Big idea Plug and Programme

2009-02-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/article.php?sid=6945&mode=thread&order=0

And our Majestic line up

10 pm show starts - Renee and David as MCs

10.05 Jamie Banks

10.20 Misa Tupou

10.35 Renee Liang

10.45 Interval, VJ Teva/DJ while Fiona and Zennor set up

11.00 Fiona Soe Paing and Zennor Alexander

11.30 Interval, David Tsai while IFK/Pyon set up

1145 IFK (Willis Hsu)

1200 Pyon

1245 DJ Dore@mon/VJ Teva til party runs out!!

FOB @ Fringe Flyer

2009-02-10T00:19:00.000-08:00

FOB's Official Press Release

2009-02-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

Press release - Funky Oriental Beats F.O.B. 12/1/08 560 words

Living in two worlds isn’t always easy, say David Tsai and Renee Liang. But it’s a lot easier when you can share the experience. And sharing the stories of growing up Asian in NZ is exactly what Funky Oriental Beats (F.O.B. for short) intends to do.

“I’ve been performing stories about my life for many years,” says Tsai, a bilingual rapper and rising star who performs in both Mandarin Chinese and English. His parents came to NZ from Taiwan when he was a teenager and now he’s happily settled with a partner who’s a Pakeha-Maori.

Tsai is a regular at festivals and performances throughout New Zealand. “I find that people are really curious about where I’m from, and my experiences,” he says. “And although my background may be different, I like people to see that I’m as Kiwi as they are.”

Renee Liang, a Chinese born in New Zealand, agrees. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there, but people are finally listening,” she says. “There’s a whole group of us who have grown up ‘in-between’, and now we want to have our stories heard.” So Liang, a poet, and Tsai, got together a group of Kiwi-Asian musicians, rappers, DJs, spoken word artists and writers. They created Funky Oriental Beats – a program of music, spoken word and dance floor opportunity that promises to explode the myths about Asian New Zealanders.

“People think we’re quiet, reserved types who never make any fuss,” Tsai says, and Liang adds with a laugh, ”and are bad at sport and obsessed with money! But in fact there are all sorts out there, and for the first time, there are lots of people wanting a voice. So we wanted to provide a platform to foster that and encourage other performers to step forward.”

Funky Oriental Beats, which had its first event in 2008 (at the Whammy Bar), is intended as a showcase for established and emerging artists from a Kiwi-Asian background. Not all the material is ‘cross-cultural’, either – some of it is just good rowdy band music, or thought-provoking poetry. The 2009 Fringe event features acts as diverse as Chinese-Spanish-Pakeha poet Jamie Banks, who placed third at the Going West Poetry Slam in 2008, ethereal Burmese-European songstress Fiona Soe Paing and regular Auckland crowd-pleaser Infinite Flying Kick.

And what next for F.O.B? (the abbreviation is deliberately tongue-in-cheek, by the way). “The first event (in 2008) was an experiment,” Tsai says. “We wanted to see who would come, and we attracted a bigger crowd than we expected – a lot of Asians of course, but also others who were just interested to see what we were producing. People kept asking when the next one was, so Renee and I decided to try and make it a regular event with rotating artists.”

The hope is to attract some funding and hold two or three events in a year. “Anyway, let’s see how this one goes!” interjects Liang. The Fringe 2009 show is promised to be bigger, with a high-profile venue and a 10pm Saturday night slot that means the audience will be ready to party. Lighting and stage effects (including a live VJ and DJ) will transform The Basement into a trendy Tokyo nightclub, though the material will be much more understandable – and thought-provoking.

“Yeah, we intend to challenge!” says Tsai with a grin. Let’s leave it at that.

Auckland Fringe, 10 pm @ The Basement, Saturday March 7^th (one night only). $10/$15, tickets through The EDGE or on the door. http://www.funkyorientalbeats.blogspot.com

2008-11-11T21:36:00.001-08:00

hello hello welcome world