Tadashi Nakamura

Native Students in South Dakota Shoot Back!

2011-12-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

Big shout to the Native students from Rosebud, SD for making this video in response to their outrage at ABC’s 20/20 special called “Children of the Plains." The "determination" on the jumpshot and the "creativity" on the middle finger are my favorite. Youth armed with cameras will always shoot back!
Read the Colorlines post HERE

$1 billion in Cali cuts

2011-12-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

I've spent just as much time as you have reading and debating the numbers and future of CP3. Let's just make the same effort to be informed about the numbers and future of our own families.

$330 million will be cut from schools, $100 million from workers who care for the elderly and $100 mil from UC/Cal States, on top of the $650 million already cut this year!

Read the LA Times article here: $1 billion in California budget cuts to kick in soon

Pilgrimage screening at RightsFest on 10/27

2011-10-25T01:57:00.000-07:00

Pilgrimage will be playing with the feature doc Freedom Riders at the RightsFest Film Festival taking place in San Francisco. The film festival is being sponsored by the Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education and will be part of the Advancing Justice conference taking place at the same time. I'll be there to talk about the film and maybe even jump in on a conference panel.

Save Sessions LA!

2011-10-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's as simple as this. We all know how important youth programs are, especially in underfunded communities of color. We all know how important the arts can be in shaping the lives of young people, especially when nurtured in safe, positive spaces. So please pay back the people who are doing the work we all want to do but can't make the time for. Save Sessions LA!

Please watch the video and donate:

Moke Action by `Aina Paikai

2011-09-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

While shooting in Hawai`i I've been able to work with a group of talented and visionary local filmmakers from `Oiwi TV and Paliku Documentary Films. One of the youngsters on the team is `Aina Paikai. Here is his hilarious short Moke Action:

Write-up on Chris Iijima on apimovement.com

2011-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

A good write-up about Chris Iijima and A Song For Ourselves on apimovement.com. Read article HERE.

Please support The Park's Finest new restaurant!

2011-08-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

This is huge for our community! I've been down with these folks since I was a teenager and their dedication to us can't be matched. Please, please put something down for The Park's Finest! Click here and donate as much as you can. Thanks!

Justin Lin on Wayne Wang

2011-08-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

You know what Asian American cinema need? Beef! Let's make it interesting. Personal rivalries, West Coast/ East Coast, Northern Cali/ So Cal, old school/ new school. Speaking of which, Justin Lin just roasted Wayne Wang, but in a very respectful Asian way. Read the whole thing here.

"I’m ready to put my own dream aside to please you. My agent is already calling Amy Tan’s people...Thank you, Wayne. You complete me as an Asian American. I love you, my Tiger Mom!" - Justin Lin

The Help of Today

2011-08-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Smart outreach video. Support the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights!

Darcus Howe on BBC News

2011-08-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

Reminded by Darcus Howe of the power of being educated, articulate, passionate and brave.

A Song For Ourselves Mixtape is back up

2011-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

DJ Phatrick's A Song For Ourselves Mixtape is back online to download:

Bootleg Fireworks

2011-08-05T00:31:00.000-07:00

A month later and STILL funny!

Way better than Samuel L.

2011-08-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

Jake on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

2011-08-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

Jake was in town for the Jimmy Kimmel show on Monday. We got to tag along and cover some of the behind the scenes for the film. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is recorded earlier in the day and therefore not live.

It was fun watching Jake do his thang on national TV.

Splitscreen: A Love Story

2011-06-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Splitscreen: A Love Story directed by JW Griffiths. Shot on a Nokia N8 celly!

Blue Scholars - Fou Lee Video

2011-06-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Filthy

Rocky Rivera - Pop Killer Mixtape

2011-06-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

Beatrock Music is on fiyah right now! Download Rocky Rivera's new mixtape Pop Killer. Rocky continues to sharpen her art with every new project.

POP KILLER MXTP by BEATROCK MUSIC

Remembering Loni Ding

2011-06-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Loni Ding would have been 80 today...

Tribute video by Walt Louie:

LA Times Article on Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga

2011-06-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

A longtime family friend and personal hero finally gets a little of the shine she deserves. Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga is a real living legend. Read the feature article on her in the LA Times HERE.

Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser

2011-06-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Just watched Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (dir. Charlotte Zwerin). The verite camera work is pretty impressive. Great compositions, visual story telling relevant to the film, and captures great moments.

