Eem Byung-hak and Kim Naun of Goonam performs at the SF Music Matters Asia showcase at Broadway Studios in San Francisco on March 8 (photo credit: Karen Datangel).
Many indie musicians have already gathered at the world-famous SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, but before heading to the Lone Star State, some of these artists and a few others took their show to the City by the Bay for two nights of unforgettable music mayhem. From sentimental soul and slinky blues to pulsating electronic beats and fist-pumping dance-rock, the East met the West in a duo of shows, delivering something special for every music lover.
As a special preview to the newly branded CAAMFest (Formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival), the inaugural San Francisco Music Matters Asia showcase brought together some of the hottest musical acts from Korea, China, and Taiwan at Broadway Studios on March 7 and 8. This Bay Area stop served as an extension of Music Matters, Asia’s yearly premier music event in Singapore. Partnered with local music promoters from the bands’ countries (DFSB Collective of Korea, Maybe Mars of China, and The Wall of Taiwan), SF Music Matters Asia was not only a rare opportunity for fans to see so many critically-acclaimed Asian artists together, but opened doors for these artists to share their music with a wider international audience.
Matthew Moy as “Han Lee” on 2 Broke Girls
Quite possibly one of the biggest stereotypes about Asians is the one concerning our height. It seems as if every and all Asians have dealt with the stereotype of Asians being short. Admittedly, there are quite a few fun-sized Asians (I am among them) and we definitely have no problem with short. The problem is the amount of shock towards tall Asians. I’ve always wondered about why this is such a perplexing thing for some. I’m certainly not surprised when I run into a tall Asian- if there are tall people in other cultures, why is it so unheard of to encounter a tall Asian? But what happens if an Asian doesn’t fall into this myth? They’re met with remarks like “Wow, you’re tall for an Asian.” The western world seems in disbelief that Asians can be anything but short. As seen in the picture above, media doesn’t always seem to be helping in breaking this myth so we’ll go ahead and do it ourselves.
Continue reading to get a glimpse of Asians who certainly Break The Asian Myth about Short Asians:
If you’re a tumblr person, then you’ve probably stumbled upon the work of artist Ran Hwang who has become an overnight sensation in the social media world. Why does her art have people staring? Hwang is known for taking objects like buttons and crystals and pinning it onto a wall. Through this tedious pinning, she creates amazing wall sculptures and wall art.
Catherine and Sean.
It’s been quite a season for Asian women on reality shows: Katherine Kish on Top Chef: Seattle and Celeste of King of the Nerds both won on their respective shows. Add Catherine Giudici to the list – as she was proposed to by Sean Lowe (29) on the 17th season of The Bachelor. The twenty six year old Filipina Italian graphic designer from Seattle was chosen over 24 year old Lindsay Yenter, a substitute teacher from Fort Bragg. The filming took place in Thailand. On their date, Catherine and Sean share their final date riding elephants (while Lindsay and Sean had a rafting date on the Mekong). In the end, Sean gives his final rose to Catherine.
And then they ride off into on the sunset….on an elephant. Yes, not kidding on that one.
We were rooting for Catherine all season – and we glad she won! Congrats Sean and Catherine!
What a Smoking Hot Asian Guy, that Daniel Henney.
We know we don’t need to explain this one. We can assure you that the pictures inside pretty damn hot. KoreAm Journal’s March 2013 is absolutely on FIRE. Get the issue here.
We’re giving away Blu-ray combo packs of Ang Lee’s award-winning film Life of Pi!
To enter:
1. Like Audrey on FB & follow us Twitter
2. Leave a comment on this post with your name and Twitter handle!
About:
FROM OSCAR® WINNING DIRECTOR ANG LEE COMES THE INSPIRATIONAL. EPIC JOURNEY, LIFE OF PI, ON BLU-RAY COMBO PACK & DVD MARCH 12
Life of Pi is the film that earned Taiwanese American director Ang Lee his second Best Director Academy Award at this year’s Oscars. Based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Yann Martel, the film stars newcomer Suraj Sharma as Pi, alongside veteran actors including Irrfan Khan (as the older Pi), Tabu, Adil Hussain and Gérard Depardieu.
Lee brought what many thought was an un-filmable story onto the big screen. With the help of the visual effects company Rhythm and Hues Studios, the Life of Pi team staged a devastating shipwreck, turned a water tank in Taiwan into the middle of the Pacific Ocean and brought to life a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker shares much screen time on a lifeboat with Suraj Sharma’s Pi.
