Glory

About a year ago, I went to a screening of the 1040 Movie and after the screening Jaeson Ma did a mini concert for the audience.  One of the songs he sang was "Glory", which is a track off his album, Glory.  Glory can be downloaded off iTunes, or you can download the track off Amazon.  "Glory" features the harmonic vocals of Caleb Lin.  Jaeson challenged the audience to "live for a purpose that is bigger than ourselves".  To help spread this challenge to others, Jaeson released a music video to "Glory" on his YouTube channel.  Listen to the lyrics and check out the song and music video to "Glory", below!    



"Glory" Lyrics:
Verse 1:
You know I finally realize that
This Life is just boils down in one thing
Its not about me, its not about the music
Its about the Glory , listen up
Dont waste your life, but live your life for a purpose that is bigger than yourself.
What are you living for? I’m living for the glory.
Glory is not fame, Glory is not making yourself a name, Glory is sacrificing for others, its putting others before yourself, Its fighting for a cause worth dying for, a purpose worth living for, True Glory is virtue and it’s not something you can buy, Glory is something you earn, Heroes are not born, They are made for Glory

Chorus:
I’m broken apart
Somewhere on the road
Ten thousand dreams
With no place to go
If You give me a heart
I can give You a soul
The depth of Your love
I’ll never know
GLORY
ay ay ay ay
Give me a sign
GLORY
ay ay ay ay
I give You my life

Verse 2:
Show me The Glory,
This is what I pray, there’s got to be more that what seems to exist,
Cause we were born to go higher,
We were born for adventure,
So dare to dream bigger,
Because if you dont have a passion worth dying for,
You have nothing worth living for.
Dont live for the things of this world, they are passing away, but live for The Glory that leads to eternity
Glory is grace perfected, and out Greatest Glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall

Chorus


Verse 3:
When I wake up in the morning and I feel the sun shining down on my face, I feel Your Glory.
When I look into the night and I see the moon and stars shining so bright, I see Your Glory,
Your love is deeper than the oceans,
More powerful than the mountains, show me Your Glory

I’ve been waiting my whole life,
For this one special moment
I got just to be with You
I’ve been waiting my whole life,
For this one special moment
I got just to be with You

Chorus


Verse 4:
I cant touch Your Glory
Its too much
Its all about You
Its all about You
Its not about me
Its all about You
Its all about Your Glory
Yes
Let me feel Your Glory
Let me touch Your Glory
Show me Your Glory
This is what I pray
You are my Glory
You are my life
You are everything
Thank You

In Your Arms

Yesterday, Kina Grannis released the music video to "In Your Arms" on her YouTube channel.  "In Your Arms" is a track off her album, Stairwells.  Check out Kina's album, Stairwells, on iTunes!  The music video to "In Your Arms" uses jelly bean art animation throughout the entire video.  Director Greg Jardin had a vision of making a music video using jelly bean art and thought it would match well with Kina's singing style.  According to the music video's description box and the behind the scenes, the project took "22 months, 1,357 hours, 30 people, 2 ladders, 1 camera, 2,460 frames, and 288,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans."  The hard work, dedication, and countless hours paid off in the end because Kina and her team, of talented people, created a beautiful music video.  The jelly bean art animation goes well with the sweet song about staying close to a loved one, not matter what the circumstance is.  Check out the song and the yummy-looking music video to "In Your Arms", below!



It's pretty amazing that the whole music video was not recorded in front of a green screen.  Hard to believe, huh?  Well, check out behind the scenes of "In Your Arms"!       

Tomorrow

Tablo released the second half of his album Fever's End today.  Part 2 of Fever's End features five tracks with collaborations with Taeyang, DJ Tukutz, Yankee and Bong Tae Gyu.  Yesterday, the music video for "Tomorrow" was released on Tablo's YouTube channel.  "Tomorrow" is the first song in Fever's End Part 2, and features Taeyang of Big Bang.  Check out the second half of Tablo's album Fever's End on iTunes!  Currently, Fever's End Part 2 is #1 on the iTunes Store Top 10 Hip Hop Album charts for both the U.S. and Canada.  Like every song in his first solo album, Tablo wrote and produced "Tomorrow".  The track starts out with Taeyang's soulful voice, and proceeds with Tablo's powerful rapping lyrics.  The music video has Tablo and Taeyang walking through the desert, while two cars are circling and weaving around them.  Check out the song and music video to "Tomorrow", below!  

O Music Award for Best-Web Born Artist

The MTV O Music Awards commemorates the best in digital music.  The categories are :

• Best Artist with a Cameraphone
• Best Fan Cover
• Best Lyrics Video
• Best Music App
• Best Music Forum
• Best Music Hack
• Best Vintage Viral Video
• Best Web-Born Artist
• Beyond the Blog Award
• Digital Genius Award
• Fan Army FTW
• Hottest Music NILF
• Most Addictive Social Music Service
• Most Innovative Festival 
• Most Outrageous Tweet
• Must Follow Artist on Twitter
• Oops! I Did it Online Award
• Too Much @$$ for TV
• WTF I Love this Award

Today, the results for the O Music Awards were announced.  I have been only following the "Best Web-Born Artist" category because Kina Grannis was a nominee.  Two hours ago, it was announced that Kina won the 2011 MTV O Music Award for Best Web-Born Artist.  Congratulations to Kina! Check out her YouTube channel for video clips of her singing, with her amazing voice, or you can find her on iTunes! 

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode Six

In episode six, Shaun is helping out Mari on 2NE1's choreography for "Clap Your Hands".

Check out Episode Six of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

Sixth Sense

After about two years, Brown Eyed Girls (BEG) has finally made their comeback. BEG is a girl group in South Korea, under the management of Nega Network, but they are not your typical girl group. The group consists of four members: Jea, Narsha, Miryo and Ga-In.  On September 22nd, BEG released their music video to "Sixth Sense" on their YouTube channel.  The "Sixth Sense" track showcases the amazing vocals of BEG, accompanied by a variety of powerful instrumentals.  The music video keeps you curious as to what will happen from start to finish.  The plot of the music video reminds of a revolutionary movement.  The tagline for the song is "Resistance for Freedom of Expression through Music via Sixth Sense".  Check out the song and music video to BEG's "Sixth Sense", below!          

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode Five

In episode five, Keone helps Se7en on "Digital Bounce" and "Better Together".

