My Blog

2007 International Soul Summit

This is a little late coming, but better late than never.  Last weekend, I was in HOTlanta for the 2007 International Soul Summit.  I didn't know what to expect, never having gone to a soul summit before, but I came away really moved.  The best part of the entire event was getting to meet fellow artists, and the comradery and the love was real.  That's what it's all about--helping and supporting each other.  I never really understood people who put each other down, or refuse to support their fellow artists.  We're all in this crazy game together, so really, we're like family. 
It was great to meet new faces, hear new voices and bask in the company of some old friends.  :)

NY TIMES...hip to the Asian Non-Invasion?

Anyone read that article in the NY Times Sunday Style section about why Asian American artists can’t break into the music industry?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/fashion/04asians.html

It was really interesting that the article appeared on the front page of the Style Section, as if this was breaking “Style” news. Hmmm…

While I appreciate the honest attempt at trying to EXPOSE the plight of the Asian American artist. But on the other hand, it was like saying “YES, racism against Asians is ALIVE and WELL, but hey, nothing can be done about it.”

I was particularly averse to the implication that Asians could only succeed in music if they develop their own “Asiatic” genre. As if to imply the only reason they hadn’t “made it big” yet, was because they hadn’t correctly found a way to integrate traditional Asian instruments into their music. (grr!) As if to say that Latino or African-American music can only succeed if they incorporate claves and nayabingi drums into their music.

This general belief just furthers the fact that Asians are pigeon-holed into what is considered a “digestable” stereotype for the American public. With few exceptions, we have yet to transcend the Kung-fu kicking/math whiz/submissive geisha girl roles. So it’s really no surprise that uber-talented musicians, actors and artists are overlooked because of their race.

The resounding reality of your article was that we have identified that Asians continue to suffer from racism, but despite the realization, the issue has yet to be addressed.

So, I don’t know if this article was a doing a service to “educate” about the status, or whether it was a terrifying and disgusting expose to the degree of existing racism that exists in our current lives.

Regardless, it’s definitely a wakeup call, and it’s inspiration to stay strong and to support each other as we try to break through and level the playing fields. :)

Stay strong, my brothas & sistas!

Slumber & Awakenings

June 22, 2006

10:49pm

Slumber and Awakenings

            Tonight was an affirmation that I spend most of my days in a lazy slumber.  It’s gotten to the point where I’m asleep and I don’t even know it.  When a condition is prevalent all the time, it assumes normalcy.

            I went to a sending off gathering for Ishle Park tonight.  (www.ishle.com)  For those who don’t know her, she’s real, y’know?  I admire her for her beautiful energy and her gift for speaking truth.  Girlfriend is going to New Zealand to BE.  And for that, I admire her courage and her faith in the Universe. 

            The evening was filled with talent, love, good energy and beauty.  Ishle’s close friends came up and performed songs and poetry to send her off.  Every single performer blew me away in their own unique way.  There was a genuine feeling of One-ness and a halo of affection in the room.  I felt privileged to have been exposed to it.

            While waiting for the train back to A-town, I suddenly began FEELING again.  I could feel the heat of the humid subway air, like I was inhaling someone’s exhale.  I could feel my pores, feel my skin.  The music pouring into my headphones sounded ALIVE. 

            èIsn’t it the law of opposites… you need the negative to appreciate the positive?  I wish sometimes the reality was that you have eras of positivity, interrupted by the occasional negative mishap. 

            I look around this awesome city of diversity and I get really discouraged sometimes when I see the sameness of so many people.  When did we become mentally lazy?  When did we become complacent to be told how to dress, what to listen to, what to read, where to eat, where to play? 

We are all in slumber, whether from working at a corporate slave ship, or from physical exhaustion—our senses have taken a backseat to necessity.  The need to make money, the need to feel accepted, the need to live a certain affluent lifestyle.  Me, too.  Guilty as charged.

Every once in a while, I get to bask in the halo effect of something real.  Tonight inspired me.  My senses were awoken. 

I hope to keep being humbled.  Every time I think I got my shit figured out, I hope the Universe knocks me off my feet to keep me closer to the ground. 

Thanks Ishle for sharing your night with us.  As someone once said…”I go to seek the Great Perhaps”.  Good luck.

Humbly yours,

hp