Judith Hill performing “What a Girl Wants” on The Voice.
Season 4 of The Voice is here! Christina and Ceelo are sitting out this season – and I’ll say that I’m pretty pleased with Shakira and Usher filling in their shoes. Monday night’s premiere episode opened up with a big bang (complete with a lovely rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together” by the four judges). However, what REALLY caught my eye was seeing two Asian women appear as contestants on the show (and both from Los Angeles!): Leah Lewis and Judith Hill. Fifteen year old Lewis is an adoptee from Shanghai, while singer-songwriter Hill has made a name for herself when she caught the attention of the world as she sang the lead on “Heal the World” at Michael Jackson’s funeral. Lewis didn’t get selected to a team, but Hill got all four judges to turn around for her (she eventually went with Adam Levine).
Leah Lewis performing “Blown Away”
Meet Judith Hill!
Judith Hill singing “What a Girl Wants”
It was a Friday night. As usual, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles was full of night owls ready to socialize over good food and frothy drinks.
The patrons at the Far Bar on East 1st Street were no exception. The bar was full of mostly young and mostly Asian guests, all of whom appeared to be having a great time. However, this crowd had gathered for a purpose that went beyond just socializing. They were here for “A Celebration of Asian American Soul,” as presented by the online magazine Asia Pacific Arts and co-hosted by inVenture.
The star of the night was funk/soul singer Judith Hill.
When I first heard Judith Hill sing, I got goosebumps. When she shared the stage with Michael Jackson as his only female lead vocalist for his “This Is It” tour, she gave the King of Pop a run for his money.
So imagine my excitement when I found out that Judith, a Los Angeles native whose worked with music legends such as Elton John, Usher, and Josh Groban and singing in movies like Dream Girls and Happy Feet 2, will be lending her vocal chords for a good cause at Asia Pacific Arts‘ A Celebration of Asian American Soul at the Far Bar Lounge in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.
The event celebrates creativity and entrepreneurship. Co-hosting the event will be InVenture, a non-profit organization devoted to supporting women entrepreneurs in developing countries to help lift themselves and their communities from poverty.
Both organizations hope that the fundraiser will not only empower the community but to inspire them to support one another. Continue Reading »
