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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?
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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, 05:57:28 PM)
Ming-Na and husband Eric Zee don't have a f***ing clue on what it means to be a pop star!!! The most underated asian american pop star is by far JOHNNY LEE of Frequency5!!! Not only did he single handedly put together the world's biggest unsigned boyband but he spearheaded the whole operation as the lead singer and he is vietnamese-american!!! Frequency5 has been chosen by the US government to head a Crime Prevention Campaign across america on a nationaly telivised commercial featuring Frequency5!!! As a matter of fact Johnny Lee is the first thing you see on the commercial. They have been personally invited to perform in Washington D.C. by the president himself!!! And f*** the import route!!! What's wrong with the artists living here in the States! It's time for all the asian american executives in the entertainment business to pull together to push the only thing that will blow the doors wide open for asians in the music business which is frequency5. Thank God Johnny Lee who is a member of SAG is not pursing acting currently or the world would be in shock of who easily he'd take over the market. Linkin Park ripped off JOHNNY LEE! Johnny Lee was in the band NEVE on Comlubia/Sony and quit to form Frequency5. Neve's producer was Don Gilmore and couldn't pull off the sound he wanted becuase this rock band lost their only edge which was DJ/Sampler Johnny Lee! Don Gilmore went on the produce Linkin Park!!! So you see timing has robbed Johnny Lee of all accolades that were due to him and once again his efforts are overlooked! Ignorant fans who think that Asia4 is the first asian vietnamese boyband are crazy when Johnny Lee was the original member and founding father of the group!!! He has videos to prove it!!! Perhaps one day fate will have it's way and destiny's path for asian americans will be paved by Johnny Lee...
www.frequency5.com
www.frequency5.com
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 17:08:54 (PDT)
Whatever happen to Josephine Banig Roberto, a filipina who indirectly beat Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Aaliyah, Leanne Rhymes in Star Search International? Many have said that her voice is a fusion of Mariah and Whitney. She sure have the talent. Where is she now?
Shonda
Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 09:50:09 (PDT)
I don't think Asian singers need to bring anything new to the table, just that they need to be good. Sadly, at least in Japan and probably throughout most of Asia the perfomers who get the most label backing are saccharine pop garbage with little or no talent. There are good bands out there, but it will be tough for them to succeed on US shores when they're not even terribly big at home. Of course, there are exceptions...
Desslar
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 14:17:08 (PDT)
I think that the Asian-American singers should be brought out into the American music industry, there are so many good r&b, pop, etc... singers who are asian. Kai, Innerlude, Innervoices, Voice V (originally One Voice), Pinay and many more who have albums out, yet are not widely known. All the media around us features caucasian singers, african american singers, hispanic singers, yet where are all the asian americans? We have to get our voice out there, so the asian american children will respect their culture, and learn that they can achieve anything and everything like any other race can.
mary
ionelymulan@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 at 11:11:02 (PDT)
It is about time for Asians to go mainstream in the U.S. There are dozens of talented artist out there such as Nicholas Tse and Coco Lee, who have such beautiful voices that stir the soul and move the body, yet when you go into a music store, you can't find a single c.d. by them. It angers me so much that the Asians are not getting the same amount of attention as all other minorit groups. Hopefully one day, one of these talented artist will be successful in making it onto MTV's TRL or any such program where their wonderful music is exposed to the country.
yuki
Wednesday, May 29, 2002 at 13:16:05 (PDT)
I think API's have started to come in to the POP scene. Not in a big way just yet. Through rock alternative music, API's have done significantly well. Linkin Park, James Iha, and a few others have broke into mainstream society.
In the HipHop and Rap community it's a different story. It is my opinion that the African-American community has a national case of "Bamboo Fever". Chinese characters can be found all over the place in videos, clothes, and music. They're fascination with martial arts and "asian" style is overwhelming. They seem to be adding to the exoticism stereotype that the API community faces.
Pioneer
Friday, May 17, 2002 at 18:00:06 (PDT)
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