My favorite shot starts at 3:13:

Welcome to Cinemetropolis

2011-06-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

Blue Scholars decided to drop their new album Cinemetropolis a little early! From concept (they will drop a video/short film for every track) to independent distribution, this album is exactly what Geo and Sabzi have built their careers on, originality and mastery of their craft.

You can taste test all tracks and then cop the album HERE.

Cinemetropolis by Blue Scholars

Here's the first short film from the album:

A Grain of Sand in Smithsonian Folkways Magazine

2011-05-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

Sojin Kim recently wrote an excellent, in-depth article on the legendary A Grain of Sand album by Chris Iijima, Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin. Progressive Asian American music pretty much starts with this album. In the Smithsonian Folkways Magazine cover story, Sojin provides a background on all three artists as well as the movement that inspired them. A must read! Read it here.

Who is Melissa Roxas?

2011-05-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Please watch and learn about Melissa's story. Her bravery is inspiring and her continued community work deserves the support of all of us.

CLICK HERE to sign an open letter to demand justice for Melissa Roxas.

Boooyah! Jon Sterwart on Bill O'Reilly

2011-05-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

ROASTED! Stewart wins again. A great example of fighting ignorant white privilege with informed white privilege.

Speaking of political prisoners, Mumia Abu-Jamal might finally get a new sentencing hearing. Read article here.

Winners of the JACCC Power of Community Video Contest

2011-05-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

The JACCC recently announced the winners of the Power of Community Video Contest. It's great to see API filmmakers creating spots that promote the importance of community instead of selling product. All three directors have different perspectives about the concept of community and took their own approach to trying to capture it on video.

Hey!

2011-05-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

This was pretty cool to see!

PBS Broadcast of Pilgrimage & A Song For Ourselves, May 8-15

2011-05-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Pilgrimage and A Song For Ourselves will be broadcasting together on multiple PBS affiliate stations starting on Mother’s Day, May 8th through the 15th. Two Films by Tadashi Nakamura is the official title of the program. Not every PBS station will be airing the show but it will be broadcasting on 1,104 stations, covering 45% of the country including; San Francisco, Dallas, Boston and New Orleans. Some broadcasts will happen at odd hours of the day so hopefully you made the upgrade to that DVR.

Click to download PDF of cities and dates of all broadcasts

Seth Meyers at White House Correspondents' Dinner

2011-05-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of funny that doesn't make you laugh out loud but makes you say "that's funny" without smiling.

My favorite lines: "What happened to you? When you were sworn in you looked like the guy from the Old Spice commercials. Now you look like Louis Gossett Senior...Mr President, look at your hair. If your hair gets any whiter the Tea Party is going to endorse it."

Bows & Grindz

2011-04-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

It was the summer of 2000, 6 weeks in Honolulu with 30 other students and I was 20 years old. Alice DJ and Destiny's Child ("Better off Alone" & "Jumpin Jumpin" to be exact) was the knock in the club and Three Plus was the bump in the ride. It was my peak of substance tolerance and student self-righteousness all at the same time.

I was participating in the UCLA/UH Asian American Studies Summer Program. I took classes taught by Dr. Erin Wright and Prof. Rod Labrador which opened my eyes to the crippling effects of settler colonialism in Hawai'i and forced me to reflect on my own privilege as a Japanese American on the island.

11 years later, Prof. Rod and a collective of organizations at UH brought me back to campus to screen my films and run a workshop. It was great, Rod now has some gray hair and I have some facial hair, kinda. Special thanks to Ethnic Studies Student Association of UH.

Cindy and I hit up our favorite food spots but made time in the belly schedule to try some new places. The pork belly bowl at Your Kitchen was pretty amazing:

The fries and dipping sauces lived up to the hype at Hank's. But I would take a $2 dirty dog in LA over their $6 bacon wrapped then deep fried hotdog:

We got our skank on at the Waikiki Shell and got to see Katchafire, Ho'onua and Ooklah The Moc! It was fun but unlike my Birthday Bash experience in '00, we stayed in the old people section.

Hit up the fellas on the North Shore...

The Previas stay rollin on Oahu...

John DeLorean by Blue Scholars

2011-04-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

New track by Blue Scholars. If this is song is a reject for their upcoming album Cinemetropolis, I can't wait to hear what made the cut.

