channelAPA.com - Broadcasting Asian America

Wonder Girls tour with Jonas Brothers

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Last weekend, Wonder Girls was the opening act for the kick off of Jonas Brothers World Tour. The girls will be the opening act for virtually all the Jonas Brothers concerts. Check out what you can expect when they hit your town. The Wonder Girls will sing English versions of two of their popular Korean songs — "Nobody" and "Tell Me."

Wonder Girls sing Nobody

Wonder Girls sing Tell Me

Another angle of Wonder Girls sing Tell Me

Kollaboration NY on ABC News

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:17:00 +0000

Last weekend's Kollaboration NY event was a success. See some of the Kollaboration New York lineup from ABC News.

Also check out the Michael Jackson tribute with all the Kollaboration NY performers

Our America by Kevin So

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Our America by Kevin So is dedicated to people who came to America to pursue a dream. Listen to it this July 4th.

Our America by Kevin So

Independence Day Is...

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Happy July 4th. Enjoy the holidays. See this video from america.gov to see what Independence Day mean to them.

Independence Day Is...

Shin-Soo Choo highlights

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:16:00 +0000

Cleveland Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo had a career night yesterday. He started his fourth of July early going 4-for-5 at the plate with a pair of home runs and a season-high seven RBIs against the Oakland A's. He scored 4 runs and stole a base too. Check out Shin-Soo Choo's highlights below.

Shin-Soo Choo highlights

Beautiful with Margaret Cho on Showtime

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:01:00 +0000

The acid-tongued Korean-American comedienne takes the stage for a hilarious standup performance that poses perhaps her most shocking theory yet: "nice is sexy." Margaret’s new concert film, Beautiful, will premiere on Showtime July 3rd at 11pm ET/PT.

Margaret Cho's been busy. Last year, she had The Cho Show on VH1. Also she just redesigned her website here.

Beautiful with Margaret Cho on Showtime

Jon Gosselin’s Match.com Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:49:00 +0000

Ever since the divorce announcement on the show Jon and Kate Plus 8 is on hiatus. This isn't stopping others from spoofing them. Here's a hilarious dating video of Jon Gosselin with username JonMinus9. Jon Gosselin is being played by comedian Eugene Cordero.

Jon Gosselin’s Match.com Profile

Jimmy Fallon vs Tiger Woods on PGA Tour 10

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Last week, Jimmy Fallon challenged Tiger Woods on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 for the Wii. They played once at New York's Time Square and a rematch on Jimmy Fallon's late night show. The new video game uses the new Wii MotionPlus. You can pick up the game here.

This still can't beat last year's promotion for Tiger Wood's video game. Tiger Woods walks on water and putt a Rubik's cube.

Jimmy Fallon vs Tiger Woods on PGA Tour 10 (Part 1)

Jimmy Fallon vs Tiger Woods on PGA Tour 10 (Part 2)

LALA at Jitlada Thai in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:45:00 +0000

If you had Comcast in May, you has a chance to watch this short on demand for APA Heritage Month. (There was a short on the Kogi Truck. We hope they upload that one too.)

In this episode, Host L.A. Renigen steels her stomach and heads to Jitlada Thai, popular with the Hollywood set and famous for having the best "stinky" and spiciest food in Los Angeles. Lots of interesting food including fried watercress salad, steamed mussels, fishball stuffed with egg in curry, turmeric sea bass, pumpkin lamb curry, and pork belly with stinky bean. LALA by H.P. Mendoza is a fresh and breezy take on Asian cuisine in Los Angeles.

LALA at Jitlada Thai in Los Angeles

Manny Pacquiao in Fight Night Round 4

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:22:00 +0000

This past week EA Sports released Fight Night Round 4 featuring Manny Pacquiao. We found a promo video of Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton below. (Guess who wins in the demo!) Two months ago Manny Pacquiao KO'ed Ricky Hatton in 2nd round. In that post, we said there should be a Pacquiao Punch Out game. This is even better. You can now play as the pound for pound champion. Get motivated with Manny Pacquiao's Greatest Hits.

Get you copy of Fight Night Round 4 for the PS3 or XBox 360

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton Rematch in Fight Night Round 4

Also interesting the producers of Fight Night Round 4 are Asian Canadians. Check out producers Jeff Atienza & Freddy Ouano talk about the video game. BTW - Both producers are Manny Pacquiao fans.

Mike Song (Kaba Modern) Nintendo Wii Tutting Routine

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Check out this cool video of Mike Song from Kaba Modern tutting to the Nintendo Wii Mii Channel Theme Song. Remember Kaba Modern from America's Best Dance Crew Season 1?

This video also reminds us of Super Mario Land Theme by David Choi x Paul Dateh.

Mike Song (Kaba Modern) Nintendo Wii Tutting Routine

Jabbawockeez talk about Michael Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:19:00 +0000

The Jabbawockeez continue to perform their "P.Y.T." (Pretty Young Thing) routine from America's Best Dance Crew while on tour with New Kids on the Block. They talk about Michael Jackson's influence on many styles of street dance, including breakdancing, popping and locking.