Check out Episode Five of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

A Game

Aziatix delivered another music video to one of their songs off their album Nocturnal.  On October 10th, Aziatix released the music video to "A Game" on their YouTube channel.  Like I said before, there hasn't been a song that I haven't enjoyed off Aziatix's Nocturnal album.  "A Game" reminds me of one of the warm up songs that would be played before a basketball game.  It is definitely a track that hypes you up.  Check out "A Game" off the Nocturnal album on iTunes.  Majority of the track, Flowsik is spitting rhymes with Eddie and Nicky signing the chorus.  The music video starts off with the guys walking in the streets, possibly on their way to the club.  The music video constantly changes scenes in between the guys of walking in the street, and the guys performing at a night club.  Whoever did the music video editing did a good job, making sure to get the right shot of when each singer is singing, both in the street and the club.  Check out the song and music video to "A Game", below!        

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode Four

In episode four, Mari is helping 2NE1 prepare for "Can't Nobody".

Check out Episode Four of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

Get It In

Tasha (aka Yoon Mirae) is a Korean American R&B singer and rapper. Tasha was born to a Korean mother and African American father. Tasha was the first Korean, female rapper I heard back in 2002, and I fell in love with her voice. Tasha has been dubbed Korea's "Queen of Hip Hop".  My favorite song of hers is "Memories (Smiling Tears)", where she has performed it in Korean and English.  On October 26th, the music video to Tasha's "Get It In" was released on the Creators Project YouTube channel.  The track "Get It In" was produced by !llmind and Jungin, who give the song a hip hop and electronic feel to it.  The music video was directed by Lumpens, and features Tasha doing sword fighting scenes which remind me of those from Kill Bill.  The last fight scene features her real life husband, Tiger JK of Drunken Tiger, who is a well known rapper in Korea.  You'll have to watch to see who wins in the end.  Check out Tasha's song and music video to "Get It In", below!     

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode Three

In episode three, Shaun is helping Taeyang prepare for his debut performance of "Just a Feeling".

Check out Episode Three of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

Destiny

On September 18th, Megan Lee released the music video to her song "Destiny" on her YouTube channel.  I feel like "Destiny" is Megan's message to everyone that there is nothing that is going to stop her from becoming a singer.  Megan delivers an uplifting and powerful piece with "Delivery", and it conveys a beautiful message that she is not going to let anything stand in her way, of her dream, of becoming a singer.  "Destiny can be found on iTunes, here.  The music video is directed and edited by Timothy Tau.  The music video takes us on a journey of Megan auditioning, learning to grow from rejection, and rising up to being who she is today.  Check out her song and music video to "Destiny", below! If you enjoyed this song, you can check out another one of Megan's songs, "Love, Laugh & Live".

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode Two

In episode two, Shaun is helping Taeyang prepare for his debut performance of "Just a Feeling".

Check out Episode Two of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

Bad

Tablo is a Korean hip hop artist, rapper and songwriter.  Tablo is best known for being a part of the hip hop group, Epik High.  For about two years, Tablo struggled with some hard times and stayed under the radar.  In short, there is a group of internet users who didn't believe Tablo graduated from Stanford University and questioned his academic background.  To add salt to the womb, this group kept calling him a liar and harassing his family.  Tablo went on hiatus and stayed out of the public eye. It wasn't until recently YG Entertainment announced Tablo had signed with them for a four year contract.  On October 21st, Tablo released the first half of his first solo album, Fever's End.  Check out the first part of "Fever's End" on iTunes!  It has been said that the first part of his album was written during his toughest times or struggle and pain.  I can definitely feel the emotions resonating from each song, and the songs are sad yet unbelievably beautiful.  Tablo was able to collaborate with many great artists, who have vocals that pair well with each of his songs.  On October 23rd, Tablo released his first solo music video to his track, "Bad", on his YouTube channel.  The track "Bad" features the beautiful voice of Jinsil form Mad Soul Child.  The second half of Fever's End is scheduled to be released on November 1st.  Check out the song and music video to "Bad", below!  

ML Adventures with YGE - Episode One

Movement Lifestyle (ML) is "a premiere full service choreography management company", located in North Hollywood, California.  ML has a group of amazing choreographers who inspire others through the art of movement.  Some choreographers include Shaun Evaristo, Lyle Beniga, Mariel Martin, Keone Madrid, Ellen Kim, Pat Cruz, Vinh Nguyen, Lando Wilkins, and Gigi Torres.  I introduced Mariel and Keone back in July, and I like seeing them bring music to life.  During the summer of 2010, Mariel, Keone, and Shaun went to South Korea to work with YG Entertainment artists.  These three talented choreographers take fans, of both music and dancing, on a journey of what goes behind the choreography for the artists they work with.  With the help of Kanauru Productions, ML was able to document their experience and adventures with YG Entertainment, and released episodes on their YouTube channel.  Check out Episode One of ML's Adventures with YG Entertainment, below!

BRB

Dumbfoundead and Andrew Garcia team up for the track "BRB".  "BRB" was produced by Duke Westlake, and is paired well with Dumbfoundead's slick, spitting lyrics and Garcia's smooth, yet strong vocals.  "BRB" is a track off Dumbfoundead's new album "DFD", which will be released on November 1, 2011. BRB's music video was directed by Casey Chan. The music video features DJ Zo, and starts off with Dumbfoundead and DJ Zo washed up along the shores.  It's cute to see DJ Zo play with the tides and try to make the radio work.  They eventually find their way into a jungle setting and try to look for a way to get help.  This is a completely different setting from Dumbfoundead's previous music videos, but it magically works with the flow of the song. The music video gives a laid back type of vibe.  During the music video, I was waiting for Garcia to pop out of the island, but he eventually presents himself (you'll see).  Check out the song and music video to "BRB" featuring Garcia! Be right back, I'm going to go listen and watch it again...

One Day

Jennifer Chung is a Korean American singer and songwriter.  Jennifer is another amazing artist gaining fans through her YouTube channel, with covers and her own original songs.  For many years, she has been working hard and finally released her debut album, "4 Years & Counting..." on September 10, 2011.  Today, Jennifer released her first music video, off her album, for "One Day".  I remember first hearing "One Day" in the beginning of 2011, and instantly liked the song because I was able to relate to the lyrics.  The music video was written and directed by Erik Lu and Daniel Zhao.  Also, the music video features Khalif Boyd, an aspiring actor and model.  Be sure to check out the Jennifer's full length album either at bigcartel or iTunes!  Check out the song and music video to "One Day", below!