Youtube Video of the Week: Lil Buck and Yo-Yo

2011-04-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

The dynamics of this performance makes me feel a little uncomfortable, young person of color dancing and entertaining people while they sip their wine & cheese. But I really have no idea what the scenario was and the style and skill of Lil Buck is undeniable. Ankle buffness!

Screening Trilogy at Univ. of Hawai'i on 4/14

2011-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

8 Clap!

2011-04-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Honored to get a write-up on the UCLA alumni site! Read article HERE.

Jalen is now my favorite of the five

2011-04-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

I had my issues with the Fab Five doc but still enjoyed watching it. Jalen Rose was by far the most articulate and interesting, especially speaking on class difference amongst basketball players in HS and college. Here he is explaining what he meant when he said that as a kid he felt Duke only recruited Uncle Toms.

Digital Martyrs Remix Beatrock - Free Album

2011-04-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Beatrock Music just released Digital Martyrs Remix Beatrock, a free album featuring the labels top artist like Bambu, Power Struggle, Rocky Rivera, Otayo Dubb, Kiwi and The CounterParts. The homie Mark Canto did the cover art.

Directly download the album HERE. Or listen to all the tracks HERE

One of my favorite tracks: Rather Seen feat. Malcolm & Martin Remix - Bambu by BEATROCK MUSIC

Japan Memorial at JACCC Plaza

2011-04-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

A week following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, the Little Tokyo community here in LA gathered at the JACCC Plaza to mourn those who lost their lives and support those directly impacted by the tragic events. Here's some footage that I shot and put together from the gathering.

Class War Chart

2011-03-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

I thought this chart on Daily Kos makes things very clear:

From the same post:
"This just mirrors what we're seeing in Wisconsin, where Governor Walker (R-Koch) claims that ordinary public sector workers need to fork over at least $137 million to save the budget. Problem is, he just gave away $117 million in tax breaks for his corporate pals."

Pilgrimage Screening at Occidental College 3/3

2011-03-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's gonna be Father/Son night at Occidental College tonight!

Anti-Musilim Hate Rally in Orange County

2011-03-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Like most of you, I run on inspiration. Inspiration to continue the work that is already being done and inspiration to dedicate more of my time and energy to strengthen the progressive movement that has been built. The wave of mass protests and uprisings in the Arab world and the stone-cold strength of the workers and allies in Wisconsin have reminded me that we are indeed living in a definitive moment of our generation. But just as I get empowered by watching thousands scream truth to power, the rage I get when watching something like this is also energizing, and in a way, inspiring.

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) recently posted this video of an anti-Muslim rally at a fundraiser in Orange County on Feb. 13, 2011. To be blunt, the people in this video and the ignorant hate they spit is fucking disgusting. It's a trip to think that the day this video was shot, I was in Chicago participating in a Day of Remembrance event discussing the parallels between the WWII Japanese American experience and today's hateful environment.

VIDEO REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE BUT CAN BE VIEWED HERE

What got me so heated was seeing the faces of the parents walking with their kids. Those images hit home to everyone in a different way but I'm sure they hit hard. Like the people in this video, those who are under constant attack need to know we're here to jump-in and fight with them.

NBA X Oscars

2011-02-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

I saw these on gotemcoach.com and thought they were genius!

Youtube Video of the Week: Wisconsin "Budget Repair Bill" Protest

2011-02-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

An inspiring video of last weeks protests in Madison, WI by Matthew Wisniewski. Read all the comments this video has been receiving.

Arizona's SB 1611

2011-02-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

The details of proposed Arizona bill SB1611 are disgusting:

"The bill, which the state senator called an “omnibus” immigration bill, the Arizona Capitol Times reported, would bar children from K-12 education if they couldn’t produce a U.S.-issued birth certificate or naturalization document. It would forbid undocumented immigrants from driving in the state or accessing public benefits. Folks who are caught driving would face a month of jail time and would have to turn over the car they’re driving."

Read article about SB 1611 in Colorlines HERE.

Slaying The Dragon: Reloaded

2011-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

If you ever took an Asian American Studies class there's a good chance you've seen Slaying The Dragon. This classic 1986 documentary gets a much needed update and will be shown at the San Francisco Int'l Asian American Film Fest in March.

Screening Trilogy at LMU on Feb. 23rd

2011-02-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

I will be screening and discussing all three of my films this week at LMU. I'm excited to screen at the university that I've lived so close to my whole life.