In addition to Lee’s Best Director win, Life of Pi took home three other Academy Awards (Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Original Score), earning the most Oscar wins of any film this year.
The film is currently available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
The winter chill is almost gone and Spring is here! The recent warm weather in Los Angeles made me think of one thing: it’s about time for bathing suit shopping! While the stores haven’t fully stocked on the latest swimwear collections from multiple brands, some online retailers are rolling out their two and one pieces early on already. I found this cute little gem for the Sanrio lovers out there: a Chococat swimsuit (priced at $22.80 at F21). Readers, what do you think? Is this too much Sanrio – or would you rock this on the beach for the upcoming warm seasons?
On a side note, I found it really amusing that they styled the outfit with the furry salmon colored boots (?) with a pastel-like baroque scarf. Because, you know, that’s how I roll to all pool parties.
By now, the story of Journey’s Neal Schon discovering Arnel Pineda on YouTube — and subsequently crowning him Journey’s new lead singer in 2008 — has become classic underdog folklore amongst Asian Americans and Filipinos around the world. However, Steve Perry fans might have needed a little bit more convincing. Pineda, a singer/songwriter from the Philippines who was singing Journey cover songs with his band The Zoo, may have been a curious choice to officially headline the popular American rock band.
Five years later, the 30-year-old band Journey has had a resurgence, thanks to Arnel (and his undeniable pipes). Their international tours continue to sell out, and the band is currently performing in Japan with no breaks until September, after they make stops in Singapore, UK, Germany, and the US.
Producer Capella Fahoome Brogden, musicians Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Arnel Pineda of Journey, and director Ramona S. Diaz attend the “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” Premiere during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.
As soon as award-winning documentarian Ramona Diaz (Imelda, The Learning) heard about Arnel, she knew there was a story there. It took some convincing, as the original members of Journey weren’t keen on having a filmmaker follow them around on tour, but soon she was on the road, capturing Arnel Pineda’s first year as the lead singer of Journey.
And Pineda is such a sweetly charismatic subject. A huge Journey fan himself, Pineda cannot believe he’s even included in their band photos. It’s his first time performing in front of such massive crowds. A ball of energy onstage, he needs to learn how to balance making the songs his own, yet not steering too far away from the Steve Perry sound that Journey fans have come to love. On the flip side, the members of Journey treat Arnel as a younger brother, protective over the fact that they’re taking a singer who grew up homeless in the Manila slums and throwing him into a crazy rock ‘n roll circus.
But before they know it, the Filipino fans start showing up in middle-of-nowhere America. And they are there not for Journey. They are there for Arnel.
The documentary Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey opened in limited release on March 9, 2013. For more information, go to their official website: Everymansjourney.com.
2013 marks 100 years of Indian cinema — home of the unique film genre affectionately referred to as Bollywood — and through the century, there have been many memorable leading ladies, from Nargis, Sridevi and Rekha to Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta and many many more.
For this year’s Women’s History Month, Audrey Magazine highlights some of our favorite Indian actresses ruling contemporary Hindi cinema today. This is the first in our series of Asian Women in Film, where we will be featuring leading ladies from all of Asian cinema.
Here are 10 names to know:
Priyanka Chopra
When the former Miss World (2000) began her career in Bollywood, from her 2002 debut in the Tamil film Thamizhan to her damsel-in-distress role to Hrithik Roshan’s superhero in 2006′s Kriish, there was often more talk about her skimpy outfits than her acting skills. Then 2008 happened: Chopra had six films come out that year, and while the first few were unsuccessful, late 2008 brought the release of Fashion, the first role that got critics talking about her talent rather than her looks — especially when she swept all the major Indian Film Awards that year for Best Actress. Since then, even if the film she’s been in haven’t been acclaimed, people tend to point out Priyanka Chopra’s performance as the best part. Case in point: the awards she’d picked up for playing a murderess in 7 Khoon Maaf and an autistic woman in Barfi! in the last two years.
Films to watch:
Fashion
Kaminey
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan has been acting in feature films for a decade, but she broke out into stardom recently with her role in The Dirty Picture, the biopic about the adult film actress Silk Smitha who was popular in the 1980s and 90s. The role earned her Filmfare and National Film Awards for Best Actress in 2012, and she followed it up with the crime thriller Kahaani, in which she plays a pregnant woman in search of her missing husband.