Love Proposal

I'm a fan of watching creative proposals filled with LOVE.  At the end of September, Jamin Love of Marvels Dance Company proposed to his now fiancée, Valerie Albania at Downtown Disney.  Love choreographed a flashmob routine to Bruno Mars' song "Marry You".  Love recruited friends and dancers from Marvels Dance Company to help carry out this flashmob proposal. Love and Albania's friends from Marvels Dance Company helped capture this beautiful moment and shared it with millions on their YouTube channel.  Check out Love's choreography and proposal!

Warning: if you are soft at heart like me, you may cry every time you watch it.

The Boys

Girls Generation (SNSD) is a South Korean girl group under the management of SM Entertainment. SNSD is a group consisted of nine members who are Taeyeon, Jessica, Tiffany, Sunny, Yuri, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Hyoyeon, and Yoona.  Yesterday, SM Entertainment released SNSD's latest music video to "The Boys" in both Korean and English, on their YouTube channel.  SNSD had the opportunity to work with Teddy Riley, who wrote, composed, and arranged "The Boys".  Riley is known for working with Michael Jackson, Blackstreet, and MC Hammer.  Riley produced both a Korean and English version to "The Boys", which can be found on iTunes, here.  Riley provides his own flavor to the song, and it gives the SNSD ladies a different vibe than their past songs.  Check out both the song and music video in Korean and English below!

Korean version:


English version:

ISA 2011 Bay Area

International Secret Agents (ISA) is company which focuses on creating a platform for rising artists to perform and showcase their talents to an international audience.  ISA was founded by Wong Fu Productions and Far East Movement.  This Saturday, ISA will be hosting their 2011 San Francisco Bay Area showcase in San Jose.



ISA 2011 Bay Area will be hosted by Ryan Higa, Cathy Nguyen, and Kevin Wu. Artists expected to perform are Far East Movement, David Choi, Kina Grannis, New Heights, Wong Fu Productions, and I.aM.mE Crew. When tickets first went on sale for this show, there was so much traffic that the server crashed, which caused a delay in ticket purchases. It is expected to be an amazing night filled with wonderful talents on the stage. If you are in the Bay Area, I am sure it's not too late to purchase your ticket. For more information on tickets, check out here.  ISA will be hosting other events this year, so check their website for updates and more details.

Firewood, Rice, Oil, Salt, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Tea

Leehom Wang (王力宏) is an American-born singer, songwriter, actor, producer, and director based in Taiwan.  Leehom was born in New York and was interested in music at a young age.  He debuted as a singer in 1995, and has since released fourteen albums in Mandarin.  I recently discovered this song, "Firewood, Rice, Oil, Salt, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Tea" (柴米油鹽醬醋茶), which is off his fourteenth album, The 18 Martial Arts.  The 18 Martial Arts was released in August of 2010, and can be found in iTunes, here.  The music video reminded me of the beginning of the movie "Up".  The video tells a love story between two people who stay by each others side, while providing happiness to one another.  There is symbolism behind the airplane as it is appears throughout the music video.  I love the shadow effect of the airplane as the music video takes us on the journey of the couple's life together.  A translation (may not be completely accurate) of the chorus sung is:

           Firewood, rice, oil, salt, paste, vinegar, tea
           Every single drop is happiness sprouting
           The crescent moon shines over love's foolishness
           I lack nothing when I have you

When Leehom sings "Firewood, Rice, Oil, Salt, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Tea", he carries a beautiful, sweet melody accompanied by his guitar playing.  Check out the song and music video to "Firewood, Rice, Oil, Salt, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Tea"!

Be With You

Aziatix are at it again! So far there hasn't been a song or music video that I haven't enjoyed.  Aziatix put together a music video for "Be With You", a track off their album Nocturnal, but this time it has a rock mix feel to the song.  Aziatix released the music video on their YouTube channel last night, and it has garnered attention from fans all over the world already.  The music starts off with a lady starting to listen to Aziatix on her music device, and Eddie, Flowsik, and Nicky get up out of the album artwork.  The music video then transitions into a live rock performance of "Be With You".  You can check out the original "Be With You" off the Nocturnal album, and you can check out the rock mix single of "Be With You" on iTunes.  You will find yourself moving along to the instrumentals played by the band, and singing along to the lyrics sung by Eddie, Flowsik and Nicky (or at least that's what I'm doing right now).  Check out the song and music video to "Be With You"!  

Lonely

2NE1 is a girl group from South Korea, under the label of YG Entertainment.  2NE1 consists of CL, Dara, Bom, and Minzy.  In the beginning of May, 2NE1 released the music video to their song, "Lonely" on their YouTube channel.  Compared to other 2NE1 songs, "Lonely" is a lot slower and features every group member's vocals, without the digital enhancements.  This song is also one of the first 2NE1 songs that does not feature a rap segment.  "Lonely" demonstrates each singer's vocal talents accompanied by acoustic instrumentals.  "Lonely" can be purchased on iTunes, here.  The music video isn't your typical 2NE1 music video, but I think it fits the tone and vibe of the song "Lonely".  Check out the song and music video to "Lonely"!



2NE1 held a "Lonely" Cover Contest in the beginning of the summer, and the winner was invited to 2NE1's first ever solo concert, and had the opportunity to meet 2NE1 backstage.  2NE1 screened all cover entries through their Facebook Page.  And the winner of that contest was Megan Lee.  The same Megan Lee who sings "Love, Laugh, & Live".  Check out her winning cover of "Lonely" below!

You Left Me For That

Paul Kim is a singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, and comedian.  Paul recently released the music video to "You Left Me For That" on his YouTube channel.  The music video features David So and Timothy DeLaGhetto.  Paul has a soulful and soothing voice in this song, which is accompanied by a catchy beat of guitar and drums.  "You Left Me For That" can be purchased on iTunes, here.  Check out the song and music video to "You Left Me For That" below!

Seoul Fever

Dumbfoundead (DFD) and David Choi happened to be in South Korea at the same time (or maybe it was planned), and collaborated on "Seoul Fever". DFD and David partnered with Seoul City in creating a music video for "Seoul Fever". Seoul City is known for creating music videos with artists, while at the same time promoting the treasures of Seoul. It's basically their tourist marketing strategy, and it works because every time I watch one of their videos I want to go to Seoul, South Korea. Seoul City usually uses kpop artists to help with promoting the city, so I was surprised and happy when I saw DFD and David featured in one. What is special about this music video is that they wrote and composed "Seoul Fever", and the song actually illustrates the many treasures of Seoul. I'm glad Seoul City allowed DFD and David to be true to their styles, and be free to sing and rap about whatever, just as long as it was promoting Seoul in some way.  "Seoul Fever" has a beautiful melody sung by David, which is paired well with DFD's lyrical flow.  Seoul City has also set up a link to allow people to download "Seoul Fever" for FREE, here.  Warning: after watching and listening to "Seoul Fever" you may want to go to Seoul, South Korea.  But don't let that stop you from checking out the song and music video to "Seoul Fever"!