The last time I was at LMU was for my old roommate's graduation. A group of my High School friends and I held up a huge sign that read "CONGRADULATIONS LIZETH!!!" It was not on purpose.

Youtube Video of the Week: Popo no-no spot & Harry Baals

2011-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground...

And then we have Harry Baals...

Sportscenter's "Do It For Dylan"

2011-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

As formulaic and heavy handed as they may be, these tragic stories on ESPN always get me...

Pilgrimage Screenings at DOR in Chicago and Seattle in February

2011-02-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

On February 19, 1942, FDR signed Executive Order 9066 which lead to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. Feb. 19th is the National Day of Remembrance (DOR) held every year to educate and connect the Japanese American WWII concentration camp experience to present day issues and movements.

I will be showing Pilgrimage and speaking at the DOR events in Chicago and at South Seattle Community College next week.

Chicago Day of Remembrance
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2011 @2p
Chicago History Museum

South Seattle Community College
Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 @ 10a and 1p
Brockey Hall Student Center, Rm. A
South Seattle Community College

Hari Kondabolu's Comedy Central Special on 02/12

2011-02-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hari Kondabolu's Comedy Central special is airing on Feb. 11th at 11pm. The dude is brilliant. Set your DVR's now...

Netflix Worthy: Shut Up and Sing

2011-02-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

I recently saw Barbara Kopple's Shut Up and Sing on the Dixie Chicks, their stand against Bush's invasion of Iraq and the huge backlash it caused from the country music world. I had never really knew the details of what went down but I now have a lot more respect for the band. Well made film.

ESPN article the non-profit, publicly-owned Green Bay Packers

2011-02-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

Why I'm rooting hard for Green Bay on Sunday:
The right way? The Green Bay way on espn.com

Youtube Video of the Week: Jan. 25th

2011-01-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

This one gave me chicken skin!

Single mom convicted of felony for sending kids to a better school

2011-01-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

This such bullshit, single mother Kelley Williams-Bolar of Akron, Ohio was sentenced with a felony for sending her 2 kids to a better school outside their district?! Half of my friends growing up did this in order to go to better, safer schools.

Read more & sign petition HERE.

Egypt 101

2011-01-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

Read this blog post on promotingpeace.tumblr if you are like me and really need a basic explanation of what's going on Egypt.

Then watch or read Al Jazeera English to keep up with what is going on.

In solidarity with the people of Egypt and their struggle for freedom!

Netflix Worthy: Valentino: The Last Emperor

2011-01-17T01:42:00.000-08:00

A lot friends complain that the movies available on netflix instant are booty. While I wish that all titles were available for streaming, I've still been able to fill my instant queue with tons of films I've been meaning to watch. Valentino: The Last Emperor was one of them.

As foreign as the elitist world of haute couture fashion is to me, I was drawn in by the pressure and high stakes of Valentino's world. The access that the director Matt Tyrnauer got with the icon and the honest interviews from people around him really made the film. The story structure of Valentino's possible retirement and his relationship with partner Giancarlo Giammetti made the film interesting even if you have no interest in fashion.

Discover Nikkei Article

2011-01-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here's an article (part 1 of 2) on Discover Nikkei about my film Pilgrimage and the connection I try to make with the JA community through my work. I got a chance to sit down and talk with writer Mia Nakaji Monnier at JANM last year and I thought she did an excellent job with article.

Read Part 2 HERE

Jake Shimabukuro EPK

2011-01-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Here's an EPK I made for Jake with footage from the upcoming documentary

Interview for Fancast.com

2011-01-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

My blogging skills are the worst! I forgot to post this interview I did for Fancast.com in December. The article was written by Chi-hui Yang, the curator of Comcast's Cinema Asian America. I owe a lot to Chi-hui. As the director of the San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival, he picked my first film, Yellow Brotherhood, to screen at the festival and has been really supportive of my work ever since. It's also because of him that A Song For Ourselves was part of last month's Cinema Asian America line-up.

Read the interview here.

Jake Shimabukuro Feature on NPR

2011-01-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

With the release of Jake's new album Peace Love Ukulele this week, NPR kicked off the new year featuring him on Weekend Edition. Listen or read the story here.

