#aapi music

[roses-for-ri]

May 29 & 30-AAPI HERITAGE MONTH

Two songs by Fujii Kaze bc I'm obsessed with his music

[art]

Meet the Artist: @jovaline

Hi, my name is Arielle, and I’m a Filipina-American freelance illustrator, comic book artist, and writer! As a long-time theater kid, I love drawing characters with emotionally specific facial expressions and body language, and designing fun outfits and sets for them to live in. I take a lot of inspiration from vintage illustrations, fashion, musicals, and books. You might know my work from my graphic novels Black Star, Evil Thing: A Villains Graphic Novel, or most recently Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story. It’s equally possible you’ve seen my work floating around here on Tumblr because I’ve been on this platform for 12 years!! Thanks so much for taking a look~ :)

Pleased to meet you, Arielle! Below is some of her work that she has picked out for you all to appreciate.

For more of Arielle’s work, be sure to check out her Tumblr, @jovaline!

-

We are highlighting some of Tumblr’s talented artists of Asian descent all month as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

[melliotwrites]

Seeking actors for a concert of songs from GHOST STORY, a new musical!

VIDEO AUDITIONS are open 'til 6/21!

Two love stories between Chinese American and Polish American men haunt the same ranch house, one century apart. 

Rehearsals will be in Butte, Montana this July, with a performance July 20th. We're looking for actors who will (or can) be within commuting distance of Butte this July!

Paid (and we may be able to reimburse small travel expenses, e.g. gas)

No previous experience required!

CHARACTERS

ANTHONY TIAN: A cis male Chinese-American immigrant in 2022, recently engaged to JOEY. Late 20s. East Asian.

JOEY PULASKI: A trans man of Polish descent in 2022, recently engaged to ANTHONY. Early 30s. White.

HAOWEN “HAO” YANG: A transmasculine Chinese immigrant in 1882. A ranch hand who is sharing a room with JÓZEF. East Asian.

JÓZEF PULASKI: A cis male Polish immigrant in 1882. A ranch hand sharing a room with HAO. JOEY’s great-grandfather. White.

Video auditions are due End of Day (11:59 PM MDT) on Friday, June 21st. Read more info and send in an audition here!

Even if you can't audition, please help us spread the word!

[uranium-city]

Poppy Kealoha in a field of pua kala - the only type of poppy native to Hawaii 🌸

I’ve had this idea in mind for a while but was holding off on making it until AAPI month since I thought it’d be a nice tribute to the beauty of Hawaii. That being said I don’t really have any more H:PII related art ideas right now & my brain’s not in peak hyperfixation mode so this will probably be my last big H:PII art post for a while. Anyways we love you Poppy you’re doing great sweetheart

(reshares appreciated ^^)

[asianartsblog]

Support local Asian artists, makers, and businesses at the upcoming Asia North 2024 Makers Night Market!

Meet a few of our local makers: Ameena Fareeda, Book Karnjanakit, Hannah Shaw, and Helena Wu.

Ameena creates works that sheds light onto AAPI cultural and social experiences. She will be selling a variety of art prints, mini screenprints, postcard prints, stickers, keychains, enamel pins, and notepads.

@uhmeanuh

Book is a cartoonist and illustrator from Bangkok, now living in Baltimore. They make cute, silly illustration prints and merchandise, featuring animals and a cozy atmosphere. Every day they are still learning and unlearning about gender, sexuality, environment, and cultural differences. These themes can be found throughout their work.

@koobta.art

Hannah creates handcrafted, one-of-a-kind resin jewelry using wood, flowers, plants and other natural items. She personally hand picks, presses, designs, and creates each item with care. She treats every piece like a mini canvas, highlighting the patterns, textures, colors and beauty found in nature.

@wakeandcreate_

Helena is a Taiwanese American Illustrator that loves working with stylistic nature vibes and colors. When she is not tabling, she is freelancing for work, rock climbing, or out soaking up some vitamin D. She will be offering prints, postcards, stickers, sticky notes, and wood burned keychains.

helena_pocket

Asia North 2024 is co-produced by @central_baltimore_partnership and Towson University’s @asian_arts_and_culture_center

#BaltimoreEvents#DMVEvents#BaltimoreArtist#ThingsToDoInBaltimore#BaltimoreMade#Art#AsianArtists#AsianArt#ArtExhibition#MakersMarket#APIMEDAArtist#AsianArtist#AsianMakersMarket

[kingrosalani]

Today for Mother’s Day I decided to gift my mom and you all with a song I wrote for my mom, Leona.

