During the American Idol Season Finale, Psy performed “Gentleman” live alongside a handful of talented backup dancers. The impressive choreography got the audience up on their feet dancing and even earned Psy a standing ovation from the American Idol judges. Other performers of the night included current American Idol judges Keith Urban and Mariah Carey, and former judge Jennifer Lopez. Check out Psy’s impressive stage presence and energy below:
Recently, Selena Gomez has been finding herself in quite some trouble. And no, this time it’s not concerning Justin Beiber. Her performance for her hit single “Come and Get It” is questioned for its Bollywood style outfits and the usage of a Bindi.
After her performance at the MTV Movie Awards, The Universal Society of Hinduism demanded an apology for the performance claiming that it was insensitive. They pointed out that the Bindi is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance which Selena has no actual correlation to. Twitter users have also been voicing their opinion that Selena’s cultural appropriation is not cute.
This didn’t seem to phase Gomez, however, since she continued with the get-up yesterday at the Billboard Music Awards. This raises the question- is this performance racist? In previous posts, we have found fault in those who use yellowface and blackface and is this not the same thing? Others argue that Selena’s performance does nothing to insult the culture. They point out that she is actually embracing and celebrating Hinduism and indeed- Gomez shows no sign of placing a negative light on Hinduism.
But is it right to celebrate a culture when you don’t know the struggle behind it? Is it right to only use what you think is pretty (the outfits, the dancing, the bindi etc.) without understanding the deeper meaning behind the traditions? Is it fair to dress up in a certain culture to “celebrate” it, but have the option to take off the outfit/the identity whenever you please? Check out the performance below and let us know what you think.
Bollywood’s Filmfare Awards — often referred to as the Oscars of the Hindi film industry — was filmed back in January in Mumbai, but the show aired on February 17, 2013, courtesy of Sony Entertainment Television Asia.
Co-hosted by Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, the show celebrated the 100th anniversary of Indian film and featured performances by Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Usha Uthap, and more.
Top winners included Barfi! (Best Film, Best Actor – Ranbir Kapoor, Best Debut – Ileana D’Cruz, Best Score, Trendsetter of the Year) and Kahaani (Best Director, Best Actress – Vidya Balan, Best Cinematography, Best Editing). The Filmfare Critics Awards went to Gangs of Wasseypur (Best Film and Best Actress – Richa Chaddha) and Paan Singh Tomar (Best Actor – Irrfan Khan).
Audrey’s favorite looks from the red carpet are below:
Priyanka Chopra in Armani Privé.
Kero One, a Korean-American rapper, producer and DJ from San Francisco, has been gaining more and more praise throughout the years. He has worked with and been endorsed by artists all over the world from Will.I.am. to Epik High. Now, he has made history. After hearing Kero One’s song ”What Am I Suppose To Do?”, the legendary Stevie Wonder asked the rapper to perform at his Benefit Concert on Dec 15th, 2012.
Watch this behind-the scenes video documenting Kero One’s experience:
Also, check out his latest music video (“R.I.P.”) that premiered earlier this week:
From remembering 9/11 to an empowering musical showcase to our own Audrey’s Fashion Night Out, here are this week’s Happenings.
Barriers
When: Now to Sunday, September 18th
Where: 145 6th Ave, New York
How: Purchase tickets here.
Taking place four months after 9/11, Barriers deals with the Chinese/Pakistani Abbas family, and the loss of their oldest son Nabhil at the World Trade Center. As this multicultural family begins to disintegrate, we piece together the past each one hides, and the future they all share. Originally mounted in 2002 and then subsequently co-produced with the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2003, Barriers is returning to the stage to look back on the ten-year anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy. The play is written by Rehana Mirza and directed by Colete Robert.
Spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai was recently featured in our Spring 2011 issue for her notable and powerful performances. (I have had the good fortune to see her perform live, and it was amazing.)
Photo courtesy of Yellowgurl.com.
Now you’ll get the chance to see her perform at the Say You Heard My Echo show commissioned by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4).
As the first Kollaboration Boston wrapped up a few weeks ago, Han Cho looks back on putting together a movement.
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April 16th came all too fast for all of us.
All of us meaning the 20+ people on the executive team that had worked together since the beginning of the school semester to prepare for Kollaboration Boston 1.
