by these students and teachers, and Khansahib remained the central inspiration of that community for decades. He was admired and loved, and will be greatly missed.
 
Khansahib was famous for his performances at the world greatest concert halls, and for his many recordings. Eight months of every year, however, he gave himself entirely to his students. We were constantly inspired by Khansahib¹s example of artistic dedication and compassionate patience, and  anyone who tried to master the profound intricacies of his lessons was forever changed by that experience. These lessons contained centuries of tradition seamlessly interwoven with his own unique genius. No one learned how to play them as well as he did, but everyone learned how to listen, and shared their enthusiasm with friends, and friends of friends. The result was an audience for Hindustani music which was unmatched for both ethnic diversity and devotion to artistic excellence. It is both heartbreaking and inspiring to realize that this community can and must now go on without him.
           
The memorial service and burial was held at Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery Sunday, June 21st at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Ali Akbar College of Music (AACM) for the Ali Akbar Khan Library. Online donations can be made at http://aacm.org

Teed Rockwell
Music Critic, India Currents.
2419A Tenth St.
Berkeley CA 94710
www.myspace.com/teedrockwell

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to AACM for the Ali Akbar Khan Library.

__________________

Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007

 

Posted by Robin at 9:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Hyphen and Maker Faire, the world's largest DIY festival celebrating creative innovation, invite you Hyphenites to share your answers to "What would you do to reMAKE America?"

10 lucky readers with the most intriguing and thoughtful answers will receive one free weekend pass (worth $50) to this two-day extravaganza where entrepreneurs, risk-takers and artists collide amidst flamethrowers, indie fashion, rock bands, and rockets on May 30 and 31.

Email your groundbreaking answer to han(at)hyphenmagazine(dot)com by: Friday, May 22, 2009.
Please also include your name, age and mailing address in case you win the prize.

Posted by Han at 2:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

A big thanks to everyone who came out to Hyphen's sixth anniversary party on Friday night at Club Six. We had a great crowd, great music, great fashion show and great cake.

Continue reading "Checkout Hyphen's Six in the City Party Photos"

Posted by Harry at 10:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Our fucked up healthcare industry strikes again.

I just heard today that comatose Deftones bassist Chi Cheng's insurance company has refused to continue coverage for his treatment. His family has had to set up a website to solicit donations to support his care.

Cheng was in an automobile accident in November, which might have killed him had three off-duty EMTs not happened to drive by with all their gear. I haven't been able to find any information about why Cheng's insurance carrier decided to drop him when he needed them the most, but if you have a moment, try shooting off an email to Obama or your local or state brass asking them to do something about healthcare in our country.

Aside from playing bass for the Deftones, the Buddhist Cheng is a poet and community activist for homeless youth and battered women. He also has a wife and child. Please consider donating; his condition continues to improve.

Posted by Claire at 9:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Just ... just take a minute, and bliss out on this video, from a performance in England in 1964. Yeah, that's it ... rock me like my back ain't got no bones ...

Continue reading "Women's History Month Profile: Sugar Pie DeSanto"

Posted by Claire at 10:18 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Continue reading "Kollaboration 9: Los Angeles"

Posted by Elaine at 5:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Momo's entry about the noise that Bambu is making beyond the API community is no joke. Looks like The Mixtape Show picked up on his track as well. Did they hear about it through us? (Hyphen got a shout out in the outro.) Who knows. But I'm glad that his music is resonating with people outside the Asian American community.



Speaking of which, Dex talks about ethnicity at the end of his show and how he will never give someone's track a play just because he or she is of a specific ethnicity. He thinks it's condescending. At Hyphen, we get that. We never feature people just because they're Asian American. Sure, we are an Asian American magazine and someone simply being Asian American and doing something that's out of the "ordinary" is somewhat progressive, but beyond that?