I wrote “a hui hou” back in December when my mom was turned away from heart surgery in Omaha. I made the mistake in googling my mom’s condition, heart failure, which left me spiraling for hours over the reality that I will lose my mom someday.

We had a deep heart to heart, I cried and I told her I love her too much. To which she said “I love you too much too. If these are my last few years then let’s make them the best”

Those years would end up being 2 months.

This song was written in grief, slight acceptance and bittersweet.

Letting someone go that has suffered, was in pain and so exhausted, is one of the hardest things to do because naturally of course we’d selfishly want them to stay.

And although my mom did not last at least 10 more years like we tried so hard to do, she had the best last day she could’ve had.

Happy Mother’s Day to my number 1 forever. My closest person. My guardian angel. A hui hou mama.

a hui hou is out on all streaming platforms + digital download on my website.

Thank you Tori Nelson for being my first collaboration, working with me on such a special song. 🙏

Produced, written and sung by Teri Underhill

BG vocals + guitar by Tori Nelson

Mixed by Jorge Gutiérrez

Mastered by Alex Arthur

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/78lwbm4QYhszzya8FKF2dt?si=rLRxwVR1Rc-LCYaBRzOlnQ

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-hui-hou-feat-tori-nelson-single/1743701799

Digital Download: https://www.teriunderhill.com/shop/a-hui-hou-digital-download

[adriannamateo]

Feature film callbacks 🥰🎻🎬 #soloviolin #actress #improvisation

[charlottejoancheng]

Day 2 of AAPI Heritage Month heroines collection :Jennie from Blackpink

[theoogtree]

Getting a ride to the library tomorrow because father wants to go to the plant swap thing they're doing which is cool because I'm going to be getting like 9+ books lol

[performing-personhood]

One of my hidden special interests is historical figures I've never heard of. So when this post came across my feed today, I was instantly rapt. Tiny Davis? Rabbit Wong? The International Sweehearts?? These are great names why don't I know them!?

Well I figured yall might not know either. So here's what I found, grab a comfy spot cuz we're about to learn some history (and by the way I'm an armchair historian, okay, so all this research is extremely unscientific and entirely googled but I had to know)

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was a jazz band founded by a school for impoverished black children in 1937, who went independent in 1941 and started touring. They were unique at the time for being the country's first all-female, racially integrated band, which we get a glimpze of in op's photo up there - their musicians were Black, Asian, Latina, Native American, Puerto Rican, and white also. They did USO tours like the one photographed, but they also toured the country and played in such esteemed venues as the Howard Theater in Washington DC (where the broke box office records), the Regency in Chicago, and the Apollo where it seems they played multiple shows with some very big namss in attendance.

Ernestine (Tiny seems like such a derogatory nickname for such a lovely and talented woman) was born in 1909 and began playing trumpet at the age of thirteen. In her early twenties she moved to Kansas City and in 1935 joined a swing band known as The Harlem Play-Girls, whom she played with until late 1936, when she stepped away to have a child. She joined the Sweethearts after they went public in 1941. She and the band would play opposite Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, and would jam with many of the biggest names in jazz. She is quoted as saying "I could have played with Count Basie, Cab Calloway—the greatest. But I loved them gals too much. They were some sweet gals." (Which says a lot about her as a person.) In 1949, she founded her own all-female jazz band called the Hell Divers (🤘🏻) with whom she would play one of the biggest jazz ensemble concert of the early 1950s, record an album for Decca Records, and tour the US, the Carribean, and Central America. It says she actively performed until her early seventies. She died in 1994.

Willie Mae Wong was born in Mississippi in 1920 to a Chinese father and a mixed-race mother, and she identifies as African Asian American. She was one of the original founding members of the Sweethearts, playing the baritone (and later also the alto) saxophone. Unfortunately I couldn't find out as much about Willie Mae as I was about Ernestine, but interestingly, while Ernestine was an established musician when she joined the band at age 32, Willie was a completely untrained nonmusician when she was recruited for the band at fifteen years old. There is also a reference to a quote from Willie recounting that more than once the band would have to eat on their bus because restaurants would refuse them service. It seems she continued playing music even after the Sweethearts disbanded, although to much less press coverage; She happily married, had four children, and passed away in 2016 at age 94.

The International Sweethearts did and still receive praise from big band aficionados. In my brief and very unprofessional research I found everything from "[they make] jazz that cooks", that their "stage presence was electrifying", and that Louis Armstrong would watch from the wings when they played The Apollo. I even found a listing for a Sweehearts record on Discogs, where I was pleased to discover a track written by the Gershwins as well as a track written by Count Basie. It seems they still are recognized as one of the greatest swing bands of their day.

