Category Archives: Cultural Fusion

REVIEW: “The C-Word” play is full of c-words: Chinese, Canadian, colou-blind, change, characters… “C” it for yourself!

What is the C-Word that is the meaning of life?



The C-Word cast
(Foreground, from left): Preet Cheema (Akesh Gill), Grace Chin (Kelly Cho), Sheryl Thompson (Ashley Hennessey).
(Background, from left): Fane Tse
(Steve Chung), Raahul Singh (Pal Prasad). Photo by Terry
Wong, courtesy of The C-word.


The C-Word
  April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 2009
written by Grace Chin


at the
Playwrights Theatre Centre on Granville Island, Vancouver

The C-Word is an engaging play… even before you sit down in the seats.  What is the C-Word?  Is it for  Chinese?  Or the derogatory Chink word?  Does it mean Coloured?  Is it a four letter word that belongs below the belt?  One for male appendage, or for female anatomy?

Is the C-Word something more abstract, profound and perhaps “Complicated”?

Or is it “Compassion” or “Cheating”?

In the opening scene, “The Love Guru” is giving a seminar on how to get some action for his male clients.  Pal Prasad (played by Raahul Singh), gives a short talk about goals, and what it takes to follow through.  It's about intention and going after what you want.  It could be any personal development seminar, but this is about the C-word.

Next we meet girlfriends Kelly Cho and Akesh Gill played by Grace Chin and Preet Cheema.  They are on a shopping trip and talking about Kelly's upcoming wedding plans.  Soon we learn that Kelly has a live-in boyfriend named Steve Chung (Fane Tse) who is a yellow guy, while Akesh is single, but she doesn't like brown guys.

Things become complicated when Steve goes to see his old friend Pal to ask for some advice, and compare his relationship and impending marriage with Kelly to Pal's long term “open relationship” to a blonde woman named Ashley (Sheryl Thompsson).  What follows becomes an intercultural Vancouver-style dramedy of errors, innuendo, suppositions on the study of relationships. 

Excuse me… the proper words are cheating, commitment, compassion, change, comic and consolation – after all this is “The C-Word.”

“The C-Word” is the third play by Grace Chin.  Twisting Fortunes was co-written with her TF Productions partner Charlie Cho, and was a delightful comedic romp, set to Vancouver's caffeine drive.  “The Quickie“, Chin's first solo playwright experience, explored multicultural speed dating.  “The C-Word” goes to the next level, exploring a search for meaning in relationships.  This is Chin's most frank and sexual play to date, and hints at the darker sides of relationships and human nature, not to mention weddings.

In all three productions, Vancouver's multicultural society is the setting, but it is the intercultural nature of the characters where the culture clashes occur.  It's not just a Chinese-Canadian 2nd generation immigrant experience that is explored, but also South Asian this time around too.  And somehow this is juxtoposed with what might be mainstream Canadian or possibly alternative sexual lifestyles.

From the beginning, the characters are all interesting and engaging.  The topics are easily relateable to the audience… unless you don't have any friends of a different ethnicity, or have never dated.  The pacing is good, and the diaglogue never flags.

The casting all works.  Raahul Singh has fun being the egotistical “Love Guru” and his character makes reference to the Mike Myers movie.  More cultural references abound as character development exploration occurs when Kelly and Ashley try to figure each other out, and what their men may see in each other.  Here the extremely self-critical Kelly tries to get a handle on the brazen Ashely, she labels a “Samantha” compared to her “Miranda” – or is she really a Carrie Bradshaw?  Grace Chin actually displays a bit of each of the Sex in the City characters in her role of Kelly.

Much of the action revolves around Kelly and Pal, but while Steve's character seems stalled and doesn't give Fane Tse a big range to play with, Preet Cheema gets to push her character Akesh in the 2nd Act.  Supporting actors Lili Lau Cook and Vincent Cheng provide wonderfully surprising turns as Kelly's parents.  Mel Tuck directs this ensemble cast.

Previous productions



a take-out love story

an accidentally Asian romantic dramedy

Web: www.scriptingaloud.ca/cword

See previews in Review Vancouver and Vancouverplays.com.


Robert Burns in a Transatlantic Context: SFU events FREE to the public

SFU Centre for Scottish Studies hosts a global Robert Burns conference
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The 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns birth, was celebrated at the Burns statue in Stanley Park with an small informal celebration organized by Todd Wong (red vest) and Dr. Leith Davis (2nd row with purple shawl, behind her front row daughter in red skirt) – photo T. Wong

How does the poetry and songs of Robert Burns affect Canadians in West Coast Vancouver?