Jake Shimabukuro Farmers Insurance Commercial

2011-01-06T00:24:00.000-08:00

Jake gettin' that corporate monaaayy! (but still making them more)

Review of A Song For Ourselves in Anthropology Review Database

2011-01-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent review of A Song For Ourselves published on the Anthropology Review Database site. Click here to read.

Here's another review posted last year on Educational Media Reviews Online.

If you would like to get A Song For Ourselves into you school's library please contact Third World Majority or Center For Asian American Media.

Beatrock Music Anniversary Show Video

2011-01-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2011 looks like it's gonna be another big year for good people making good art (...and wedding vows and babies). Beatrock Music closed out 2010 with 1 year anniversary shows in Long Beach and San Francisco AND announcing two new artists joining the label: Kiwi and Rocky Rivera! Check out the video that Jerome and the rest of the Just Bomin Films crew put together of the SF show:

Beatrock Music Anniversary Shows: Long Beach-12/10 & San Francisco-12/11

2010-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Beatrock Music is celebrating their one year anniversary this week with shows in Long Beach on 12/10 and San Francisco on 12/11. Big ups to Fatgums and Beatrock Music for dropping six projects in it's first year! Purchase your pre-sale tickets here.

These ill one-year commemorative New Era snap-backs will be available at the shows!

A Song For Ourselves available on Comcast's On Demand in December!

2010-12-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce that A Song For Ourselves is now available to Comcast digital cable subscribers with On-Demand for $.99! Comcast just launched Cinema Asian America, a ground-breaking new video-on demand offering, which will feature Asian American films. It's a huge honor to have my film included in a list of Asian American Cinema heavy hitters like Saving Face, Treeless Mountain, and Planet B-Boy.

Cinema Asian America will offer a new curated line-up of films each month, which means A Song For Ourselves will only be available from Dec. 1 - Jan. 3. This is a really significant opportunity to show corporations like Comcast that there is indeed an audience for relevant Asian American film, so please order (it's only a buck!) and spread the word!
If you have Comcast this is what you do:

1) Click on the “On Demand” button
2) Look under the “Movies” folder
3) Select the “Movie Collections” folder
4) Select the “Cinema Asian America” folder to see the list of films

Netflix Worthy: When You're Strange: The Doors

2010-11-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

I had heard nothing about the documentary When You're Strange: The Doors directed by Tom DiCillo. Honestly, my knowledge of The Doors stops after a handful of their hits songs and Jim Morrison's name (I didn't even know that Kanye sampled "Five to One" for Jay-Z's "Takeover"). I appreciated the film's different approach of not including any interviews and depending strictly on Johny Depp's narration. The archival footage was amazing, the jem being the use of footage from the independent film HWY - The American Pastoral (1969) in which Morrison stars in.

Youtube Video of the Week: Bob & Baby

2010-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Listen to Bob Marley:

Evil Monito feature by Terry Hwang

2010-11-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

A couple months back my friend Terry Hwang was kind enough to write a feature on me for Evil Monito. It's one of the most insightful articles that have been written on me (like all three of them) and I know that Terry really spent a lot of time working on it. I went to school with her at UCLA and it's been inspiring to watch her chase her dreams as a writer. You can read the article here.

Full benefits for all Veterans

2010-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate Veteran's Day in a country that spends millions on TV commercials saluting veterans but denies most of them the health benefits that they need. Vets deserve better. Watch the congressional testimony by Sgt. Chuck Luther, wounded in Iraq and then tortured by his own until he signed paperwork saying his problems were caused by a personality disorder:

Inspiration of the Week: Jeff Chang

2010-11-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

"Electoral politics is episodic, short-term, and transactional. Movement-building must be constant, long-term, and transformative. It is not a cyclical task. It is work that reaches toward the horizon."

I am on of the many young (well, not like young young) people that found themselves pretty uninvolved in Tuesdays elections but depressed by the results. As someone who feels pretty detached from state and national electoral politics, I'm always half concerned about election results because I know they will have direct impacts on me and people who I care about, and half indifferent because I feel I have no real control over their outcome. But reading Jeff Chang's recent interview in Colorlines really made me feel included in "the new cultural majority" and helped provide some location in the national progressive movement building process.

"Cultural change is often the dress-rehearsal for political change. Or put in another way, political change is the final manifestation of cultural shifts that have already occurred.

Sadly most progressives—whether they work in electoral politics or movement politics—have not yet figured culture into their theory of change. Unlike the right, they have no cultural strategy."