Also see the previous posts: RIP Michael Jackson - King of Pop, Michael Jackson tribute on the 404, Asian American tributes to Michael Jkson, and Dancing Inmate's Michael Jackson tribute

Jabbawockeez talk about Michael Jackson

2009 Asian Film Festival of Dallas

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:42:00 +0000

The 2009 Asian Film Festival of Dallas has the most packed lineup they've had in years from July 17 to 29, 2009. They're bringing you an entire week filled to capacity with music campy to operatic, tears joyful, tears miserable, creepy chills for the hot summer nights, family drama and DRAMA, intense action, mathematical wonder, and cats who make ramen. This year's festival is earlier in the summer, but positions the festival to show the regional premiere of "Written By", shortly after its premiere at the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). Also this year, they didn't have a call for entries, but look for entries in 2010.

Here's some other highlights for the 2009 Asian Film Festival of Dallas:
Opening Night - The Beast Stalker
Centerpiece Film - Kimjongilia
Closing Night Ip Man

We've seen The Beast Stalker and Ip Man. The Beast Stalker is like an adrenaline rush through the streets of Hong Kong. Awesome ending. Ip Man has martial arts galore with great choreographed kung fu scenes. Other recommendations include All About Dad and You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story.

2009 Asian Film Festival of Dallas Trailer

Mike Kim on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Mike Kim, author of Escaping North Korea, was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart yesterday. He spoke about the challenges of helping North Koreans escape to safety and freedom in China.

The first of its kind, this book provides a rare and unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. Mike Kim, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives. With the permission of these courageous individuals, Kim now shares their stories and recounts his dramatic experiences leading North Koreans to asylum through the 6,000-mile modern-day underground railway through Asia.

Get Escaping North Korea on Amazon.com. Also check out recent PBS specials about North Korean defectors Crossing Heaven's Border and Field trip to the DMZ.

Mike Kim on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Cantonese Boy by Only Won x Larissa Lam

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:17:00 +0000

This one's for the Cantonese readers out there.

Check out the video "Cantonese Boy". With this song, Only Won & Larissa Lam do a collabo with their own autobiographical spin on the Grammy winning song, American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West. This song mixes Cantonese and English for the right Chinglish blend. Is this gonna give First Asian Boy by Timothy De La Ghetto a run for its money?

Cantonese Boy by Only Won x Larissa Lam

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:44:00 +0000

If you have heard of Dim Sum is for Everyone, Fortune Cookie Fortunes, or Bringing in the New Year, you're familiar with author Grace Lin. The author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Grace Lin's beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.

Here the synopsis for "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon"

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Get Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Trailer

Interview with author Grace Lin

Field trip to the DMZ

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:54:00 +0000

While we were posting about Crossing Heaven's Border on PBS yesterday, we found this companion video entitled "Field trip to the DMZ". Here's a synopsis:

FOCAL POINT trains its lens on one of the 15,000 North Korean defectors who have made it to South Korea. Twenty-year-old Haejung (not her real name) was smuggled out of North Korea some years ago in the hope of a better life — leaving her family behind. She now attends Hangyeore High School, a special boarding school an hour outside of Seoul, founded in 2006 to help North Korean teens adjust to life in the South. Most of the school’s 240 students are separated from one or both of their parents back in the North, with little hope of ever seeing them again. They experience severe culture shock transitioning from one of the world’s most isolated Communist states to one of the most technologically and economically advanced societies. The school tries to fill both the emotional void and the cultural gaps. The students eat, sleep, and study on campus. The teachers live with them in the dorms, and many have training as therapists to provide psychological counseling. The curriculum includes everything from history to English to learning how to use a cell phone, computer or credit card. In Field Trip to the DMZ, the students make their annual trip to the border, and Haejung dreams of a time when her family and her homelands will be reunited.

This video casts a different light on the DMZ than Planet B-boy's Run DMZ clip.

Field trip to the DMZ

2009 OCA National Convention - Save the Date

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:46:00 +0000

The 2009 OCA National Convention is taking place at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis Hotel from August 6 – 9, 2009. OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. This year's theme is "A Call to Action: Empowering Asian Pacific American Voices." Also being honored at the event include Congressman Mike Honda, the late historian Him Mark Lai, activist Phil Choy, designer Anna Sui, and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen.

To register for the 2009 OCA National Convention, go here.

Learn more about OCA

Apologize by Olivia Thai

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Last week, YouTube sensation Olivia Thai released her cover of OneRepublic’s song “Apologize” on iTunes and YouTube. Olivia Thai partnered with indie label Spin Move Records to make her iTunes exclusive debut. You can see a video of her performing the song in the studio below. Back in 2007, Thai first recorded the "Apologize" acoustically with Joe from JustKiddingFilms. Get Apologize by Olivia Thai on . (BTW - Is it just us or do you think Jabbawockeez too when you hear this song?)