Continue reading "Bambu Featured in The Mixtape Show"

Posted by LisaLee at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Here are some links to some cool -- and free -- Asian American media:

* If you haven't seen some Wong Fu films yet, check them out. They are pretty funny. I've seen some of their earlier stuff and they keep getting better. Up in Da Club is a four part short film that they released over the span of four weeks (I think), like a serial novel except a short video. First three parts are on YouTube and the last one, released a few days ago, is on their own site. I like how they make acting and filmmaking seem like so much damn fun. It's good to see indie productions out there, and I hope they go on to do bigger things. They also have a funny and very very short film, You've Got Male, which won the 2007 72 hour film shootout (correction: Wong Fu didn't make this short film -- it's by Ryan Kim and Christopher Nguyen. But both star the same actor, Christopher Dinh).

* In music news, you can download some new From Monument to Masses tracks (for free) from their newest album here. On Little Known Frequencies is available on February 24 from iTunes and other sites, and will be in stores March 10. For San Francisco Bay Area folks, they are also performing as part of the Noise Pop Festival so be sure to check them out on February 26 at the Bottom of the Hill.

Continue reading "Wong Fu, FMTM, A Song For Ourselves"

Posted by Momo at 1:01 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Perhaps more horrifying than last week's alleged assault on singer Rihanna by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, was the general response in blogs and comment threads, excusing Brown and other abusers, and even admitting to abuse on the part of commenters. Yeah, some people were saying that it was okay for Brown to (allegedly) bite Rihanna's body, give her black eyes, and choke her until she passed out, because she pissed him off in a variety of ways.

So, just in case anyone's unclear on this: beating, choking, slapping or hurting anyone physically is UNACCEPTABLE for any reason. Why?

Continue reading "Breaking News: Beating Yer Girlfriend Still Not Okay!"

Posted by Claire at 6:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

David Liang, New York producer and DJ of the popular Shanghai Restoration Project series, released his third album for the Lunar New Year. For those unfamiliar with David, he is a former Bainie who turned in his business consultant suit to pursue music. He released his first album three years ago, gaining prominence on iTunes and multiple Internet charts. Next came radio play for some of his songs, and last year he was signed by a division of Warner Brothers. His music combines elements of Eastern and Western beats, tones, and rhythms, and aims to create a bit of a revival and recognition for the rich and diverse music scene that once inhabited Shanghai many decades ago.

Continue reading "New Shanghai Restoration Project Album 'Zodiac'"

Posted by Alvin at 9:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Here's your chance to join New York-based artists Magnetic North and Taiyo Na for the making of their "I Got My" music video! The emcees want to involve the community for the shooting of this new song as part of Sunday's Sulu Series, a monthly showcase of emerging and established Asian American artists. A counter-statement to these current gloom and doom times of economic crisis, "I Got My" focuses on the value of non-monetary things we do "got," like fam and friends.

You can participate and be recorded in several ways: lip-syncing your favorite lyric from "I Got My," spitting your own line, or just hanging out at the show.

Ishle Yi Park, the former poet laureate of Queens, New York will also be making a live performance.

Come feel the love and celebrate the priceless things in life.

Sunday January 18
8:00 to 11:00pm
FREE!
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (between Houston and Bleecker) New York, NY

Posted by Cynthia at 1:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

MC Bambu (formerly of Native Guns), has a new track called "When Will the Time Come?" about the violence in Gaza. You can listen to it here. It's pretty powerful. Sometimes it takes artists/musicians to bring the point home, and this song is a good example. It's actually a track Bambu wrote for a mixtape for Tad Nakamura's latest documentary, A Song For Ourselves, about the life of Chris Iijima. The late Iijima was an activist and musician, a member in the Asian American band, A Grain of Sand. The documentary premieres next month in Los Angeles.

Bambu's song "When Will the Time Come?" samples from A Grain of Sand's "Jonathan Jackson." Pretty cool. The song is produced by Will Bracey. DJ Phatrick is arranging Iijima's music along with Blue Scholars, Bambu, Kiwi, and Native Guns songs interwoven with sound bites from the movie.

Speaking of Bambu, here's his latest video, "Crooks and Rooks," which premiered on okayplayer.com last month. Zoneil Maharaj, our music editor, tells me that this is a pretty big deal. "Up until now, Bam received most love and press from the API community. I don't think it's a stretch to say he's moving from being 'a dope Asian American rapper' to just a dope emcee period without compromising who he is," according to Zoneil.  