A Song For Ourselves at Minneapolis/St. Paul Asian Film Festival - 11/10

2010-11-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

A Song For Ourselves is coming to the land of Purple Rain! The first annual Minneapolis/St. Paul Asian Film Festival kicks off on Nov. 3rd and runs until the 13th. Song will be playing in the "Asian American Shorts Program" on 11/10 at 7pm. Much respect to all the organizers of the festival for making Asian American cinema a little more accessible to their communities!

NPR - Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law

2010-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Morning Edition on NPR recently produced a great piece uncovering the direct relationship between Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and the prison industry. They also explain the secretive group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the power it holds on state and federal legislation.

Listen to the podcast or read the article here.

Inspiration of the Week: REDU's Re:form School in NYC

2010-10-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here's Lupe at REDU’s Re:form School, three days of events in NYC to call for the reform of the American Public Education System. The project sounded amazing, I would really love to do something like this in LA someday.

"We believe that by speaking the same language as the youth we teach, we can engage them in a discussion about sophisticated issues in their own communities and around the world. Through integrated technologies in the classroom, we’re able to do this in a more dynamic way than ever before."
- Re:Form School

Jake Shimabukuro - Blue Roses Falling

2010-10-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

I really need to step my blog game up. I somehow for got to post this video I made in June of Jake Shimabukuro playing Blue Roses Falling in Hawai'i Kai.

I've been so inspired by the location musical performance videos on La Blogotheque that I've been wanting to try something like this for a while.

This particular performance was pretty spontaneous. We were shooting a recording session with Jake at this decked out studio in Hawai'i Kai, there were three huge fans (the kind that blow air) trying to get the weed smell out of the studio lounge that Kanye had supposedly left the night before. Anyway,there was this amazing private dock behind the studio and we asked Jake to play a song.

Blue Scholars - Lumiere

2010-10-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Blue Scholars inspired by The xx. Photographer John Coyne inspired by Blue Scholars. Keep that energy movin!

Last Minutes with ODEN

2010-10-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a dog person but this film got me. Good film making all around. It invokes so much emotion and can trigger different memories for each person who watches it. And all in only 6 min.

Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

Youtube Video of the Week: Phoenix-Fly

2010-10-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so technically this is the Vimeo video of the week but who cares, these dudes can fly!!!

The Tillman Story

2010-10-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

I'd been waiting to see this film ever since it was revealed that NFL player turned US soldier Pat Tillman had been killed by his own men in Afghanistan. The film exposes the US government's cold blooded cover-up of Tillman's death and the attempts to exploit the mourning felt by Tillman's family and others throughout the country to propagate patriotism and support for escalating the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Tillman Story opened my eyes to the absolute control our government has over the military and media to propagate wars, manipulate it's citizens, then profit in the forms of billion dollar arms contracts, higher TV ratings, and launching political careers. This film has a lot of potential to expose the above realities to a much broader audience, including college and NFL football fans.

Bambu - Who's That?!

2010-10-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Bambu jacks Das Racist for their "Who's That? Brooown!" beat produced by Sabzi, then gets a big craving for some donuts...

Youtube Video of the Week: Japanese What-ever-you-call-that

2010-10-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

My people stay freaky!

Remembering Hank Gathers

2010-10-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bo Kimble's left handed free throw has to be one of the best moments in college sports. I just got a little teary watching Guru of Go on ESPN's 30 for 30. I don't know how big of an impact Hank Gathers' death had in other parts of the country, but as a 10 year old in LA, it was one of the first times I was really saddened by the death of someone I didn't know personally.

Raider Hater

2010-10-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ahh, beating the Chargers is the gift that keeps on giving! Niner fans, get your tissues ready!

Jan Brewer is the Worst

2010-10-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

The only thing that makes me feel slightly better about California's depressing options for Governor is that Jan Brewer (AZ Governor who signed SB1070 into law)isn't in the race. Here's her opening statement on a recent televised debate...

Read and watch more of Gov. Brewer's graceful TV appearances here.

A Song For Ourselves at the Pacific Rim Film Festival

2010-10-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

A Song For Ourselves returns to Santa Cruz for the Pacific Rim Film Festival. Wish I could make it up for the screening. Fall in the Cruz is beautiful.

PACIFIC RIM FILM FESTIVAL
Sunday, Oct. 17th at 10p
Del Mar Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA.