Mermaid

Lena Park, Lee Young Hyun, and So Hyang have amazing powerful voices. Lena Park is a Korean American R&B singer, who is active in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.  In 2010, Lena graduated from Columbia University, and was asked to sing the U.S. National Anthem during her graduation (Lucky them!).  Lee Young Hyun is one of the powerful vocals behind the group Big Mama.  Unlike most groups in the Korean music industry, Big Mama is not known for their appearances but rather recognized for their voices.  So Hyang is a Korean Christian Contemporary singer and is known for singing gospel.  There are some who consider So Hyang as the Mariah Carey of South Korea.  These three talented woman came together to create the "Diva Project".  The Diva Project is to be released with many versions of the song, "Mermaid".  "Mermaid" was produced and composed by Kim Johan, Jo Kwonwoo and Joseph Kim.  The song was orchestrated specifically to be sung by Lena Park, Lee Young Hyun, and So Hyang.  Inspired by the story of "The Little Married", the song talks about the different emotions in a fairy tale love story.  Check out the song and music video to "Mermaid"!

Where'd You Go?

I have been listening to Model Minority's digital album, The Tiger Sons Tape, which is available for FREE download on bandcamp.  One particular song that stood out to me is "Invisible People".  In this song, Model Minority adapts the instrumentals and chorus of Fort Minor's "Where'd You Go?", and incorporates powerful, deep lyrics behind it.  This song gives a voice to those who are unheard, and is "dedicated to the memories of those who struggled before us."  Like I said in a previous post, Model Minority has a lyrical gift and flow that captures your ears.  Their music tells a story, and in this song it tells a story about the "Invisible People" and their unheard voice.  The song is not only encouraging Asian Americans to stand up and voice their opinions, but to all who feel "invisible".  Check out the music video to "Invisible People"!

          For our parents - for our history - we ask: "Where did you go?"

Living the Good Life

Chester See is a half Filipino actor, musician, singer, and songwriter.  The first time I saw Chester was in one of David Choi's vlogs, and from a glimpse, I swear I thought he was Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy (aslo, maybe because David said he was with Pete Wentz).  Chester has a beautiful, distinctive voice, and has is immensely talented. Chester and David got together to produce and write "Living the Good Life".  Both Chester and David released the song's music video on their YouTube channel.  "Living the Good Life" has a "pick me up" type of feeling and is one of those songs you want to listen to when you are having a bad day.  You can check out the song, along with other David and Chester collaborations, on iTunes.  Check out the music video to "Living the Good Life", and it will for sure bring a smile to your face!

Slip of the Tongue

In 2005, then 16 years old, Karen Lum was inspired to create a short video by putting together a poetry recording and images. Karen adapted the poem "Slip of the Tongue", written and performed by Adriel Luis.  Karen's short film won the 2007 Northern California Emmy (youth category), and was screened in over forty film festivals across the United States.  On Karen's website, she describes the short video as "a narrative short film on the celebration of beauty and ethnicity, while confronting the unnatural beauty standards women face."  Check out the short film, "Slip of the Tongue"!

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

Harold and Kumar don't need any introductions, but for the sake of blogging I'll write a little more.  John Cho and Kal Penn are back for "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas"!  In the third Harold and Kumar film, seven years have passed since their Guantanamo Bay experience.  During this time, both Harold and Kumar lived their own separate lives with their new family.  Harold is with Maria, and Kumar is with Vanessa.  But Kumar shows up on Harold's front door with a strange package, and negligently burns Maria's father's cherished Christmas tree.  So Harold and Kumar team up for another adventure, but this time to find the perfect Christmas tree to replace the charred evergreen.  Once again, the movie sees no boundaries.  The trailers shows many things wrong on so many different levels, but it wouldn't be a Harold and Kumar film otherwise.  Oh, and Neil Patrick Harris is back!  Also, we'll get to see what Harold and Kumar look like in claymation.  "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" is set to be released on November 4, 2011.  The release date seems so far away, so in the meantime this trailer should be able give fans a dabble of the next adventure of Harold and Kumar.  Check out the trailer for "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas"!

I Remember

Bang Yong Guk first debuted as a rapper in "Going Crazy" with Song Ji Eun.  Yong Guk released his first single, "I Remember", which features Yoseob of BEAST.  "I Remember" was co-produced by Chance of One Way.  Yong Guk's deep, lyrical rapping pairs well with Yoseob's vocals, and the guitar, bass, and drums provide amazing instrumental beats for the song.  The music video illustrates an intense story that ends in tragedy.  The music video was produced in a way which continuously captures the viewers attention from start to the finish.  Check out the song and music video to "I Remember"!

The Camel Song

On August 8th, Clara Chung released the music video to her song "The Camel Song" on her YouTube channel.  "The Camel Song" is off Clara's album, The Art in My Heart.  Check out Clara's album on iTunes for more of her songs.  The music video was directed by Ross Ching, and produced by Don Le.  The music video paints a picture of a couple's love journey, and features Ryan Higa as Clara's love interest.  For those of you who don't know, Ryan has over 4 million subscribers to his YouTube channel.  Once again, Clara delivers another amazing and creative music video with her sweet vocals.  Check out the music video to "The Camel Song"!

Cold

On May 17th, Aziatix released their EP, Aziatix, on iTunes. A day before the release of their EP, Aziatix revealed the music video for "Cold", one of the tracks from their EP.  Aziatix released the music video on their YouTube channel.  This song displays a balance of harmonizing, rhythms and rhymes from Eddie, Nicky, and Flowsik.  Check out the song and music video to "Cold", below!

Tonight

Big Bang is a South Korean boy band, under the label of YG Entertainment. The group consists of G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P., Daesung, and Seungri. Big Bang has been active for over five years all around Asia.   In late February of 2011, Big Bang released a mini album titled, Tonight.  The mini album features six songs, and can be found on iTunes.  During the same time, Big Bang released their music video for "Tonight" on their YouTube channel.  "Tonight" was written and composed by G-Dragon, with rap lyrics written by T.O.P.  The music video has over 12 million views, with viewers from every continent except Antarctica.  The song "Tonight" talks about a guy reminiscing over a girl, but is alone "tonight" because he can't commit to a relationship (at least this is what I think the song is conveying, but don't quote me on this).  The chorus of a song is catchy and makes you want to sing-a-long (at least to the English words).  The music video was filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada with lots of video footage of the Vegas Strip and desert.  And I think there are some video footage taken in California, because there are some amazing beach and ocean view scenes in between the music video.  Chloe Wang is featured in the music video, and plays Daesung's love interest.  Watching the music video makes me want to go Vegas.  Check out the song and music video to "Tonight"!      