A few resources I used:

And finally,

Trumpeter Ernestine ‘Tiny’ Davis and saxophonist Willie Mae ‘Rabbit’ Wong traveling with the International Sweethearts on a European USO tour.

[m1shka-moon-bear-feelings]

Hi y’all!!

Sorry for the abrupt promotion, but if you could please check out my good friend Azure Kai’s Spotify I’d be incredibly grateful! She’s a truly unique and interesting musical artist and has recently reached 100,000 streams on the Spotify app. Definitely check her out if you wish!

[roses-for-ri]

May 4

AAPI HISTORY MONTH

Artist rec:

Zack Tabudlo, An extremely talented Filipino artist. You've probably seen some songs on Tiktok like 'Pano'

[cinader]

s2e28 Grammy nominee Caroline Cabading, a Radio Drama, and Tributes to Beloved Friends | Listen & Be Heard Podcast

Martha talks with Grammy nominee Caroline Cabading (Sugilanon). We remember Matthew Finch with a live radio drama by Ava Chin. YaShara Lynch sings in memory of Crystal Cauley, and we persist in our resistance of book-banning.

s2e28 Grammy nominee Caroline Cabading, a Radio Drama, and Tributes to Beloved Friends | Listen & Be Heard Podcast Featuring Caroline Cabading’s Sugilanon, Ava Chin, and YaShara Lynch [link to transcript] SHOW NOTES s2e28September 12, 2024 view image Martha talks with Caroline Cabading, about her Grammy nominated CD, Sugilanon, an epic family journey. We remember Matthew Finch with a live…

[melliotwrites]

Ghost Story: a new musical is up on YouTube!

Two love stories between Chinese American and Polish American men haunt the same Montana ranch house — one century apart. As past and present intertwine, the lovers confront long-held fears in their quest to determine if they love one another for the right reasons.

GHOST STORY is a new musical exploring queer interethnic intimacies between working-class immigrants in the early Mountain West, as well as the complicated racial past of modern gay relationships. Through a story about love, culture, and identity, the show asks: In making meaning from the overwhelming tragedies of queer history, how do we balance seeking truth and beauty?

This presentation includes mature language and some mature themes. Stream our live cast album here on Spotify (and look up Ghost Story Melliot on other streaming services to find it!)

[cooledtured]

Breaking Barriers - A Journey Through AAPI Representation in Film, TV, and Music

In recent years, the call for diversity in media and entertainment has grown louder than ever. One group that has historically been underrepresented in mainstream pop culture is the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. However, recent strides have been made to showcase the talents and stories of AAPI individuals, leading to iconic moments in film, TV, and music that have helped break barriers and redefine representation.

Film

From groundbreaking performances to stories that resonate with audiences worldwide, AAPI representation in film has reached new heights in recent years. Films like "Crazy Rich Asians" not only shattered box office records but also provided a platform for AAPI actors to showcase their talents in leading roles. The movie's success proved that stories centered around AAPI characters are not only marketable but also culturally significant.

Additionally, the critically acclaimed film "The Farewell" also touched audiences with its poignant exploration of family and cultural identity. Directed by Lulu Wang and starring actor Awkwafina, the film offered a portrayal of the immigrant experience and garnered widespread acclaim for its authenticity and emotional depth.

TV

In the world of television, AAPI representation has also made significant strides, with shows like "Fresh Off the Boat" and "Kim's Convenience" breaking new ground in comedy. These sitcoms offer a refreshing perspective on the AAPI experience, blending humor with heartfelt storytelling to create memorable characters and moments.

Moreover, the success of shows like "Master of None," created by Aziz Ansari, highlights the diversity within the AAPI community and challenges stereotypes by presenting true portrayals of AAPI characters navigating life and love in modern society.

Music

In the music industry, AAPI artists have been making waves with their unique talents and perspectives. From popular K-pop idols like BTS dominating the global music scene to individual artists like H.E.R. and Bruno Mars winning Grammy awards, AAPI musicians have proven their ability to connect with audiences on a global scale.

Furthermore, the rise of Asian American rappers like Rich Brian and Dumbfoundead has brought a new voice to the hip-hop genre, challenging asian stereotypes and pushing boundaries with their music and lyrics.

Conclusion

The journey towards full representation and inclusion in pop culture is ongoing, but the strides made in recent years are undeniable. From breakthrough films to top musical hits, AAPI artists and creators have made their mark on the industry and paved the way for future generations.

By telling these stories and showcasing the talents of AAPI individuals, pop culture has the power to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the richness of the AAPI experience. As audiences continue to demand authenticity and diversity in their entertainment, we can expect to see even more iconic moments from the AAPI community in the years to come.