"If Not Now, When" Art & Music Festival

I had the opportunity to attend Bishop Museum's, "If Not Now, When" Art & Music Festival for Peace & Justice, on June 26th. This art & music festival was focused around the Still Present Pasts traveling exhibit, which showcased artwork that included: oral history excerpts presented through audio/video/text, historical photographs from the Korean War, original artwork inspired from the oral histories, video art & more.

This traveling exhibit offers more than a visual history of Korea's forgotten war. It can be a memorial for those that have fallen. It has the ability to initiate conversations about war, especially for those intimidated by its violent tendency. And hopefully, transform our focus from it's negative after-effects, in order to look towards a peaceful future.


For more information about If Not Now When visit:
Bishop Museum Exhibit: June 25, 2010 - September 12, 2010
Facebook: Still Present Pasts/If Not Now When
Websites: http://www.cmahawaii.org/ & http://www.stillpastpresents.org/

APEX 2010

APEX 2010 was a successful event held on June 12th @ Fresh Cafe, located on 831 Queen Street. Fresh Cafe warehouse was the perfect place to host APEX 2010, its becoming a venue that accomodates a variety of entertainment: concerts, movies every 1st & 3rd Thursdays, poetry slams & hip hop events.

The initial concept of APEX 2010 started off as a gigantic graduation party for all c/o 2010 graduates within the hip hop community, especially since several sponsored dancers graduated this year. This concept transformed into a community event to show appreciation for all the supporters of Freelance Clothing Worldwide, who celebrated their one year anniversary of being in business.

A dancefloor was created for the BBoy battles, that included freestyle & the all style battle. There was an Emcee Battle, Live Art, numerous vendors, a HUGE outdoor inflatable screen to play video games, FREE make-overs for the ladies, Black Book Battle, Live Art & tons of FREE giveaways. Along with special performances by: Bless, Ill Hill Society, Inifinite, Jason Tom & Mox.

APEX can be translated to mean: "the summit, the top, the very best..." Perhaps guest speaker Freddie Acevedo, said it best when he mentioned that an "APEX can be a great point in our lives -- a great accomplishment, a victory, an obstacle overcome - but don't stop there ... always reach for the next." Those words of wisdom can be applied to the next chapter in the c/o 2010 graduates lives, but also serve as a reminder that no matter what comes our way we should always face our challenges with tenacity & heart.

Freelance Clothing Worldwide has already begun the planning process for APEX 2011 & they hope that this will become an annual event.

For more info on Freelance Clothing Worldwide visit:
Facebook: Freelance Clothing
Twitter: @freelanceww
Website: http://www.freelanceclothingworldwide.com/

4nTongues

Jason Oliveros, who goes by the stage name: DEF!NiTion, became intoxicated with rap & hip hop culture at the age of seventeen. Jason's lack of confidence in his rapping abilities made it difficult for him to find inspiration & questioned whether he would find his voice. Jason recognized a lack of guidance & mentorship he never received while progressing in the hip hop scence; which sparked an idea: create a community for rappers. This manifested the hip hop group: 4nTongues.

4nTongues recognizes those that have come before them & created a fresh take on their hip hop ancestors. Here's a breakdown of their name:

- 4 represents the basic elements in hip hop, that people agree on: B-boy, DJ, Emcee & Graffiti.

- Tongues represents the communication through expression, its also a play on words form a community of rappers known as Native Tongues.

Jason hopes that 4ntongues will become "a beacon of hope" for aspiring rappers. Through his personal trials, Jason understands the struggle of maintaining one's motivation as a rapper, knows the importance of a strong support system & believes that versatility in various aspects of hip hop, creates a well-rounded individual.

Its important to Jason that the right components are present, which is the main reason he's so adamant about 4nTongues' progression with mixtapes & events. 4nTongues already has two events lined up; the first event will be held at Leeward Community College, most likely during the first week of the 2010 Fall semester. This event will be used to raise awareness about the group & promote their upcoming event at Borders, in Waikele Shopping Center.

There's a moment in each of our lives, that alters the very fabric of our being. Something so drastic, it has the power to transform our perception & becomes the driving force to create positive change within ourselves & those around us. "We're a small group now & as we progress, it will be harder to ignore a larger group that wants change."- DEF!NiTion

For more info on 4nTongues visit:
Email: deftheoriginal@yahoo.com
Facebook: 4nTongues
Promo EP: http://usershare.net/dk24axzwqxry
Twitter: @4nTongues, @DeF808

Prevail

In life and in love, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. This thinking mentality can be associated with a local Oahu band known as Prevail. 