Suicide September

2010-10-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

The number of teen suicides in September caused by anti-gay bullying is up to 9. So many things need to change on an institutional and personal level. As a straight ally, the recent deaths are a wake-up call for me to speak-up and challenge the homophobia in my personal day to day.

Youtube Video of the Week: Worst Tattoo Customer

2010-10-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

"don't get persnippity with me!"

Band of Horses at the Greek

2010-09-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

My obsession with Seattle bands continue. Last Saturday I saw Band of Horses at the Greek Theater on a beautiful 70 degree September evening. It was the perfect night at the perfect venue. Lead singer Ben Bridwell was not at his best as he explained to the crowd that he “may have contacted SARS or something". Having followed Jake Shimabukuro earlier this month on tour, I have a better understanding of the grueling pace and physical toll life on the road can be for musicians. Even though Bridwell couldn't hit all his notes, he sang his heart out and we all appreciated the effort. Who wouldn't love a band who has a song titled "Detlef Schrempf"...did I mention they were from Seattle?

Here's an amazing bike video cut to their song "The Funeral"

The video for "No One's Gonna Love You"

Jake performing Bohemian Rhapsody in Hiroshima

2010-09-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

I was in Japan for the first half of this month shooting Jake Shimabukuro on tour for the doc I'm doing on him. More details and photos from the trip to come. Here's some footage we shot of Jake in Hiroshima covering Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody which is featured on his upcoming album.

Jake is always on tour and will be performing in LA's Little Tokyo at the Asian American Music Festival on Oct. 16th.

Power Struggle - ArtOfficialFreedom music video

2010-09-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's one thing to be part of a community of progressive artists, but it's a whole other thing when some of those people happen to be your favorite musicians period. That's how I feel about Nomi, front man of Power Struggle. Over the last couple of years I've gotten to know this brotha on a personal level but I am still just a huge fan of his music. His lyrics and delivery have this emotion and vulnerability that few emcees can capture.

Here's the video for "ArtOfficialFreedom", one of my favorite tracks off Power Struggle's latest album Remittances. I actually wanted to do the video for this song but director Jerome Palencia beat me to it.

Power Struggle "ArtOfficialFreedom" Music Video from Just Bombin Films on Vimeo.

ET on TV!

2010-09-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Still flying high off his recent live video remix/concert of his documentary Sounds of a New Hope, my old roommate Eric Tandoc has been getting some well deserved shine. Here he is on Kababayan LA with such articulate paraphrasing of Kiwi's empowering lyrics...

Nick Acosta at Oahu Ukulele Festival

2010-08-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Cecilio and Kapono was my favorite act at last months ukulele festival but this kid Nick Acosta was by far the most impressive...

Wu: The Story Of The Wu-Tang Clan

2010-08-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

As misguided as it was, I confess that one of my first really empowering moments as an Asian American kid came when 36 Chambers dropped in middle school. Just like The Racial Draft I embraced Wu-Tang as they helped me define my own identity within hip hop at that time. C'mon dawg, Wu-Tang and Theo on The Beat? My teenage Asian masculinity had arrived!

Anyway, I just watched Wu: The Story Of The Wu-Tang Clan. Despite the low budget production, I thought the film was satisfying. The archival footage and interviews are classic, especially for a nostalgic Wu fan. My main critique is director Gerald Barclay's decision to put himself in the film, it just wasn't needed.

The Case for Community-Owned Bay Area Sports

2010-08-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

"How much longer are we going to take being held hostage by shady, out of touch owners who don’t care about the communities where the teams reside? It’s time to take our teams back. It’s time to talk about municipalization."

The homie Kori Chen teamed up with his friend James Tracy to write a great article titled The Case for Community-Owned Bay Area Sports. Kori loves sports, loves The Town, and is a dedicated community organizer, all of which he exhibits in his article. On top of all that, the brotha gots vision. Hopefully we'll be reading more articles from him in the future.

Netflix Worthy: Facing Ali

2010-08-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Based on the book with the same name, Facing Ali is one of my favorite docs I've seen this year. I might be a little biased since I end up loving most films or books about Ali, but the fact that so much has been done on the legend over the years, makes this film even more impressive. We have heard all the soundbites and seen all the footage before, but it's the personality and vulnerability in the interviews that make this film. I'm convinced there are few things more entertaining than when old boxers talk story.