Films to watch:
Kahaani
The Dirty Picture
Kajol
Kajol (also pictured at the top of the article) has been a household name since 1995′s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), which kickstarted a filmgoing craze (it is the longest running Indian film in history, and as of Jan 2013, the film is still playing in a theater in Mumbai, 17 years later) as well as a timeless romantic pairing (Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan have acted in six films together). But in recent years, Kajol has brought an even greater depth to her performances. Just check her out as the blind woman in Fanaa or the grieving mother in My Name is Khan. You’ll feel like a really beautiful, soulful woman just punched you in the stomach.
Films to watch:
DDLJ
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Fanaa
My Name is Khan
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone made her debut in 2007′s Om Shanti Om, playing two characters that looked identical though they’re from different time periods (it can happen, just go with it). But she gave both characters enough nuance to prove to audiences that she was more than a tall, strikingly-beautiful model — even though she was definitely tall and definitely strikingly beautiful. Since then, she’s taken on different types of characters, from the modern-day romantic lead in Love Aaj Kal to the downward-spiraling toxic friend in Cocktail.
Films to watch:
Om Shanti Om
Love Aaj Kal
Anushka Sharma
Another actress who got her start in a Shah Rukh Khan film (2008′s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Anushka Sharma soon ventured out on her own and found another leading man that she seemed to have good chemistry with, on and off screen. Acting opposite co-star Ranveer Singh (quick tangent: check out his abs in Audrey’s Daily SHAG here) in Band Baaja Baaraat and Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl, Sharma really showcased her natural charisma and ability to lead a film. In 2012, she reunited with Shah Rukh Khan in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Whereas in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, she played the mourning, subdued wife whose life and belief in love needed to be re-ignited by Shah Rukh Khan’s charm, in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, she was the mini-Shah Rukh Khan, who “Shah Rukh Khan”-ed Shah Rukh Khan himself. I know it sounds confusing. But just watch the movies.
Films to watch:
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Baand Baaja Baaraat
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Katrina Kaif
Born in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri Indian father and an English mother, Katrina Kaif often seems to have a maturity beyond her years onscreen. By 25, she was playing the Chief Minister party leader in the political thriller Raajneeti — and somehow pulling it off. After memorable turns as a civil rights activist circa 9/11 in New York and a diving instructor helping Hrithik Roshan get over his fear of water (and workaholism) in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, she helped jaded modern audiences believe in “old school” true love again in last year’s blockbuster Yash Raj film Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Films to watch:
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Raajneeti
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Farah Khan
Farah Khan has been in the industry for what seems like forever: as a choreographer, she is responsible for so many memorable Bollywood dance sequences that it’s almost impossible to count, but some of our favorites include “Chaiya Chiaya,” “Shava Shava,” and “Maahi Ve.” In addition to her choreography, she’s directed memorable films such as Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om. In 2012, she won a Stardust Best Actress Award for her on-screen debut Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi. But even when she’s behind the camera, she is an incomparable leading lady.
Films to Watch:
Om Shanti Om (as director)
Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
Sonam Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor (daughter of Anil Kapoor, who international audiences know from Slumdog Millionaire and TV’s 24) made her debut in 2007 with Saawariya, opposite Ranbir Kapoor. At the time, Saawariya got a lot of attention, because although the two of them were newcomers to the industry, the film was co-produced by Sony Pictures, and it was the first Bollywood movie to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. Since then, Kapoor has landed girl next door roles in romantic comedies, such as Aisha and I Hate Luv Storys.
Films to Watch:
Saawariya
Aisha
Kareena Kapoor
A descendant of the legendary Kapoor family, Kareena Kapoor is continuing the legacy started by Prithviraj Kapoor and cemented by Raj Kapoor, as Kareena was most recently named the highest ranking female actress in Forbe India’s Celebrity 100 list. A power player in the industry, Kapoor has been one of India’s highest paid actress in years, starring in blockbusters including Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots, Salman Khan’s Bodyguard, Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One, and most recently reuniting with Aamir Khan in Talaash: The Answer Lies Within.
Films to Watch:
3 Idiots
Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
There are many more, but here are 10 to start with. Who are your favorite Indian actresses?
We talk to Everly’s designers – the sisterly duo Adriana and Fabiana – about the line’s latest collection. Read on to find out their inspiration and what’re digging for spring!