Kollaboration San Francisco 2

Kollaboration SF Bay Area will be hosting their second annual Kollaboration SF Talent Show at the University of California in Berkeley, on Saturday, September 10th 2011.  Kollaboration is an annual event that was started by Paul Kim back in 2000.  Kollaboration is about "Empowerment through Entertainment" and to promote Asian and Pacific Island presence in the entertainment and media.  

There are seven contestants who will compete for the title of the Kollaboration SF 2 Winner, receive a grand prize of $1000, and get the opportunity to shine on stage at Kollaboration 11 in Los Angeles, California.    The contestants are Alex Carbonel, ANAK, Ji-hern Baek, Johnny Hi-Fi, Love Revolution, Shawn Megofna, and Sol 2:7.  Kollaboration San Francisco 2 will be hosted by Roy Choi and Nicki Sun.  There will be guest appearances by AJ Rafael & Band, David So, Jane Lui, Kabeezy, and Fallen Kings.  Anyone in the Bay Area interested in going to this amazing event, can purchase tickets, here.  The ticket price is: $15 until August 15th, $20 until September 9th, and $25 at the door, so if you are interested get your tickets early!  For more information about Kollaboration San Francisco 2, you can check out the 2011 Show website or the Facebook event page.  Kollaboration San Francisco 2 will for sure be a night full of amazing performances by talented artists.

If You Stay

Joseph Vincent Encarnacion is a Filipino American singer and songwriter.  He might look familiar because he was featured in Clara Chung's Heartstrings music video.  Like most of the artists I talk about, Joseph gained exposure by posting videos of himself singing on his YouTube channel.  He even caught the attention of Ellen Degeneres and was featured in her segment, "Ellen's Wonderful Web of Wonderment", in April of 2010.  During this segment he performed an acoustic cover of Iyaz's "Replay".  A few weeks later, Joseph was invited back on to The Ellen Degeneres Show and he performed "Cooler Than Me" by  Mike Posner.  In the beginning of 2011, Joseph released his original song, "If You Stay" on iTunes and Amazon.  He also released a music video to his song on his YouTube channel, and it has garnered over 2.5 million views.  The music video is about about a boy who notices a girl in the library.  He distances himself from the girl, and starts playing the guitar and pouring out his heart in song, down an aisle of books.  At the end of the music video, the boy has the courage to start walking towards the girl, leading viewers to think he will confess his heart directly to her.  I like the use of the lighting in between the aisle of books, giving the illusion that the boy will walk into the sunset with the girl.  But that doesn't exactly happen. Check out Joseph's music video to "If You Stay" and to find out what happens in the end!    

Pieces

Korean American artists and producers, Sam Ock and Kero One got together to write the song "Pieces".  The song was created to bring awareness and to tackle the issues of human sex trafficking and gang violence. Yesterday, both Sam and Kero released the music video to "Pieces" on their YouTube channel.  The music video has clips of Sam and Kero singing and rapping, and video clips from the International Justice Mission's film, "At the End of Slavery". The digital track can be purchased for immediate download for $0.25 at Plug Label's bandcamp.  All proceeds will go to International Justice Mission to help put a stop to human sex trafficking.  "Pieces" is a beautiful song filled with soulful beats and rhymes, with a positive message.  Check out the music video to "Pieces"!

The Way You Are

Kina Grannis and David Choi teamed up to write an amazing, original song, "The Way You Are".  When this music video first came out in February of 2011, I listened to it non-stop for about a week.  "The Way You Are" is the only song in my iTunes that has over 1,600 plays.  It's one of those love songs you don't get tired listening to (at least not for me).  The song talks about loving and accepting another, just the way they are.  Kina and David's voice together create a beautiful, harmonization amongst the guitar and ukulele chords.  The music video shows David playing his ukulele, and Kina playing her guitar, while singing to each other in a park.  It's a simple music video, but it just draws viewers to watch it over and over again.  The song was available for purchase on iTunes, but it is no longer on iTunes.  David mentioned on his YouTube channel that he may put it back on iTunes someday.  But for now, everyone can enjoy the song on his YouTube channel.  This music video has a lot of shots of David smiling, too!

Another reason why I'm posting this song is because I recently put together a slideshow video for my friend and her fiancé (Congrats E&E!).  When I first heard this song I thought it would be the perfect song to put in a slideshow for them.  Anyways, check out the music video to "The Way You Are", below!

Breakaway

"Breakaway" is like Bollywood meets "Mighty Ducks" meets "Bend it Like Beckham"... all in Toronto, Canada.  The film's trailer, alone, looks exciting and fun.  The film stars Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters, Camilla Belle, Anupam Kher, Rob Lowe, Sakina Jaffrey, Gurpreet Ghuggi, and Noureen DeWulf.  There also cameo appearances by Akshay Kumar, Drake and Ludacris.  It will be fun to see Russell Peters act (I didn't watch "Source Code", which Peters is in, and I'll probably watch "Breakaway" before I watch "Source Code"), as he is known for his stand-up comedy performances.  "Breakaway" is a cross cultural drama film, where Rajveer, Virmani's character, is torn between his traditional Sikh family's expectations and his dream to play the game of hockey.  "Breakaway" will be released in theaters on September 30th, 2011.  Check out the trailer to "Breakaway" below!

Love, Laugh & Live

Megan Lee is a 15 year-old, Korean American, born and raised in California. She caught my attention when I saw a video clip of her singing in Season 1 of MBC's Star Audition. I was blown away that such a powerful and beautiful voice came from this young teen. When watching her videos on her YouTube channel, Megan is so comfortable in front of the camera and sings soulfully from her heart.  In a KoreAm post, she said, “My parents told me, that as a Christian, I should use my talent for a good cause. They always tell me, ‘This is not to show off your talent, this is to make other people happy, to change people, to connect. You’re doing this for a reason.’”

