His bilingual lyrics connect across cultures and deliver a new style of hip hop.įrom the early beginnings of jam sessions as friends, through to the recent hell-raising antics on their latest tour of the North Island, the five members of Infinite Flying Kick have been making their own brand of angular, spiritual rock for two years. Rapping in both English and Mandarin, DVRDCT is a lyrical phenomenon. Ed is currently adjusting to life as an Aucklander. His self-titled EP was released in 2006, receiving airplay worldwide. A Filipino-American born and raised in LA and Orange County, he has performed at Green and Da Poetry Lounge. Rap and spoken word artist, Ed Mecija, hails from Los Angeles, California. Her work has been performed at Te Papa and the Aotea Centre, shown on TV, and written all along Queen Street and Ponsonby Rd. Poet, paediatrician and playwright, Renee has been gaining a reputation for insightful, lyrical writing that challenges the way we see ourselves and others. She has previously appeared in Blackmail Press and Spectrum 1: An Anthology of Short Stories by New Graduate Writers. Her poetry and prose explore ideas about memory, culture and home. He's recently been converted to the art of poetry slamming. Ishle's CD,Work is Love, includes tracks with Korean traditional drums, Spanish guitar, beatboxing, and music produced by Japan's critically acclaimed DJ Honda.īorn in New Plymouth, this self-confessed Banana is also the author of pop psyche books, 'Whatever You Do, Don't Smile' and 'Navigating Love'. Her first book, The Temperature of This Water, has won multiple awards in the USA. First coming to NZ in 2005 with Def Poetry Jam, she fell in love with the place and even lived in Auckland for a while. The New York Times has said she has "the face of an angel and the soul of a rock star". International guest Ishle Yi Park (Korea/USA)ĭubbed the "Queen of Queens", the former poet laureate of New York has blazed a trail of performance poetry and song from Cuba to New Zealand. Where: Whammy Bar, Basement Level 179 K' Rd, Auckland When:Sunday 24th Feb, 8pm, doors open 7.30 pm, start time 8 pm Music and verse that will surprise, challenge and inspire, whoever you are. A multilingual celebration of our identity and culture. Spoken word, performance poetry and music by established and emerging Kiwi Asian artists. She is supported by local artists Lynette Leong, Ed Mecija, Jamie Banks, Renee Liang and David Tsai, as well as indie rock band Infinite Flying Kick and Japanese VJ Tetsu. Headlining the show is visiting Def Jam poet Ishle Yi Park, who has been wowing audiences from Cuba to Auckland with her generous performances of poetry and music. They speak of bringing together people from all cultural backgrounds to swap experiences and ideas and promise that the artists in FOB (yes, the name is tongue-in-cheek) will inspire by the strength of their performances as well as the audacity of their material. Liang and Tsai are both used to mainstream Kiwi audiences - Liang as a performance poet and Tsai as a bilingual rapper who raps in both English and Mandarin. "And we really want to be heard."Īnd not just by fellow Asians. "There's a critical mass of us now," says Tsai. "And we believe a unique Kiwi-Asian culture is emerging," says Liang, "made up of all these different people, who whether born in NZ or newly arrived, have great stories to tell." Liang and Tsai say that for the first time, a core group of Kiwi-Asian artists are able to tell these stories. Organisers Renee Liang and David Tsai say "it's time to hear the Kiwi-Asian voice".Liang and Tsai are local performance artists who have noticed a recent surge of interest in the "Asian voice" - in all facets of arts, culture and design. These culture-shapers promise to cross artistic and cultural boundaries to give the audience a night to remember. On the last night of the Chinese New Year celebrations on Sunday February 24 Auckland hosts a gathering of Kiwi-Asian performing artists.įunky Oriental Beats is a diverse collection of musicians, performance poets, rap artists and spoken word artists.
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