Asiana Ponciano
Asian Designers Make Notable Blips On Vanity Fair's Radar
Asiana Ponciano - August 7, 2008
September's issue of Vanity Fair has a wonderful group photo of relatively young designers that they feel will are the new darlings of American fashion. I'm stoked that six Asians made the list: Doo-Ri Chung, Alexander Wang, Richard Chai, Peter Som, Philip Lim and Thakoon Panichgul. Although I'm not familiar with the work of Wang and Chai, I'm eager to look for their fall lines and I am already a fan of Chung and Som. Watch the video behind the photo spread.
Pole Dancing Becoming Popular Workout Among Chinese Women
Asiana Ponciano - August 7, 2008
First of all, please pardon my lack of posts but better late than never. This article from The International Herald Tribune was printed a little over a week ago but when I came across it I thought it was interesting. Love to hear your reactions or thoughts.
M.I.A. Says She Will No Longer Tour
Asiana Ponciano - June 20, 2008
Sri Lankan refugee and bhangra-inspired hip hop artist, Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam aka M.I.A., announced that she'll no longer do live performances during her set at this year's Bonaroo Arts and Music Festival. The New York Times reported that the neon clad M.I.A. told fans, "This is my last show and I'm glad to be spending it with all my hippies." Artists often make the assertion of retirement but then get back on the road for the classic revival tour so I won't hold M.I.A. to her word because I regrettably missed her numerous shows in San Francisco.
2008 Stern Grove Festival Promises Eclectic Line Up
Asiana Ponciano - June 17, 2008
The 71st Annual Stern Grove Festival, a month-long
series of free weekly concerts, kicked off on June 15. Located in the Sigmund
Stern Grove on
in
Sunset District, the Stern Grove Festival is one of the highlights of the
summer in the city. This year the Stern Grove Festival features exciting
performances by Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, MC Rai, SiSe, and
Hawaiian super group Na Leo along with Ernie Cruz and Kaukahi. Check out this
year's line-up for more details. 
Will.i.am Wins Emmy With "Yes We Can" Video
Asiana Ponciano - June 16, 2008
Will.i.am received an Emmy Award for his Barrack
Obama video, a creative piece inspired by Obama's speech during the New Hampshire primaries and it featured stars such as Kelly Hu, Common and Nicole Scherzinger. The Black Eyed Peas member was awarded an Emmy for New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment, a category that premiered at the 35th Annual Creative Arts Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in New York on Friday, June 13. Will.i.am co-produced the "Yes We Can" video with Jesse Dylan. According to WENN (World Entertainment News Network), over 2.5 million people viewed the Will.i.am/Obama video online
APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit Present VOLUME CONTROL 2
Asiana Ponciano - June 12, 2008
The Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) will be holding it's second Volume Control, which is a fundraiser for APIA's Spoken Word & Poetry Summit. Volume Control 2 features performances galore by artists such as Proletariat Bronze,
Aimee Suzara and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. The show will be held at Oakland's Eastside Cultural Center and it's co-sponsored by Youth Speaks, Apex Express and 94.1FM KPFA. After launching in Seattle in 2001, the APIA summit has grown into a three-day event that gives emerging writers and performers a platform while strengthening the APIA community.
Bollyhood
South Asian emcees and DJs take hip-hop into their own hands.
MANDEEP SETHI may not look like your typical mixtape trading, backpack wearing, headphone rocking, hip-hop connoisseur. In fact, when people see Sethi, they see a young bearded South Asian male who wears a black turban and sports Vans shoes, fitted jeans and shirts that express his love for hip-hop and political awareness.
"When people see me on stage, they think I'm going to sing a classic Indian song," Sethi says.