Posted by Momo at 2:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Another New York event for those of you spending the holidaze in the city.

Posted by Cynthia at 8:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

While Cupid sleeps, Locus Arts works. Pairing doesn't come more naturally as Locus Arts looks to team up Asian American artists again for the Second Annual DIY Music Video Night.

Live recording of shows from digital cameras are nice, but after a certain point enough is enough. Locus Arts will pair up musicians with directors to collaborate on music videos. The process will involve minimal, if any, budget. The result, however, will be as real as they get. The videos will premiere at a Locus event in February 2009, with the possibility of entry into a competitive event in March. The winner of last year's competition, a video featuring the Autonomous Region and directed by Jason Nou, screened at the 2008 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Visit Locus Arts or Kearny Street Workshop for more information about submissions. Got questions? Ask Brandon. You can also watch videos from last year's DIY event here. Just look under the "Locus Arts Do It Yourself Music Video Contest" tab.

Deadline to let them know you are interested is coming up on December 14, so make your move quickly!

Posted by Pai at 9:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

My buddy Danny Katz informed me about this upcoming show in NYC. Danny and his fellow Sensitive Guys with Guitars -- Jay Legaspi, WonderMarq, John Violago and John-Flor Sisante -- will be presenting a night of "pure sensitivity and magic," with all proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students. The latter provides Internet connectivity to public schools in the Philippines.

Continue reading "Sensitive Guys With Guitars Will Rock Your Wool"

Posted by Cynthia at 7:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

The bad news is that, no matter what a lickspittle striver you were this year, you might not get that bonus, 'cuz the economy sux.

The good news is that, by pretending to be a conscious aZn who only cares about kultcher, you can save money on gifts, AND out-virtue all your friends! Here's how!

Continue reading "Claire's aZn KulTchuR Holiday Gift Guide"

Posted by Claire at 1:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I was kicking around YouTube and I happened to catch some Filipino American (and Canadian) artists who have a pretty slick vibe going on, and I'll be kind of surprised if I don't hear about at least one of them making some more waves in other parts of the industry. So check 'em on out, enjoy the music, and subscribe to their channels.

Continue reading "Getting Your YouTube Groove on: Filipino American Style"

Posted by Slanty at 5:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

I had only known of Yo-Yo Ma as the famed cellist and for his helming of the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" soundtrack which I use as a cheap alternative to Ambien on restless nights.

But did you know that he's funny enough to make Stephen Colbert break character and crack up? And with a phallic joke, no less?

Continue reading "Yo-Yo Ma is Funny, Not Bad at the Cello"

Posted by Sylvie at 12:16 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Tabla solos and duets by four of the bay area's emerging tabla talents. www.sangaticenter.org 3049 22nd Street SF CA 94110

 

Continue reading "T A B L A C E N T R I C @ Sangati Center SF - November 2nd, 2008"

Posted by Robin at 7:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Gardeners to the lyrical fruits of letters unite, as iLL-Literacy's Natural Electricity Tour hits Milk Bar in San Francisco this Sunday for a night of spoken words, hip hop and music.  It will feature iLL-Literacy with its full band, Hi-Lifes,  and a live performance from Bay Area hip hop band, The Getback.  Ruby Veridiano-Ching, the sole female member of iLL-Literacy, will also celebrate the debut of her poetry and short writing book, titled Miss Universe.  More, more, more!  MADE Jewelry will be showcasing the exclusive "Miss Universe Earrings" at the event as well.

iLL-Literacy is an internationally-acclaimed spoken word collective based in Oakland, CA, consisting of members Adriel Luis, Dahlak Brathwaite, Nico Cary, and Ruby Veridiano-Ching .  Stop by.  Check out this collective of poets and MCs that have been featured on HBO's Def Poetry and MTV.  Let them move you, let yourself be moved.  Sometimes words do speak louder than actions.

This event is 21+ only, since Milk Bar serves more than just milk.
Tickets are $8 each for pre-sale and $12 at the door.
The excitement starts at 8pm, 10/26.

Please visit iLL-Literacy's website and Brown Paper Tickets for more information and tickets. 

