This one is for the Los Angeles readers. The Chinese American Student Association (CASA) celebrates a special milestone with their 10th Annual Culture Show. In tribute to this momentous occasion, the group hopes to put on a show that not only honors the past, but builds a legacy for Asian Americans at USC and the community at large.

Here’s the story line for the production:

It was a city unlike any other in the whole world, a heaven built on top of hell. Shanghai in the Early 20th Century was a conduit between East and West, where ancient secret societies and centuries-old Confucian customs met face-to-face with modern jazz bars and dance halls.

Across the Bund, Shanghai’s famous riverfront, neon lights would warm the nights for migrant workers and foreigners alike. Yet beneath the surface of this cosmopolitan city, trouble was brewing. Moral corruption prevailed as rival gangs battled one another for control of the streets, while the impending threat of foreign invasion and the start of the Second World War loomed over the horizon.

It is here in Shanghai, in the Summer of 1936, that two Chinese American college students would return to the city of their birth in search of their troubled nation’s true identity… as well as their own.

Unforgettable will open on March 7th, 2009 at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium. CASA has assembled a cast of extremely gifted Asian American students to bring you the most impressive culture show USC has ever seen! In addition, CASA is producing this show with original music and lyrics, original choreography, and brand new sets!

Among the cast is none other than YouTube singer Olivia Thai.

You can check out the full on Asian American cast at their website here.
Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions are also media sponsors for the event. BTW – Far East Movement will be premiering their latest music videos for LOWRIDIN and FETISH off of their new album ANIMAL. According to the FM blog, they just got rough cuts of their music videos within the past few days.

Unforgettable – 2009 USC CASA Culture Show Trailer

We previously posted Kollaboration 9 Promo Trailer and another Kollaboration 9 Trailer. Since its inception over eight years ago, Kollaboration has launched an array of talent shows which provided a much needed platform for countless aspiring artists in music, dance, poetry, and other creative expressions. Having garnered a creditable reputation for delivering striking performances unexampled elsewhere, Kollaboration has been able to help turn up the volume of many Asian Pacific American (APA) voices in 24 shows in 5 cities so far.

This year, Kollaboration 9 will take center stage on February 21st, 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles for its 25th show. The show will be offering special guest performances by MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew’s Kaba Modern and Fanny Pak. Also performing is Comedy Central’s Jo Koy, whose new show premieres this year.

The historical and iconic venue’s 6,300 seats will be filled by an eager audience, as the show’s line-up of competing performers are composed of the most listened-to independent artists of today:

• Jane Lui – award-winning songwriter and performer with her rich and soulful voice
• Paul Dateh – hip hop violinist
• David Choi – Warner Chappell songwriter and David Bowie award-winning songwriter and performer
• Kenichi Ebina – the only two-time Grand Champion of Showtime at the Apollo; actor and choreographer of the Japanese drama Manhattan Diaries
• Jazmin – the four-sister pop-group finalists of MTV’s Top Pop Group and NBC’s America’s Got Talent
• Kina Grannis – Interscope Record’s singer and songwriter
• Lilybeth Evardome – Concerto protégé of Andrew Robinson of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

This year’s panel of guest judges include Moon Bloodgood (Actress of the upcoming Terminator: Salvation, Eight Below, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li), James Kyson Lee (Actor of NBC’s Heroes), James Ryu (Editor-in-Chief of KoreaAm Journal and Audrey magazine), Welly Yang (director of Asian Excellence Awards), and Teddy Zee (Producer of The Pursuit of Happyness, Hitch).

If you want to win tickets to this event, send an email to webmaster@channelapa.com and tell us how you found out about channelAPA.com. Winners will be randomly selected from all entries and notified by email. Entries must be recieved by February 13, 2009. We have a couple pairs to give away, so tell your friends.

Here’s more information about the 2009 event:
KOLLABORATION 9

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009

Time: 7PM

Venue: Shrine Auditorium

665 W Jefferson Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90007-3626

If you want to buy tickets, get your Kollaboration 9 tickets here.

Behind the Scenes footage of Kollaboration 9 with Jazmin