In the beginning of July, Megan released the music video to her song, "Love, Laugh & Live" on her YouTube channel.  "Love, Laugh & Live" is composed by Brite Ma, and produced by Smash Hitta. In the description box of her video she says:

          Love Laugh & Live is about spreading the love and happiness with everyone
          around the world! you shouldn't waste your precious life looking back at the
          past or mistakes but instead you should move forward and simply,
          Love, Laugh, Live :)

The music video shows different situations where people just don't seem happy, and Megan walks around singing, blowing bubbles and even dancing towards the end.  I like how the simple, childhood activity of bubble blowing brought a smile to everyone's face. Megan has amazing talents, but she is still young and has room to continue to learn and grow. I'm excited to see her career bring happiness and connect with others on a different level. You can buy "Love, Laugh & Live" on iTunes, and check out Megan's music video to "Love, Laugh & Live"!

Slippin' Away

Today, Aziatix released their music video to "Slippin' Away" onto their YouTube channel.  "Slippin' Away" is a song featured in Aziatix's latest album, Nocturnal.  Nocturnal was also released on iTunes, today.  "Slippin' Away" was produced and arranged by Jae Chong, composed by Jae Chong and Eddie Shin, and with lyrics by Jae Chong, Flowsik, and Eddie Shin.  The song talks about trying to win back the one you love as they are "slippin' away".  Aziatix once again delivers an amazing track, with beautiful harmony, and a music video that makes you feel like you are slipping away.  You can buy their album on iTunes for $3.99!  Check out their music video for "Slippin' Away"!

Going Crazy

In February of 2011, Song Ji Eun of Secret, a four member South Korean girl group, released her solo debut single, "Going Crazy". "Going Crazy" was composed and produced by Kang Ji Won and Kim Kibum. The song feature rapper, Bang Yong Guk. The music video features actress, Min Hyo Rin who is seen driving the majority of the video until the end where she surprises the viewers by doing something crazy. Ji Eun and Yong Guk create a conversation with the lyrics talking about how a girl wants to end her relationship with a guy, but the guy won't let the girl go, and it ultimately has the girl "going crazy". The piano melody, with Ji Eun's amazing vocals, and with Yong Guk's raspy rapping, create a passionate and beautiful song. Check out the song and music video to "Going Crazy".

Without You

In the beginning of July, AJ Rafael released his music video for "Without You".  The song is off his first full-length album, Red Roses.  AJ lost his father at the young age of ten, and just last fall he lost his godfather to cancer.  AJ stated in the description of his music video:

          I wrote this song not about a death or losing someone to an illness, but about 

          wanting to be with someone so bad that you couldn't go another day without 

          them-- but this song spoke differently to my Kuya Frank's wife Ate Rhea. 

          She told me that she listened to this song as if it was Kuya Frank singing to her, 

          fighting for her, and wanting to be there for her through all of this. Thus, the original 

          concept for this video was born and it stuck in my head-- and I pray that this video 

          helps you realize that you are not alone in your struggle, whether it is you or a loved 

          one going through it.  Don't forget to let your loved ones know that you love them... 

          We never know what tomorrow might bring.  

The music video is based on the Five Stages of Grief.  The video takes you along the five stage journey of the main character's life changing event.  Once again, AJ and his band deliver an amazing music video, but this time it is an encouragement to others who feel like they are alone in a difficult situation.  Check out the music video to "Without You" below!

The One You Say Goodnight To

Kina Grannis is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter.  Kina is hapa - half Japanese, and the other half consists of English, Irish, French, Dutch, Welsh and Scottish.  She is another amazing artist gaining fans through her YouTube channel with cover and original songs.  In April of 2011, Kina released her deluxe album of "Stairwells", which includes twenty-two tracks total.  You can check out this album on iTunes, here.  In the beginning of July, Kina released her music video for "The One You Say Goodnight To".  The music video features Keith Tutt II playing the cello, Derek Rock playing the percussion, and Chester See searching for Kina.  This song will make you want to clap your hands along, and you possibly might catch on to the melody and start singing with her. Check out the video to "The One You Say Goodnight To" below!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was released on July 15th, and is a film based on the Lisa See's novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  It is directed by Wayne Wang, who is known for his work with "The Joy Luck Club" and "Maid in Manhattan".  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan stars a diverse cast with actors from China, South Korean, Australia, and America.  The film stars Li Bingbing, Jun Ji-hyun, Vivian Wu, Hugh Jackman, Archie Kao, and Russell Wong.  Li Bingbing plays the character of Lily, and Jun Ji-hyun plays the character of Snow Flower.  The story is centered on an everlasting friendship between Lily and Snow Flower, who create their own secret language to communicate with each other.  See's novel alone is an amazing story of women's friendship in the nineteenth century and their journey, so you should check out her book.  Here is See's inspiration and behind the scenes on writing "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan".  I haven't seen the movie yet, but I look forward to seeing the diverse cast work together as they bring the novel to life.  Check out the trailer to "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" below.

Good-Bye Baby

Miss A is a South Korean girl group under the management of JYP Entertainment.  Miss A consists of Fei, Jia, Min and Suzy.  Fei and Jia are originally from China, while Min and Suzy are from South Korea.  Miss A released their first full-length album, "A Class", today in South Korea.  To help with promoting their album, Miss A also released the music video to "Good-Bye Baby" on their YouTube channel.  The song conveys a women's lack of interest to her boyfriend's news of wanting to break-up.  Miss A knows how to put on a performance with a sequenced choreography, balanced with amazing vocals.  Check out their music video to "Good-Bye Baby".

Don't Fall For Me

JR Aquino is a Filipino American singer and songwriter from Anchorage, Alaska. JRA was on Season Four of American Idol, and made it to the top 44. He created a fan-base through his YouTube channel, where he uploaded cover and original songs. He usually ends his videos with his tagline "...eat some cucumbers." In 2010, JRA released his debut album, "Exposure", onto iTunes.  Most of the JRA's original songs that I have heard were acoustic-based, but I came upon "Don't Fall For Me" and enjoyed this rhythm and blues feel. JRA stated in the description of the music video, "As far as the song goes, this is basically about a guy that just wants to 'have fun'. Nothing more. Yeah, I know it sounds a bit harsh, but it's real."  His music video, "Don't Fall For Me" takes place in a hotel and casino.  He is either sitting at the edge of a bed with a girl sleeping in the background, outside in the hallway of the hotel, or seen walking around the casino floor.  Check out JRA's smooth voice in "Don't Fall For Me".  I recommend just listening to the song first before watching the music video because you just might end up falling for him. 