Posted by Pai at 4:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I wish I could just throw on a cute scarf every day and go work out of a cute cafe. Today's chosen spot is this place called Cafe Murano on Steiner. And during my work break, I checked out imeem's website and lo and behold, Margaret Cho's on the homepage introducing her playlist. It looks like she's doing very well with the Cho Show on VH1, her recent appearance on Audrey, and of course, her work in the community in making sure that Proposition 8  does not pass on November 4th, 2008.

I'm listening to it right now and although we have completely different tastes in music, it's not too bad!

A little plug for our friends over at imeem, I love them. Their site is my portable playlist!

Posted by LisaLee at 4:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

San Francisco-based indie rock band Deerhoof just released their new album "Offend Maggie" from the Kill Rock Stars label. Lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki sings in both English and Japanese and, according to this Entertainment Weekly review, "nearly every tune sports a hummable melody — many of them sublime — which makes this album one of the more accessible entries in Deerhoof's willfully strange catalog. It's music that'll set your head spinning without making it ache."

Check out the band's official website for tour dates and the "Ask Deerhoof" feature.

The video above is for their song "Chandelier Searchlight."

Posted by Sylvie at 9:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Check out this quick Time magazine piece on Chinese American rapper MC Jin and the career move that took him to Hong Kong.

Continue reading "Time Magazine profiles MC Jin"

Posted by Sylvie at 4:18 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Singer-songwriter Rachel Yamagata is set to release her moody, breathy follow-up to her 2004 debut "Happenstance."

Continue reading "Rachel Yamagata's new album "Elephants""

Posted by Sylvie at 2:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Support the oldest multidisciplinary Asian Pacific American arts organization in the country by winning 2 tickets to ANY of the events listed below.

The 10th person to email me at lisalee(at)hyphenmagazine.com with the correct answer to "when was KSW founded" will win big. In your email, please also let me know what performance you'd like to attend.

Continue reading "Kearny Street Workshop Presents APAture 2008 & Win Free Tickets"

Posted by LisaLee at 11:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

I had never heard of singer Meiko until my partner came across her music on MySpace, but instantly recognized some of her songs. She's had several on Grey's Anatomy and another TV show. Songs on TV dramas are usually not that exciting, but we were surprised to discover some nice tracks -- and definitely a nice voice -- on her new album, which is available now on iTunes (her original album was self-released). The physical album will be out Sept. 9, and she'll be performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien Sept. 11.

Continue reading "Singer Meiko's Name"

Posted by Momo at 12:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Continue reading "Review: 'Ulysses'"

Posted by Slanty at 3:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura, who performed at the Hyphen Hybrid Issue party, releases his second album with a show at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco on Wednesday. From the preview I've heard, the tracks sound great.

Continue reading "Goh Nakamura Releases 'Ulysses' on Wednesday"

Posted by Harry at 9:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

If you're looking for something to do a few weeks from now and want to see acts like FM, Magnetic North, Tatum Jones, Jennifer Chung, and the Quest Dance Crew, you'll definitely want to check out the International Secret Agents concert on September 7th.

Continue reading "Concert: International Secret Agents"

Posted by Slanty at 10:23 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

If you're an unsigned artist and you've had dreams of sitting next to Mike Shinoda in the recording studio, it could come true if you're the winner of the Mike Shinoda: The Glorious (WeMix) songwriting contest.

Continue reading "Get into the studio with Mike Shinoda"

Posted by Slanty at 10:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

When I was tripping through Southeast Asia a few months ago, I had this song pretty much on repeat the whole time, so it's cool to see the Chinese American produced Shanghai Restoration come out with a video for the song.

Check out the video for "Miss Shanghai" below.



Here are the notes on the video from the YouTube page

Miss Shanghai feat. DEZ (vocals)
by The Shanghai Restoration Project

NOTE: Vocals are actually performed by Dutch artist DEZ (www.dezibelle.com). The model Masson Ge (www.massonge.com) is singing along with the voice.

To purchase this song on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZ...

