By Steven Cong
Northwest Asian Weekly
 Image by NWAW staff |
“Most of the rappers that I grew up listening to were Black,” said George Quibuyen, a Filipino American rapper who performs in the group Blue Scholars. Quibuyen goes by the stage name Geologic. “The average person may or may not listen to hip hop, but the average music listener still associates rap music with Black culture.” Read the full story
By Jason Cruz
Northwest Asian Weekly
Jada Morrison
Jada Morrison, a shy 13-year-old Filipino American from Bellevue, has had to overcome dyslexia in order to star in a movie. Morrison made her film debut in “Dear Lemon Lima,” an independent film recently shown at the Seattle International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Morrison was named after actor Jada Pinkett Smith, although her parents are not currently permitting her to see any of Pinkett Smith’s work due to the adult content.
Unlike that of her namesake, Morrison’s acting career happened by accident. It was Morrison’s 15-year-old sister, Serenity, who wanted to be an actress. In 2008, Morrison tagged along to an agency audition.
“She’s my role model,” said Morrison of her older sister.
The talent agency liked Morrison, and soon after joining the talent agency, she began modeling for The Limited Too and Nintendo. Read the full story
By Samantha Pak
Northwest Asian Weekly
DJ Tina T in a promotional picture. Tina T, who is half Chinese and from Seattle, is the official DJ for Red Bull.
For some, career paths are mapped out in grade school. For others, it’s not until they reach adulthood that they know. And for others, it’s a process of elimination – figuring out what they can’t do before realizing what they can do.
Then there are some like Tina Turnbull who find their passion when they aren’t even looking.
When Turnbull was in high school and needed to raise money for orchestra, she chose to organize an event at a club, complete with DJs and a break dancing battle, rather than selling candy bars. All it took was this event for the former Seattle resident to find what she enjoyed doing.
“I fell in love with the production side of events and entertainment,” she said.
Turnbull was 15 at the time and had discovered another passion, DJing. She began practicing after attending a DJ battle at a church in Seattle. She was eager to improve her skills on the turntables. Read the full story
By Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asian Weekly
 Formed in Tacoma in 1958, The Ventures found immense popularity in Japan (as shown above), where they still tour to this day. On June 28, the Seattle Consulate-General of Japan will honor the band with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette award, an honor never-before bestowed on pop/rock musicians. |
Tacoma’s legendary instrumental rock band The Ventures won admission into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Later this month, they’ll become the first rock and rollers to be honored by the oldest hereditary monarchy in existence today. Read the full story
By Steven Cong
Northwest Asian Weekly
 Korean and Korean American rappers Kero One (left), DOK2 (middle), and Dumbfoundead collaborate on a song in front of fans as a photographer captures the moment on May 30. (Photos by Aleyna Yamaguchi) |
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many camera phones, ever. But that’s what you get when you put a thousand Koreans in one room,” said Jonathan Park, a Korean American rapper who goes by the stage name Dumbfoundead. Read the full story
By Ninette Cheng
Northwest Asian Weekly
Seattle’s Chinatown/International District is a haven for dim sum Sundays, grocery shopping at Uwajimaya, and bubble tea, right? Sure, but documentary filmmaker Andrew Hida would like to point out that this is only the beginning. Read the full story
By Ninette Cheng
Northwest Asian Weekly
 Kollaboration Seattle staff members, back, from left: Steve Kwak, Jai Ko, Henry Ho-Kyun Han, Kevin Park, Edward Park, and Miguel Pearson — front, from left: Samuel Hong, Aaron Chang, Joanna Chu, and Leighanne Chung (Photo by Ninette Cheng/NWAW) |
What do David Choi, Ben Chung of Jabawockeez, and Quest Crew have in common? Before they rose to fame, all three started with Kollaboration’s annual talent show. Read the full story
By Chris S. Nishiwaki
Northwest Asian Weekly
David Won
No matter how lyrics are sung or what language they are sung in, there is one sure thing: baritone David Won is a rising star in the international opera world. Won, who came from South Korea, has overcome language barriers on multiple occasions. Each time, he has persevered, and it has molded his career.
He played a role in the world premiere run of “Amelia” by Stephen Wadsworth at the Seattle Opera last week. The show closed on May 22 at McCaw Hall. The baritone performed dual roles, a Vietnamese character and a doctor. Read the full story
By Steven Cong
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
 Gordon Tsai, a rapper, is also known by his stage name, Gifted on West East, or G.O.W.E. (Photo by Jen Au) |
“Right now, we’re at a time when we’re just bubbling. When all Asian artists come together and start to realize each other’s work ethics, it’s going to be great,” said Sonny Thongoulay, a local Laotian American rapper. Thongoulay goes by the stage name “Sonny Bonoho.” Read the full story
By Aislyn Greene
For Northwest Asian Weekly
 Cuong Vu |
Cuong Vu wants to start a revolution.
Through his role as a University of Washington professor and a professional musician, the Vietnamese trumpeter is on a mission to revitalize the jazz scene here in the Pacific Northwest. Read the full story
The Shanghai Pearl (Photo by John Cornicello)
By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly
Jenny Ku’s apartment is cloaked in sequins, feathers, and fishnet stockings. Her laptop is red — a shade almost as bright as her lipstick — and so is her tea kettle, which brewed jasmine tea on one of spring’s sunnier days. But that doesn’t compare to the 17 pairs of peep-toe pumps peeking out from her rows of boas, dresses, and masks.
Ku says she gets to play for a living. She is, after all, The Shanghai Pearl, one of the few Asian American burlesque dancers. The clothes, jewelry, and shoes aren’t merely for dress-up, but for her performances at venues such as The Pink Door, El Gaucho, and A Contemporary Theatre.
At her performances, Ku wears her costumes — a sequined, sheer mermaid outfit, a black dress glistening with rhinestones for her dance to “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” and others. She gets angry, silly, and happy, depending on her act for the evening. These performances include a careful and artful removal of her clothing until she is down to jeweled underwear (cute) and dazzling pasties (even cuter). Read the full story
By Peter Kelley
For Northwest Asian Weekly
Gabriel Manalac at work in a tiny room at the top of Denny Hall. He plays the carillon three mornings a week for about 10 minutes. The sheet music shows that he's playing the Beatles' Yesterday, which Robin McCabe, his instructor and the School of Music's former director, also played on the UW's carillon when she was an undergraduate. (Photo by Mary Levin/University Week)
Resonant, bell-like tones from Denny Hall sound the Westminster Chimes and mark the hours each day. But — have you heard? — three mornings a week, those magnificent chimes play music, too. Read the full story
