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GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
IS THE U.S. READY FOR ASIAN AMERICAN POP STARS?
ime was when we saw literary fame or Hollywood stardom as the final frontier for Asian acceptance in the U.S. More recently the frontier shifted to pro sports and national politics.
A year into the 21st Century we see Asian lights going on in the literary world, Hollywood and pro sports. We even see Asian Americans in two cabinet posts. But one arena remains starkly devoid of Asian stars -- the pop music scene.
James Iha, Smashing Pumpkins guitarist/backup vocals & solo recording artist
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Classical stars like Yo-Yo Ma, Seiji Ozawa and Vanessa Mae are old news. We've noted Japanese imports like Shonen Knife, Keiko Matsui and Pizzicato Five. We've marveled at the unlikely hit "Sukiyaki". Many of us have spotted James Iha in Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Lin in Harvey Danger, or maybe even heard of Asian American bands like Seam and Versus.
But where is pop music's Chow Yun-Fat, Ichiro, Chang-rae Lee, Norman Mineta?
One indication of our lack of presence in pop music is the fact that Ming-Na and husband Eric Zee have even financed a record label (Innovazian) in hopes of promoting an Asian American pop/R&B boy group -- a sort of private Head Start program for pop music. Few of us even know its name (At Last). Its first CD sold all of 3,000 copies.
Those of a paranoid or cynical bent will postulate conspiracies among racist, short-sighted heads of major record labels. The sociologically inclined will see pop music as the inner sanctum of American culture and Asians as the perpetual outsiders.
But for purposes of this page, put on your music critic/historian hat and prognosticate the most likely path by which an Asian star will ascend to the American pop firmament. Will it be a Canto-Pop, J-Pop or K-Pop star storming the U.S. via the import route? Will it be a surprise chart-topper by an AA artist (say James Iha with another, more successful solo album)? Or will there be a frontal assault by a wave of AA groups/artists currently playing the club and auditorium circuits?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:57:33 PM)
If you guys want to hear a good instrumental Asian Jazz/Funk group, listen to Yellow Magic Orchestra. Their most recognizable hit is "Firecracker"
Jazz Man
Friday, January 04, 2002 at 06:08:34 (PST)
TO ALL HATAS In The World,
So what if i'm a black female. I love K-pop and all other Korean gasoo
can sing there a@@ off and there's alot of gasoo(s) that are foine!!!!!
I wish they can come to San Diego and do some concerts. puhahaha i'll be the first in line. no joking!!! I don't care what my parents say i'm gonna go.
By the way i don't care if asians wanna wear FUBU and stuff it's just material, plus the hip hop type clothes do look good on asians,blacks,hispanics,etc...as long as those who were them dress the way they are and not bein' all hard and stuff
Dress how you feel
K-POP in my mine forever
Goooo 1TYM(song"MOTHER" so f***in' funnie, Click-B, Shinhwa, JTL, Tasha for Tashannie, Clon, Baby V.O.X., Fin.K.L,Drunken Tiger, Jinusean(first to listen to), Park Ji Yoon, S.E.S,Kang Ta, Moon Hee Jun,M.I.L.K, D.Base, Yoo Seung Jun, G.O.D, KISS, Sechskies,Fly to the Sky and the list continues on and on and on lets ot forget Seo Tai Ji & Boys
REPRESENT THAT K-POP A-YO
And another thing Jay Z' wannabe gansta ass sucks have you heard him live I wish I can throw a chair at that big lip bastard
BTW GO LUDACHRIS and Missy E.
Alexandria in cali #1 Click-B Fan
Friday, January 04, 2002 at 03:47:12 (PST)
To Toi San Jai:
Just to answer your question first...of the languages you mentioned, the only one I haven't grasped much of a knowledge is Korean, but yes I can speak cantonese, mandarin, and japanese. And you are right, songs like How deep is your love and One love is not hip-hop, but your argument is seriously flawed in that, having one song which is not hip-hop does not mean that they aren't hip hop artists. And Nelly and Jay-Z are more commercial hip hop but that doesn't change the fact that it's hip hop. Just because an artist has one song that isn't classified under that category, it doesn't mean in general they aren't singing that style. Aaliyah, had a song called "The one I gave my heart to", that is purely a ballad song, but does that mean she's not an R & B artist? hell NO
Good songs are always based on a combination of lyrics and music. Love songs are not based merely on lyrics. I'm not favoring Korea over HK in anyways, i'm just speaking from exactly from what I hear and what I know. I've done a lot of studio before and studied music theory, I know how the various styles, genres, and beats run, and I know the HK music trend. Almost everything, HK copies, even the media in HK talks about it all the time. You want to know what the latest news is, all those artists signed to Yeung Sau Sing's Record Company which includes, Ekin, Joey Yung, Edison, Nicholas, etc.
bribe radio stations so they get more airplay and awards. I don't see such talent making overseas, not to mention, none of them can sing. Like I said, HK slow jams as of late are low quality, and quite cookie cutter, something I could easily write in 10 minutes.
Chinese21
xrayray17@hotmail.com
Friday, January 04, 2002 at 00:24:37 (PST)
Toi San Jai,
Music is about catchy rhythms and beats. Even in ballads, music is very important, not just the words. If music wasn't a factor, then why do an artist have to sing with music? Why not have a ballad song with only lyrics???? Have you ever heard a song which had its beat and style changed...??? For example, the HK Rock Band Beyond did a rendition of Sam Hui's "Boon Gun Bat Leung" (Half a Pound, Eight Ounces) Theme Song featured in the Private Eyes Movie filmed during the 70's. Sam's version is soft Canto Pop while Beyond's version is Canto Hard Rock.. It has the same words but the style of music is totally different..When people heard the Beyond version, many felt that it was better than Sam's because the music was angry, headbanging, fast, loud and hard, fitting the theme of the song.
You don't have to understand the language of the song to appreciate it, music is very universal. Some ABCs enjoy listening to HK pop without understanding the lyrics including those ballad songs favored by many. And the bickering about whether Japanese songs are better than Chinese songs is matter of opinion!!!
Wong Ka Kui's spirit lives on
Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 17:45:18 (PST)
You know I was thinking. Jamaican English is totally acceptable in American Rap, R&B, and Pop.
Why couldn't Asian Yoda English be good for USA pop scence. It all just a perception thing.
But there are few things counting against an Asian cross over
1) Asian pop music is more image driven, then their American countparts. Musical talent is not required. So unless there is room in the USA market for another Britney or Boy Band, it is a hard sell in America.
2) There is nothing musically interesting to USA when listening to Asian pop. They are sampling rifts the record company just keeping passing along to artist (products) in different markets.
3) Most asian pop lyrics are not overtly sexy, violent, or angsty. Nor are the artist image. Controversy is not really the norm for asian pop stars.
I want to see an asian face on MTV like the next person. But in the USA it will most likely be a homegrown asian, rather than pacific import, if and when it happens.
AC dropout
Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 15:08:20 (PST)
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