Song written by Dave Liang & Dez
Music produced by Dave Liang
Video produced by Mark E. Lee Productions
Cinematography by Aasulv Wolf Austad
Edited by Szu-Hua Wang
Makeup by Kiki Lu
Featuring the designs of Lu Kun as worn by Masson Ge
Filmed at Lu Kun Couture studios in Shanghai, China

Special thanks to Lu Kun's manager Ramon Gil (lukunfashion@yahoo.com)

Made possible by Warner Music's Independent Label Group

Posted by Slanty at 10:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Just some quick updates on a few people who have been in Hyphen.

Bay Area Now 5, a triennial exhibition of Bay Area art (and possibly the most important art show in San Francisco this year), is up now at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. One of the featured artists is Ala Ebtekar, whose work we showcased in issue 11. Ebtekar paints on top of found prayer manuscripts in the style of Iranian miniatures, to explore the crossings of spirituality and war.

Continue reading "Bay Area Now & Goh Nakamura in NY"

Posted by Melissa at 3:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The Korea Times recently profiled Josephine Lee, a Korean American who is the youngest artistic director of the Chicago Children's Choir, a multicultural organization founded in 1956 during the Civil Rights Movement as a means of fostering cultural diversity and understanding through music.

Continue reading "Josephine Lee, Chicago Children's Choir Promote Peace"

Posted by Sylvie at 2:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I was reading a CNN article about gas prices affecting bands that tour around the country. The article featured a photo and some sound bites from San Francisco indie rock band LoveLikeFire - one of the bands that performed at the Hyphen Music Issue release party back in 2006 - who happens to have Korean American Ann Yu as their lead singer.

Continue reading "LoveLikeFire Prep for New Album"

Posted by Sylvie at 2:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Sri Lankan refugee and bhangra-inspired hip hop artist, Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam aka M.I.A., announced that she'll no longer do live performances during her set at this year's Bonaroo Arts and Music Festival. The New York Times reported that the neon clad M.I.A. told fans, "This is my last show and I'm glad to be spending it with all my hippies." Artists often make the assertion of retirement but then get back on the road for the classic revival tour so I won't hold M.I.A. to her word because I regrettably missed her numerous shows in San Francisco.

Continue reading "M.I.A. Says She Will No Longer Tour"

Posted by Asiana at 11:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

The 71^st Annual Stern Grove Festival, a month-long series of free weekly concerts, kicked off on June 15. Located in the Sigmund Stern Grove on 19^th Avenue in San Francisco's Sunset District, the Stern Grove Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in the city. This year the Stern Grove Festival features exciting performances by Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, MC Rai, SiSe, and Hawaiian super group Na Leo along with Ernie Cruz and Kaukahi. Check out this year's line-up for more details.

Posted by Asiana at 2:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tomorrow, Korean American singer-songwriter Priscilla Ahn's album "A Good Day" will be available online and in stores. Her label, Blue Note Records, is home to Norah Jones and the man himself, Al Green. She kicks off her album release with an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on June 11.

Continue reading "Priscilla Ahn's "A Good Day" Drops June 10th"

Posted by Sylvie at 9:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

I was perusing NPR's website when I saw singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen in the "Favorite Sessions" music section. Nguyen and her all-male band The Get Down Stay Down are originally from the DC/VA area but according to their MySpace now call San Francisco home after being signed to KillRockStars, the Seattle-based label best known for its stalwart indie roster including Sleater-Kinney and Elliott Smith (RIP).

Continue reading "Thao Nguyen Gets Down with the Indie Scene"

Posted by Sylvie at 1:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I remember seeing Mountain Brothers' "Galaxies" video on Yo! MTV Raps (not the OG version, but the short-lived revival) back in '98 or '99. Three Chinese dudes from Philly walking through a grocery store and playing mahjong while flipping buttery rhymes ("My mass is critical, raps Invisibl like Skratch Piklz and X-Men/ Gettin fem's confessin'/ Expressin’ predilection for sex and affection when I finesse them") over a laid-back, jazzy groove that has yet to cease making my head nod. It was one of my first times hearing Asian Americans rap, and doing it well at that.