Is This All

Van Ness Wu is a Taiwanese American actor, singer, producer, and director. Van Ness came to fame as one of the main actors in the popular 2001 Taiwanese drama series, Meteor Garden. Van Ness now lives in Taiwan and is actively singing, acting, producing and directing around Asia. This past June, Van Ness released his fifth album, "C'est La V". His fifth album revolves around the concept of "Love, Faith and Live", and takes listeners on a journey of his life. This track, "Is This All", features Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. The song has incredible instrumentals that go beautifully with Van Ness' melodic voice.  Check out the song and music video to "Is This All", below!

Mariel Martin & Keone Madrid

Mariel Martin and Keone Madrid are dancers and choreographers. Both are part of Movement Lifestyle and Choreo Cookies.  Keone and Mari are so creative when it comes to dancing.  What I like about Keone and Mari is that they are able to take a song, regardless of the music genre, and create an amazing performance piece.  Mari and Keone were inspired to create a stage performance from Adele's "Daydreamer" and performed this number at a 2010 Make-A-Wish Foundation event in San Diego.



Mari and Keone were inspired again by Adele's beautiful music, and created a piece with Adele's "He Won't Go".  This was performed at UCSD's Fusion XII featuring Fabian Tucker and Nicole Aguas of Choreo Cookies. 

Break Up

Brave Brothers is known for working behind the scenes of tracks and producing popular songs for many artists.  Brave Brothers has worked with artists like Jay Park, Son Dam Bi, Lee Min Woo, Davichi's Kang Min Kyung, U-KISS, 4minute's Hyuna, T-ara's Hyomin, and V.O.S.  Brave Brothers recently collaborated with Electroboyz and Kikwang of BEAST in creating "Break Up".  Yesterday, Brave Brothers released the music video on their YouTube channel.  The music video features the artists meeting in the studio, and recording the song, "Break Up".  "Break Up" has a simple and soothing piano melody, with a beautiful harmonization between Brave Brothers, Electroboyz and Kikiwang.

Star in My Eyes

The first blog post I wrote was about Gowe's music video, "I Wonder".  Last weekend, Gowe released his latest music video for "Star in My Eyes" on his YouTube channel.  "Star in My Eyes" has a different sound than "I Wonder", but Gowe once again delivers an amazing track with Erin Kim.  The music video also features Yoshi Wright & Hip Hop Anonymous.  The song, "Star in My Eyes", talks about staying true to yourself in a world where fame can get you carried away to be someone you aren't.  With that concept, I like how the music video gives viewers a glimpse of Gowe's playground of Seattle.  Check out Gowe's song, "Star in My Eyes" on iTunes or Amazon.        

Vincent Chin

In 1982, Vincent Chin was beaten to death in Detroit, Michigan.  During this time, there were lots of layoffs within the Detroit auto industry due to the increase in market shares of the Japanese automakers.  The day before his wedding day, two men shouted racial slurs at Chin, who was Chinese, and blaming the Japanese for taking away job opportunities from American automakers.  The two men beat Chin with a baseball bat, which resulted in Chin slipping into a coma.  Four days after being admitted to the hospital, Chin passed away.  The two men were sentenced by a judge to three years probation, no jail time, $780 in court fees and a fine of $3,000.

Model Minority is a group comprised of D-One, Grand Master Chu, and INGLISH.  Model Minority incorporates issues Asian-Americans face into their lyrics.  The group takes negative ethnic stereotypes that Asian-Americans are faced with and turn them into a positive through music.  A friend of mine shared this song with me, and it talks about the story of Vincent Chin.  Model Minority has a lyrical gift and flow that captures your ears, to want to listen and to learn about the story of Vincent Chin.

By My Side

David Choi is a Korean American, singer-songwriter.  David has an extensive musical journey, and his journey continues to grow to this day.  If you are curious about his story, you can read about it on his website, here.  Whenever I hear David sing, it always amazes me because he is able to produce, write and sing his original songs.  A little over a year ago, David released his album, "By My Side".  His music and YouTube videos have caught the attention of people around the world.  David's song, "By My Side" was even featured in a Samsung refrigerator commercial in South Korea, starring Lee Seung Gi.



For his latest music video, David partnered with Wong Fu Productions to create a video for "By My Side". Wong Fu Productions directed, produced and edited this music video. And once again, both parties did an amazing job with their talents.  In May of 2010, Wong Fu Productions worked with David in creating an amazing video piece for David's song, "That Girl", and it received over 4.6 million views.  In May of 2009, Wong Fu Productions worked with David in producing the music video for "Won't Even Start", which has over 2.3 million views.  I can't wait to see their next project together.  

The "By My Side" music video features Jenny Ong who is being sung to by David.  In past videos, many fans wondered why David doesn't smile that much, but in this music video David is constantly smiling.  And of course, one can't help but smile along as he sings about staying by a loved one's side.  Wong Fu Productions did an amazing job with the production set.  While David is singing to Jenny, he is blowing up white balloons and tying them to small rocks.  My favorite scene is where the ground is slightly wet, and there is a reflection of white balloons, as David and Jenny walk hand in hand, side by side. 

Are We There Yet

Dumbfoundead is a Korean American rapper who hails from Los Angeles.  Dumbfoundead has a gift of putting words together and letting the lyrics flow into a story.  He is one of those freestylers that catches the attention of fans through social media outlets.  He has captured the hearts of fans all over the world, and I feel one of the reasons is that he keeps it real and is true to himself.  Today, Dumbfoundead released the music video to "Are We There Yet" on his YouTube channel.  This song talks about some life stories that has shaped him to be who he is today.  Dumbfoundead is another artist I want to see succeed in his talents, and it's not because he is Korean American but because he's extremely gifted.  He is the artist that tells a story with his rhythms and lyrics, and the type of artist that should be on the radio more so than some mainstream artists.  Check out "Are We There Yet", and it may captivate you to have this song on repeat all day.  

Love Recipe

Gummy is a South Korean, R&B, artist who has an amazing voice.  She is definitely not your typical Korean singer.  For me there is not one song she sings that I don't like. Her voice is refreshing to listen to amongst a saturated Korean Pop music industry.  In every performance, Gummy displays such passion and she captivates the audience into the words she sings.

One of the many songs I like of hers is "Love Recipe".  In November of 2010, she released "Love Recipe" featuring Bobby Kim.  This duet was featured in the sound track for "Finding Kim Jong Wook".  Together their voices created a sweet, harmonizing collaboration. 



Recently, Gummy's record label, YG Entertainment, released a new music video for her song.  This music video of "Love Recipe" shows a loving relationship between a girl and her dog, while Gummy soulfully sings solo.  Like I said, there is not one Gummy song that I don't like, so I like both versions of the song.