Prevail participated in Fifteen07 Music Studios & the Loft's Battle of the Bands on August 6th, 2009. This was Prevail's very first show, initially the band was uncomfortable with the idea of performing because they only had a limited amount of songs. Since bands were only required to have 3 songs, Prevail took a risk which has reaped the band numerous benefits. Not only did Prevail win the 2009 Battle of the Bands, but their success has continued to grow in ways that its members never would have imagined.

Immediately, after winning the 2009 Battle of the Bands, numerous shows were offered and this forced the members of Prevail to create more songs. Prevail looked towards their band name to help them get through the struggle of creating music when times were hard. Everyone faced personal trials at the same time, which made it difficult to find the motivation to perform and face the hardships in each of their lives, this almost led to Prevail breaking up. Instead of allowing their struggles to get the best of them, Prevail transformed their anger, sadness, fears, stress into music and their band name took on a new meaning: victory or to overcome.

With Prevail's sudden success, the band momentarily lost focus on the reasons they started in the first place and who they were supposed to acknowledge for their blessings. Despite the behavior that happened, this experience has humbled the band and given them insight with the direction they want to take. Prevail believes that attitude is a fundamental factor, especially when it comes to making music, even though you may be the most talented musician in the entire world, if you've got a bad attitude then its all in vain. Prevail strives to be humble, even though there are many things that could easily persuade them to become greedy and they remember to count all of their blessings when there are bumps in the road. Prevail's main focus is to keep their attention on Jesus Christ, who has blessed them with everything that has happened so far and when they say "This Is What We Live For".... it's another version of saying, "He is why we're here."

The next performance that Prevail has will be on July 3rd at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, the first FREE rock show in over 10 years. Music will begin immediately after the firework show, featured bands include: I Digress, The Rorschach Experiment & Prevail.

For more info about Prevail visit:
Facebook: Prevail & Prevail IntheHouse
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/_prevail
Twitter: @prevail_
Youtube: prevailarchives

Upcoming Post: If Not Now When Art & Music Festival

The second event is a youth oriented event targeted at engaging young people in cultural events and discussions about war and its affect on our communities. We also want to educate our youth about the Korean War, so that it is no longer remains the “forgotten war.” This event will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the Bishop Museum from 530PM - 930PM. The event will feature both educational and entertainment components including Slam Poetry and live performances by local talent. We'll also be featuring popular Korean American hip hop artists such as Denizen Kane from San Francisco.To ensure that the youth attendees actively engage with the exhibition, all attendees are invited to participate in a digital art contest. The participants will first view the exhibit and then use any form of digital media to produce an artistic reaction to the exhibit. Our juror, internationally recognized local artist John Koga, will then select the winners from a number of categories (high school, adult, etc.).

FREE ADMISSION AND ALL AGES ARE WELCOME! Bring your family, bring a beach blanket and chairs for an evening of art, music and fun! Catered by thirtyninehotel, Chiquis Surf Grill, Da Spot and Hokulani Bake Shop. 530PM - 930PM at The Bishop Museum.

Enjoy food and music and the opening of the SPP Exhibit!

Main Stage:KINGS OF SPADE + PAULA FUGA + LINUS + BLACK SQUARE

Courtyard:DJ ESKAE + DJ CAPECOD

Atherton Stage:KAVET THE CATALYST + NOMASTERBACKS + YOUTH SPEAKS HAWAII

Korean American Hip Hop Artists:DENIZEN KANE + SKIM

DENIZEN KANE:Kane has been a Youth Speaks Artist in Residence and has toured the continental United States and Japan. He is currently at work preparing new Legends for print, record, and stage. His poetry has been published in numerous periodicals and anthologies, including the Asian Pacific American Journal (AAWW), the Columbia Review (Columbia College Chicago), Echoes Upon Echoes: New Korean American Writings (AAWW), and Screaming Monkeys (Coffee House Press). He has also performed on three seasons of the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam.

Upcoming Post: 4n Tongues

You Want People to Read Right? A Benefit Concert for Literacy on June 17th @ Fresh Cafe 8pm - 1am

18+ Welcome
$5 before 10pm
$7 after 10pm

Silent Auction
Giveaways from Prototype (Raffle Tickets free upon entry)

All proceeds will go to Pacific Writer’s Connection. The Pacific Writers' Connection (PWC) is a Hawai'i based non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging nature & place writers, youth writing & reading programs to strengthen a network of global citizens who share concerns about their environments, communities, place, people & cultures. Their purpose is to encourage and support creative, nature, environment & place-based writing programs, & engage writing, cultural & arts communities in Hawai’i & the Pacific to ensure their voices & issues are heard.