The use of text and the way the interviews were shot create a style that is both nostalgic and new. Hands down, the best interview in the film is with Leon Spinks. Dude is hilarious! When talking about Ali's politicization and name change he says:
"After Ali changed it from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, everybody else started turning to Muslim. My name is Cooly Clala Cleely or Hooly Hooly or Walla Walla. I mean what the fuck is that? Well, my name's Leon and there ain't nothing white about that."

If your a fan of Ali I would highly suggest reading Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties and watching When We Were Kings. But you probably have already.

Netflix Worthy: The Two Escobars

2010-07-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

ESPN Films' 30 for 30 series is one of my favorite programs on TV. What's even better is that most of the films are available on DVD as soon as they are aired so you can watch them without commercial breaks, the way that they were meant to be seen. I think The Two Escobars is the second best film in the series so far, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks is still my favorite.

I loved director Jeff Zimbalist's previous film Favela Rising. Co-directed with his brother Michael, Zimbalist brings the same colorful visual style, drum beats, and social critique to the story of Colombian drug king Pablo Escobar and what is known as narco-fútbol. I still don't know what the hell I'm looking at when I watch a soccer game, but as the most popular international sport, especially in the third world, the political back stories of the game are fascinating.

If you don't have netflix you can watch the whole film on youtube.

Alto Arizona!

2010-07-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

Rage Against SB 1070

2010-07-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

Today the racist Arizona law SB1070 goes into law. Last Friday Rage Against the Machine performed at a benefit concert to raise money for two Arizona organizations fighting SB 1070; Puente, Arizona and The Florence Project. My old college roomie Jeff got me a ticket and needless to say, it was fucking amazing!

Here's an example how Rage front-man Zack de la Rocha was able to tie every song to the blatant racism that is going on in Arizona...

I got a call from Jeff the next day that started with "Dude, my neck is sore".

Free outdoor screening of Timeless feat. live video mix by J.Rocc

2010-07-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

I'm organizing another outdoor screening in Little Tokyo next week. This one's for all music lovers...

FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING!
Friday, August 6th 2010, 7-10pm - JACCC Plaza

JACCC Plaza
244 S. San Pedro St.
Little Tokyo, Downtown LA
Map

TIMELESS is a series of three concert films featuring the music of composers/arrangers that have influenced hip-hop in the most profound ways; J DILLA (Suite for Ma Dukes), MULATU ASTATKE, and ARTHUR VEROCAI. J.ROCC of the World Famous Beat Junkies will be mixing all three films live for this special outdoor screening!http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8602776546176291471&postID=4107454026863255897

Dublab will also be screening the best videos from their Vision Version film project.

The following food trucks will be serving up their best:
Lomo Arigato
Mandoline Grill
Tropical Shave Ice

Visit the Facebook event page
For more info please go to: http://www.jaccc.org/movieplaza2.php

Bambu - "Old Man Raps" Video

2010-07-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Kid Heroes, Xylophone and Bambu do it again...

Behind-the-scenes...

Jeremy Lin getting more than just looks.

2010-07-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

I'm officially on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon! I had read a lot about the brotha before, but really, I wasn't about to watch a Harvard basketball game. After Lin's performance at the NBA summer league (especially against John Wall) it looks like he's gonna get picked up by the Warriors. As much as I would love for him to be in LA, I would rather see him get more money and the opportunity to play near his hometown in the bay, plus we all know what happens when an Asian brotha gets picked up by the Lakers.

I know the current NBA is a much different league than it was in the 1940's but the JA in me would like to take this opportunity to remind folks about Wat Misaka. Not only was Misaka the Knicks' first round pick in 1947 but he was the FIRST PERSON OF COLOR TO PLAY IN THE NBA!

Handcuffs by Native Guns

2010-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Download: “Handcuffs” - Native Guns(produced by Six Fingers)

“The message is threefold: to validate the community’s anger around the blatant murder of this young man (Oscar Grant), to spark a discussion and deeper analysis of what police are there to do beyond just enforcing the law, and to get folks to think strategically about how they want to react to this verdict, whatever it ends up being.”
-Kiwi of Native Guns

Download and listen to the No Justice Remix of Handcuffs produced by ET

Big Bang Big Boom by BLU

2010-07-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

Favorite parts are the plastic bag at 3:15 and the use of building at 8:18.

Direction and animation by BLU
Production by ARTSH.it