Heartstrings

Clara Chung is another amazing, talented artist.  She is a Korean-American singer and songwriter with an amazing voice.  Like most artists, she caught my attention through YouTube, and I've listened to her covers and originals ever since.  Clara has won LA's Kollaboration 10, KAC Media Creative Juice Night, and ISA 2009.  Clara released her album, "The Art in My Heart", back in September of 2010.  Yesterday, she released the music video to her song, "Heartstrings".  The music video has awesome graphics and 3D effects, but that doesn't take away from the sweet sound of Clara's voice as she sings the song.  The music video takes you through a cute meet up between a girl and boy, and while watching the video you can't help but smile.  Check out Clara's album on iTunes for more of her songs.

Here I Am

So I started watching the Korean drama, Secret Garden.  I know it's six to seven months old, but I might have been busy watching a different drama at the time.  Secret Garden is basically about a rich, young, arrogant, business man (Hyun Bin) who falls in love with a poor, hard-working, self reliant woman (Ha Ji-Won) who would never give him the time of day.  I haven't finished the drama yet, so I'm not sure how it turns out.  But I have a feeling Ha Ji-Won's character will fall in love with Hyun Bin's character.  Anyways, there is a song from Secret Garden's OST that I feel in love with... "Here I Am".  The song is originally sung by 4MEN featuring Mi.  I love the harmonization and melody of the song.  Here is the English translation of the the song.

Here I am, in this place, Here I am

Here I am, in this place, I'm here.

Here I am, in this place, Here I am

Here I am, in this place, I'm here now

Even if it's not enouch

I'll show how much I really love you

You may never know but

Here I am

Here I am, in this place, Here I am

Here I am, in this place, I'm here.

Even if it's not enough for me to show

How much I really love you

I'll just wait for you in this place.

Even if you think it's not enough, it's fine

I'll show how much I really love you

You may never know but

Here I am

You may never know, but Here I am

This is my favorite cover of "Here I Am" sung by Jenny Suk and AJ Rafael.  Enjoy!

Shoot for the Moon

Jin is a Chinese-American rapper, songwriter, and actor. In 2001, Jin gained attention when he was on BET's 106&Park's Freestyle Friday segment.  Jin won seven battles in a row and was inducted into the Freestyle Friday Hall of Fame.  Jin now lives in Hong Kong where he sings, writes songs, and acts.  It has been five years since Jin released an English album.  His first single from the album is "Shoot For the Moon".  This inspiring song takes us through what Jin has experienced over the past ten years. Check out his single on iTunes!  Jin released a music video for "Shoot for the Moon" on his YouTube channel, and it is a montage of events from Jin's journey over the past decade.  It is amazing and encouraging to see how Jin has grown as a person and as an artist.  I can't help but smile while watching his music video.  Check out his music video, and be on the look out for his album!

Go

Aziatix is a R&B and Soul group from the United States.  The group is comprised of three talented Korean-Americans: Flowsik, Eddie Shin, and Nicky Lee.  Flowsik is from New York, Eddie is from Boston, and Nicky is from Los Angeles.  In March of 2011, Aziatix debuted and entered the U.S. market. Aziatix first released their single, "Go", which displayed each individual's amazing vocals and talents.  The group revealed the music video for "Go" on their YouTube channel.  "Go" can be downloaded off iTunes.  Check out the song and music video to "Go", below!

Red Roses

AJ Rafael is an amazing, talented artist. Rafael first caught my attention through YouTube cover videos, and I have caught interest in him ever since. When he performs, his passion for music shines through his voice. Rafael had the opportunity to be the West's finalist for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards - Battle of the Bands.  Today marks a milestone in his life and his career. Rafael, along with his band, has released his first full length album, Red Roses.

 

 Rafael does not have a record label, and has been attracting fans through social media outlets.  Rafael was able to get distribution at Target, Best Buy, iTunes, and Amazon.  Be sure to check out his album and support his years of talented, hard work. Here is a peak at one of the songs off the album, "We Could Happen".

Choi Sung-bong's Moment to Shine

Choi Sung-bong, a 22 year old, just wants to sing, and he endured hardships to get to where he is now.  Choi Sung-bong auditioned for Korea's Got Talent, and the song he sang was "Nella Fantasia".  This is his inspiring and beautiful story.

Italian

English translation

Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo giusto, Lì tutti vivono in pace e in onestà. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano, Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima. Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo chiaro, Lì anche la notte è meno oscura. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano. Nella fantasia esiste un vento caldo, Che soffia sulle città, come amico. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano, Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima.

In my imagination I see a fair world, Everyone lives in peace and in honesty there. I dream of souls that are always free, Like the clouds that fly, Full of humanity in the depths of the soul. In my imagination I see a bright world, Even the night is less dark there. I dream of souls that are always free, Like clouds that fly. In my imagination there exists a warm wind, That breathes on the cities, like a friend. I dream of souls that are always free, Like clouds that fly, Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

Hahn (한)

Hahn is a documentary film in the making, which is being directed by Kelley Katzenmeyer, a nineteen-year-old American filmmaker and visual artist.

        "Hahn" will follow several Korean teenagers in the most stressful time of their lives- 

        their last year of high school. After studying for roughly sixteen hours each day, their 

        futures boil down to one last exam. On November 10th, 2011, thousands of high 

        school seniors will take a nine hour test that for many, will determine their economic 

        and social status for the rest of their lives. 

Kelley Katzenmeyer received a scholarship from the United States Department of State to study abroad in South Korea. Katzenmeyer deferred her admission into Columbia University to direct this documentary on Korean high school students.  She is currently raising money to help with funding for her documentary.  For more information on how to support this project, visit her project page. Here is a peak at what Katzenmeyer is working on in South Korea.

Rainy Days

One Way is a R&B and hip-hop group from South Korea. One Way consists of Chance, Peter, and Young Sky.  It's interesting how all three are connected, where Peter and Young Sky met in middle school in Sydney, Australia, and Young Sky moved to California and met Chance in high school. All three members are fluent in Korean and English. I feel like this group is so talented yet so underrated in South Korea's music industry.  Thankfully, with the help of social media outlets, One Way has been able to reach out and gain many fans all over the world.

Summer is just around the corner, and yet the dark clouds above decided to embrace us (the Bay Area) with rain.  So I was listening to this song for a good portion of the day.   This song was amazingly produced and written by members of One Way, and also features Kim Junsu of 2PM.  There is a certain flow to the song that makes you forget about the dark clouds and the glum weather.