PERFORMERS FOR GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY 2006



Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns
What: Gung Haggis Fat Choy:
          Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns
          Chinese New Year Dinner
When: 6pm, January 22, 2006,

            Sunday  Reception at 5:30pm
Where: Floata Restaurant

             #400 – 180 Keefer St.

             Vancouver Chinatown
Tickets: Firehall Arts Centre

              604-689-0926


Advance Premium price (until January 9):
$60 single / $600 per table.  Includes wine and Ricepaper Magazine subscription


Advance Regular price (until Januray 9): $50 single / $500 per table – includes Ricepaper Magazine subscription


After January 9th – Premium price $70 each / Regular price $60
each.  Children 13 and under 50% off (no Ricepaper subscription).


Hosted by Todd Wong and Prem Gill (City TV's multicultural director and host of Colour TV)

I
can proudly say the our special performing guests are all my
friends.  I have scouted and reviewed their performances and they
are all deemed Gung Haggis Fat Choy worthy.  We are honoured by
their participation:

Rick Scott & Harry Wong

creators of “5 Elements” children's cd and show – featured at Vancouver International Children's Festival in 2004

“Harry
Goh Goh” (Harry Big Brother) is the affectionate term that Harry is
know as on his “Bean Town” chinese languarge children's television show
that is broadcast around the world.  He is the “Raffi of Hong
Kong” and Rick Scott and I watched children at Vancouver Children's Festival line up to meet “Harry Goh Goh” after their joint show.  “He's their hero,” Rick told me. 

No
slouch in the performing deparment himself, Rick Scott has thrilled
children's audiences everywhere – especially with his fan favorite Rap
song tribute to Mozard. “Yo Mo!” (Come on Amadeus, Whatcha gonna play
us?”  Scott has also thrilled adult audiences for decades
as 1/3 of the accoustic folk trio Pied Pumkin with Shari Ulrich and Joe
Mok (whose father is Chinese – making the Pumkin 1/6 Chinese??)


Joy Kogawa O.C.

Award winning author and poet, of Obasan (Vancouver Public Library's
2005 choice for One Book One Vancouver) and Naomi's Road (Vancouver
Opera's production for Opera in the Schools)

Joy
has become a truly blessed friend, as we have come together by crisis.
I first met her back in 1986 at Expo 86's Folk Life Pavillion where she
read from her newly written book Obasan. I was stunned by the beauty of her words, that always stayed with me.

In my support of Obasan as the OBOV selection and in joining the Save Kogwa House
committee – we know regularly chat and share the ups and downs of the
campaign from the tree planting at City Hall to the performances of
Vancouver Opera's “Naomi's Road.”  She teaches me about
forgiveness, healing and about the Japanese Canadian redress movement.

Joe McDonald & Brave Waves

Bagpiper, band leader, combining traditional scots, gaelic, celtic and
Canadian songs with Asian and South Asian music and instruments.

Joe
has become a great friend and Gung Haggis regular stalwart.  I
first met him in January 2001 and he first performed when GHFC dinner
was only 100 strong. He participates in the GHFC World Poetry Night and
the gives priority to the GHFC dinner.  He has travelled often to
China and Japan as part of Canadian “multicultural arts groups” and
this summer he performed at the Expo in Japan.  He plays at South
Asian weddings, and Chinese Spring Festival events.

La La

Exciting blend of contemporary soul and hip hop music with Asian roots and traditional Canadian songs.
I
first saw LaLa perform “Auld Lang Syne” in the CBC tv special Gung
HAggis Fat Choy… she was selected as the “Chinese element” for the
last segment of the tv special and has performed many years with Joe
McDonald, singing at weddings, services etc.  When we first met,
we got along famously.  La La has a great voice suited for
traditional, hip hop or blues music.  It is rich and
soulful.  Last year, we performed together for First Night
Vancouver, and our friendly chemistry really put “The Haggis Rap” over
the top.  I still cannot believe 500 people punching air and
singing “As langs my arm!”


Sean Gunn

Singer /Songwriter – Head Tax Redress activist and composer of “The Head Tax Blues”
Sean's
poetry is included in the first anthology of Chinese Canadian prose and
poetry titled “Many Mouthed Birds.”  He even invited me to play
accordion with me one summer at the Powell St. Festival.  His
song, the Head Tax Blues, is a rallying call for redress of the
racially discriminating head tax and exclusion act, suffered by Chinese
immigrants to Canada from 1885 to 1947.  It has been performed at
GHFC dinners in 2000, 2001, 2003.  The song is featured in the
Karen Cho NFB documentary “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain,” a moving
story about the Chinese Canadian pioneers and the redress campaign for
an apology and reparation.


Jeff Chiba Stearns

Classical Animator – creator of award winning animated film “What Are You Anyways?”

I
met Jeff this past summer in the Vancouver Public Library promenade for
the Japanese Canadian community fair.  I was taken immediately by
his drawings of his animated film “What Are You Anyways?” that
described his adventures growing up Half-Japanese in a BC interior
town.  Right then, I invited Jeff to be a performer for
GHFC.  He is the first filmaker we have featured.

The Shirleys

Seven sassy soulful females singing accapella songs of protest and lullabyes.

I
first met the Shirleys at a fundraiser event last year for then city
councillor Ellen Woodsworth.  I was amazed by the groovy chemistry
that this acappella group radiated.  I have known one of the
group's leaders Karen Lee-Morlang for a few years, as Karen organizes
monthly music programs at the Vancouver Public Library.  The
Shirleys sing lullabyes, they sing protest songs, they sing songs from
around the world.  They are hip, they are happening, and they give
real good group hugs.  You better believe it.