Our annual music showcase at CAAMFest, Directions in Sound, joins forces with Kollaboration SF to bring Asian American hip-hop and rock beats from Los Angeles all the way to the Mariana Achipelago. Hosted by Wild 94.9’s Julian Lee.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
DANAKADAN is an alternative rap artist from Los Angeles. He’s currently at work on a second full-length album, due out spring 2017, which will be a mix of rock, electronic and hip-hop. As a Korean adoptee he’s worked on content, music and lm that deals with Asian adoptee and identity issues.
SATICA (April Nhem) is a Cambodian American singer/songwriter based in Long Beach. With a diverse sound inspired by musical acts like Bon Iver, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, Satica’s sooth- ing voice and lyrics melt gently into the ears and souls of music fans worldwide.
TRAKTIVIST Richie Menchavez is the creator and founder of TRAKTIVIST, the premiere platform to discover, promote and archive music made by Asian Americans.
EKO ZU is a musical trio of the melody weaver Zu’ri, nimble songstress Zu’CH3N and frequency shaper Zu’Ian. Discovered on Eko Isle, a little-known deserted island in the Mariana Archipelago, they are the only known example of animal-human hybrid evolution.
QSTN (pronounced QUESTION) has been spinning hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz breaks for over a decade. His production style is a mixture of obscure samples, heavy beats and live orchestration.
MORE MUSIC PROGRAMS AT CAAMFEST 2017:
In addition to Directions in Sound, CAAMFest will include programs with live music performances at the following programs:
Asian American rappers Awkwafina, Dumbfoundead, Rekstizzy and Lyricks break ethnic and music-industry stereotypes in the documentary, BAD RAP. This musically-minded presentation will feature live performances from the highlighted artists.
Starting at 6:00 pm, join us in the Pottruck Family Atrium at the JCCSF for live music, food and other activities.
6pm – 7pm: Pre-show (w/DJ Proof, food, drinks, special performances and more!)
7pm – 9pm: Film Screening Followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and artists
9pm – 10:30pm: Performances by Awkwafina, Year of the Ox and Rekstizzy
During a time of tense Asian international relations, composer Richard Pontzius and legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin pursued a moving mission to bring eager young Asian musicians together under one unified regional orchestra. Since 1990, the Asian Youth Orchestra has inspired generations of musicians to promote regional peace through music. In the latest documentary by Academy-Award winning director Ruby Yang, orchestra members share a sense of much-needed community with their fellow musicians. With the help of dedicated mentors and the support of their fellow musicians, orchestra members from all across Asia feed off each other’s passion and love for an art that is powerful enough to unite citizens from countries at odds with each other. — Sarah Kim
6pm – 7pm: Pre-show Activities (Jade Chocolates tasting, Food, and Drinks)
7pm – 9pm: Film Screening followed by a conversation with Ruby Yang and Performances by the SF Conservatory of Music
SF-based indie singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen journeys back to Vietnam to explore her homeland and reconnect with her mother. Todd Stan Krolczyk travels with Nguyen, capturing her happiness with success in the US and sorrow being away from family. Thao Nguyen is expected to be in attendance.
Director Tearepa Kahi strums another note into New Zealand’s film canon with POI E, a documentary named after the country’s iconic 1984 musical hit. The song gave hope and a renewed spirit to a suffering community during an economic recession; it topped the music charts for four weeks straight and reentered the Top 10 in New Zealand in 2009 and 2010. The film traces the entrepreneurial hitmaker behind POI E, Dalvanius Prime, who, in the 1980s, convinced the Patea Maori Club to perform the song. The group found themselves on an unexpected roller coaster ride as the song climbed the charts. Through archival footage and interviews with Prime, existing Patea Maori Club members and other notable figures in New Zealand media, the rich history of the song is uncovered and its relevance through the test of time addresses its impact on future generations while showing how the song is the pulse of the heart of a nation. — Elisa Gyotoku
MEMORIES TO LIGHT: ASIAN AMERICAN HOME MOVIES FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY
For the fifth CAAMFest iteration of our innovative home movie initiative, we are thrilled to present a compilation of Asian American home movies from California’s Central Valley, with live musical accompaniment by acclaimed jazz musicians Mark Izu, Brenda Wong Aoki, Masaru Koga, George Yamasaki and Moy Eng. Memories to Light is a project that collects and digitizes home movies — and the stories they tell — to share with the broad public. Visit the collections at caamedia.org/memoriestolight.
BLASIAN NARRATIVES as part of CAAMFest @OMCA with Rocky Rivera
Rapper Rocky Rivera will perform as part of Blasian Narratives at Friday Nights @OMCA.