Continue reading "Asian American Hip-Hop for Dummies"

Posted by Zoneil at 12:52 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

Entertainment Weekly's website recently highlighted upcoming male singer-songwriters in a profile entitled, Guys on the Rise: 8 Emerging Singer-Songwriters. Clocking in at number 3 is Japanese/American Justin Nozuka who was born in New York but raised in Toronto, and is interestingly enough, nephew of American actress Kyra Sedgwick who's married to Kevin Bacon. Wow, six degrees of Kevin Bacon really does work.

Continue reading "Singers Justin and George Nozuka On the Rise"

Posted by Sylvie at 9:47 AM

NPR's Second Stage music section profiles American ex-pat Lizzie Moore who lives in Japan and performs Asian-inflected indie/electro music under the name Eri Chan. Her debut album - entitled Fire Fox - has a lead track "KitsuneBi" ("fire fox" in Japanese) and much of the album explores, in the artist's words, "the thoughts of a girl living in Japan, fascinated by folklore and possessed by a fox."

Continue reading "Is Eri Chan Appropriating an Asian Culture?"

Posted by Sylvie at 10:59 PM | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)

Mud, a bay area-based Hyphen favorite, released their first full-length album "Yearbook" this week!  Check it out on iTunes here.  As a fixture of the San Francisco music scene since 2001, Mud has developed a strong loyal following of fans addicted to the band's heavy guitar riffs, infectious melodies and collection of high energy pop songs.

Check out their new video for the single "Should've Known" and help them reach 25k views by this Friday for MTV consideration.



And for you bay area folk, come support them LIVE at their CD release party this Friday, April 25th. Cast of Thousands, another hyphen favorite, will be opening for them.

WHEN: Friday | 9 pm | April 25, 2008

WHERE: Slim's
333 11th St.
San Francisco, CA

COST: $13 at the door (or purchase online here)

Continue reading "Support Your Local Asian American Bands (like MUD)"

Posted by Lanlian at 1:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

After 15 years in the hip-hop game, Lyrics Born has yet to hit a creative ceiling. The gravelly-voiced vocalist/producer remains inventive with his latest, "Everywhere At Once," his second solo studio album since 2003's critically acclaimed "Later That Day." As the title suggests, the album is indeed all over the place, blending hip-hop, funk, dance, go-go, R&B and dancehall -- all held together by the eclectic emcee's production skills and vocal animation.

Hyphen caught up with the Tokyo-born, Berkeley-bred emcee to talk about the new album, in stores today on ANTI-.

Continue reading "Lyrics Born on His New Album, in Stores Today"

Posted by Zoneil at 12:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Continue reading "Interview with Far East Movement"

Posted by Alvin at 3:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I spent the past week in Chicago for the Association of Asian American Studies annual meeting, and while I was there working and hence unable to attend the various panels on this year's theme of "Where is the Heart of Asian America?," the week wasn't a complete wash. I stopped by the Hiphopistan performance on Thursday night, which featured a small contingent of South Asian/American rappers from the U.S. and Asia: Abstract Vision (New York City), MC Kabir (Boston), Chee Malabar (New York City), Yogi B and Natchatra (Malaysia), and DJ Rekha (New York City). The venue and crowd were small so some light head nods and strained call-and-response were the extent of the audience participation, but luckily the performers were unfazed.

Continue reading "Hiphopistan brings South Asian MCs to the Midwest"

Posted by Sylvie at 12:29 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Congratulations to David Liang for recently signing a record deal with Warner! He has released his second album to coincide with Lunar New Year, titled 'Story of a City'. I have heard it and it is excellent, highly recommended, if you loved the first album ('Shanghai Restoration Project') you will definitely enjoy this one as well. Here is a note from David:
--------

Posted by Alvin at 9:51 AM | Comments (2)

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Recent Entries

Maestro Ali Akbar Khan (1922 - 2009)

Win a Ticket to the Maker Faire Bay Area

Checkout Hyphen's Six in the City Party Photos

Chi Cheng Med Insurance Cut Off!

Women's History Month Profile: Sugar Pie DeSanto

Kollaboration 9: Los Angeles

Bambu Featured in The Mixtape Show

Wong Fu, FMTM, A Song For Ourselves

Breaking News: Beating Yer Girlfriend Still Not Okay!

New Shanghai Restoration Project Album 'Zodiac'

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