For more information on 4nTongues visit:
Facebook: 4nTongues
Twitter: @4nTongues

Upcoming Post: APEX 2010

APEX 2010 is an OFFICIAL Freelance Freeshirt Event

APEX 2010 is happening on June 12th @ Fresh Cafe.
General admission $12 at the door
Twelve & under $5 at the door

Crew on crew Bboy Battle
Crew on crew All Style Battle
Emcee Battle
Cash Prizes
FREE giveaways throughout the night
FREE makeovers for the ladies

Special performances by:
Creed Chameleon w/Flip the Bird Entertainment
Ill Hill Society
Mox
Bless
Infinite
Jason Tom



For more info about APEX 2010 visit:
Facebook: APEX 2010

Rise Up for Haiti & Chile Benefit Concert

I met Joel Gaspar through a school organization that I was involved with at the time, & we never shared much about our personal lives, since our encounters were brief. That's probably why, neither of us remembers how we started talking about a benefit concert Joel was helping to coordinate. He mentioned Rise Up Hawaii; a movement based in Hawaii that is focused on promoting positive activism within our culture and society, by organizing events/shows and working within the community.

From then on, whenever I saw Joel, I would offer suggestions on how to help make the upcoming Rise Up for Haiti & Chile benefit event better. One day Joel nonchalantly invited me to one of the Rise Up Hawaii meetings & I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I volunteered to be in charge of finding entertainment for this 8 hour event. I was quite surprised myself, because I've never organized a show before. The only experience I had dealing with shows, was based entirely on the various conversations, I heard other people talk about.

This was an experience that I'll never forget, there are countless elements that need to be executed in order to have a successful event. With tremendous help from family members, friends & new acquaintances, I was able to find 10 bands, 9 solo artists & 6 slam poets to perform for this amazing cause. Keeping in contact with that many performers, equated to hundreds of text messages, numerous minutes on the phone, multiple emails & messages sent via facebook & myspace. All of this was done in order to ensure that everyone was well-informed & to help prevent any unnecessary conflict. Unfortunately, like many things in life, no matter how prepared we think we are for whatever comes our way, we're ALWAYS thrown a curve ball. Even though, there are things that could have been avoided, in order to ensure the event ran smoothly, I'm glad it happened. Otherwise, Rise Up Hawaii wouldn't have the opportunity to learn from those experiences & use them towards our upcoming events.

Whether you performed that night, came to support this cause or helped spread the word about this event, I would like to personally thank you. Everyone's contributions helped to make the Rise Up for Haiti & Chile benefit concert a success. With your support Rise Up Hawaii was able to raise $2,200 & all of those proceeds went to the American Red Cross. Despite the sacrifices people have made during these hard economic times, it's nice to know that the desire to help those less fortunate than ourselves still holds true.

For more info about Rise Up Hawaii visit the following:
Email: Riseuphawaii@gmail.com
Facebook: Rise Up Hawaii
Twitter: @RiseUpHawaii
Website: http://www.riseuphawaii.org/

The Very Beginning/This Is A Stick Up!

It all started when I met George Banks, the lead singer of This is a Stick Up! (TIASU!) The first time I heard TIASU! on myspace, I was completely terrified of this band's raw intensity, that I immediately stopped listening. However, after attending one of their headliner shows at Sand Island Sports Bar, I was absolutely mesmerized. At the time I wasn't interested in metalcore music, however, if you combine the band's obvious passion for playing music & their incredible stage presence its hard not to give TIASU! a chance.

As time progressed I attended as many TIASU! shows as possible & persuaded friends whose musical taste didn't involve metal, to attend as well. Last summer TIASU! went on their first tour in Seattle, Washington & had the privilege of performing at TOMFEST, where over 120 bands play throughout this 4 day musical event. Before TIASU! headed for Seattle, I created press kits and sent them to numerous venues asking if the band could play a show, I spent days handwriting their myspace link: www.myspace.com/tiasumusic on the bottom of stickers & flyers I created.

After returning from their Seattle tour, TIASU! has been involved in a variety of activities: the band created merch to sell at shows, won UH Manoa's 2010 Battle of the Bands, played at a successful benefit show & recorded a song that's featured on the Aloha Movement Project (AMP) CD, which will be sold in stores soon. All of the people I've met through networking for TIASU!, & time spent helping the band has opened my eyes to a career in marketing. I realized that all the time I spent promoting TIASU! didn't feel like work, I enjoyed every minute of it. I've finally figured out what it is that I want to do with my life & I'm going to follow through with the same intensity that TIASU! has when they play "Everybody Smells Good at Ala Moana."

For more info about This Is A Stick Up visit:
Facebook: This is a Stick Up!
Myspace: www.myspace.com/tiasumusic
Twitter: @TIASUMUSIC