Although this is a one song deal, look for more things coming up with Olivia Thai. She is currently writing songs for her debut album.

Apologize by Olivia Thai

Crossing Heaven's Border on PBS

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:13:00 +0000

With the Laura Ling and Euna Lee situation along with nuke testing, North Korea is getting scrutinized more than ever. In Crossing Heaven’s Border, WIDE ANGLE tells the moving and dramatic stories of North Korean defectors. In China, the defectors’ fate is grim. They must live in hiding, working illegally and with no access to education or medical care. If caught by Chinese authorities, they are repatriated to North Korea, where they face severe punishment: persecution, torture, even execution in prison camps. Only a lucky few reach their ultimate goal: asylum in South Korea.

Crossing Heaven’s Border reveals the plight of North Korean defectors from the point of view of intrepid South Korean journalists who risked their lives filming undercover for ten months to capture the haunting stories first-hand. (Similar to Burma VJ) The reporters introduce us to a mother working in China as a tour guide to support her six-year-old son who is sick with cerebral palsy and in dire need of medical attention. And we follow the grueling 10-day journey of a teenage girl and a little boy smuggled overland across China and Laos into Thailand, which accepts North Korean defectors as asylum seekers.

Crossing Heaven's Border on PBS

Clip from Crossing Heaven's Border

Brain-controlled wheelchair in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:23:00 +0000

With the help of Japan, we are another step closer to seeing X-men in reality. Researchers at Toyota and Japan's Riken have developed a brain-control system for a wheelchair. The system analyzes thought patterns and translates them into wheelchair movement in a fraction of a second. The brain controlled wheelchair video reminds us of Professor X from X-men.

Speaking of X-men, if you are in the NYC area, be sure to check out the Asian American Comic-con.

Thought-controlled wheelchair in Japan

Far East Movement Concert at the ROXY in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:08:00 +0000

By now, you must have heard "Girls on the Dance Floor" by Far East Movement. It's spinning everywhere. Well, if you're in the Los Angeles area, the Far East Movement has a concert at the ROXY. Unlike all of their club shows and past performances, this will be a full concert show from the Far East Movement. They'll be performing songs off our Animal Album along with surprise guests and giveaways. The awesome thing about this show… ITS ALL AGES. If you have never been to an FM concert, you're in for a treat. They'll be using a space theme like they did for the Map the Soul Tour with Epik High. Tickets are still available. You can get them here.

FM SPACE TOURS Itinerary
DATE: JULY 1st, 2009
Blast Off Location: ROXY THEATER
Address: 9009 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069
ALL AGES TICKETS
Spaceship Boarding time: 8:30pm
FAR EAST MOVEMENT WILL LAUNCH AROUND 10:30pm

Far East Movement Concert at the ROXY in Los Angeles (take a peek at the space suits)

I Got Next

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I Got Next is a free documentary on the fighting video game scene created by Ian Cofino. It originally started as a senior project at Purchase College, School of Art and Design, and has grown into something much bigger thanks to the dedicated and passionate players in the community. The film features video game champion Justin Wong, with appearances by familiar faces in the gamer community such as James Chen and Ed Ma. It follows some of the regional Street Fighter 4 tournaments in the past year such as Sinsation Fight Club and Final Round XII. Originally envisioned as a short documentary, I Got Next has grown into a feature length production, which will see two releases, a short cut in the summer of 2009 (you can see it below) and a longer cut in the winter of 2009.

Also see our previous posts The search for Asia's greatest Street Fighter and Street Fighter IV Champions

I Got Next Trailer

I Got Next (short version)

The Prologue by Calista Wu

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Singer/songwriter Calista Wu dropped her first album "The Prologue" last week. The Prologue is Calista's first CD release and includes five of her original songs, produced by Anthony "DNA" Lee. Her sound is a unique urban blend of soul and spirit, and her songs capture the conflicting realities of the internal and external. At the early age of three, Calista began her first keyboard and piano lessons. Then, as a young girl, she taught herself how to sing by constantly replaying music from Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Disney princesses in her room. While music has always played a large role in her life, Calista refused to become an artist until she felt like she had found something truly unique within herself to share with the world. Now, she has her sound and her story, both of which she shares in snapshots within her carefully crafted songs. Get The Prologue by Calista Wu on and Amazon. Here's some videos from her release party:
Black Coffee by Calista Wu

Can You by Calista Wu

Play That Song by Paul Dateh - Free Download

noreply@blogger.com (channelAPA) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Track six from Paul Dateh's album entitled "Play That Song" is available FREE today in the Paul Dateh album giveaway. This song introduces the members of the band. Download "Goes Around" for free here.

If you missed the previous weeks, check out Be More, Whatever I Choose, Control, Celtic Blues, and Goes Around. You can also get Paul Dateh's debut album can be purchased on itunes and Amazon.

Play That Song by Paul Dateh - Free Download