Dr. Leith Davis, director of the Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University, has organized a conference about the global Robert Burns – titled “Robert Burns in a Transatlantic Context.”

Leith loved attending the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, and how we blended and juxtaposed Scottish, Chinese cultures with a Canadian twist and a seasoning of First Nations.  In planning her conference for Tartan Week, we wondered how to give a “Gung Haggis” experience to her conference attendees.  So for the Tuesday night evening of Robert Burns songs and poetry, A Musical Celebration of Burns in North America, she has invited Toddish McWong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy performers to give our “Rap to a Haggis”, a Chinese claper tale performance by Dr. Jan Walls set to a Robbie Burns poem, and a performance of Auld Lang Syne (with the first verse sung in Mandarin Chinese) augmented with our parade dragon and Chinese Lions.  Deep-fried haggis wontons will hopefully be served along with haggis on Tuesday evening. 

On Wednesday afternoon, I will be part of the Community Research Forum of “Burns in BC.” – where I will talk about the history and development of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and how it inspired both a CBC TV television Gung Haggis Fat Choy performance special and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival.

2009_January 261 2009 SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival features “dragon cart racing” invented by yours truly – photo Todd Wong.

How did I first meet Dr. Davis?

After brief email introductions, I called her with the idea of a wreath laying ceremony at the Burns statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park to mark the 250th Anniversary of Burn's birth.

We emailed and talked by phone and organized some activities, but we didn't meet in person until after she had spent 2 weeks in Scotland for the 2009 Homecoming activities, and arrived back in Vancouver on January 25th, and came to Stanley Park for our planned event, which her husband and two children were already present at.

That evening she and her husband were guests of honour at the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  Leith gave “the immortal address” and marvelled at all the songs, guests, food and performances at the Gung Haggis Dinner, and especially at the impromptu ceremonial cutting of the haggis by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.

Please check out the free public events for the:


SFU's Centre for Scottish Studies presents

“Robert Burns in a Transatlantic
Context”

 

Public events:

 

Tuesday, April 7th

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; concerts starts at 7:00
p.m.

A Musical Celebration of 
Burns in
North America

Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat, 
“Burns Songs in BC”

Kirsteen McCue and David Hamilton, 
“Burns Songs Set by Serge Hovey”

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Performers

Scottish Cultural Centre,
8886 Hudson Street , Vancouver

 

Wednesday, April 8th, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Michael Russell, Scottish Minister for Culture,
External Affairs
and the Constitution

“Connecting
Scotland and
the Scottish Diaspora”

Room 1425
SFU Harbour
Centre, 515 West Hastings Street ,
Vancouver


Wednesday, April 8th, 3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Community Research Forum on 
“Burns in BC”

Room 2200
SFU Harbour
Centre, 515 West Hastings Street ,
Vancouver

 

Wednesday, April 8th, 7:00 p.m.

Lecture: Dr. Robert Crawford, 
“Writing Burns’s
Biography”

Room 1400,
SFU Harbour
Centre (reception to follow)

 

Thursday, April 9th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Workshop: “Connecting Diasporas: 
Scotland, Asia and the Caribbean ”

Room 2200, Harbour Centre,
515 West Hastings Street , Vancouver

 

All events are free and open to the public. 

Please contact Ron Sutherland to reserve a seat:

rsutherl@sfu.ca;
604-988-0479

 

Sponsored by SFU’s Centre for Scottish Studies;
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; and the
Vancouver Burns Club

Picture of Toddish McWong appears in Vancouver Sun article about Jason Kenney's views on Canadian identity, diversity and not giving money to specific immigrant cultural groups


“Toddish McWong”- the creator of “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.” 
What are Canadian values?  and Canadian diversity?

Who makes them: Canadian citizens? Immigrant Canadians?

or Jason Kenney – minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism?

Jason Kenney is the federal minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism.  He presided over the Chinese Canadian Head Tax redress, that resulted in Prime Minister Stephen Harper giving a parliamentary apology for a racist tax but only gave an ex-gratia payments that recognized less than 1% of head tax certificates, because it was limited to only surviving head tax payers and spouses… most have long since died since Margaret Mitchell first brought up the the issue of Head Tax Redress in the Canadian Parliament back in 1984.

Recently, Jason Kenney waded into the discussion about Canadian identity, and immigration language classes, when he talked with editors at the Calgary Herald:

New Canadians, says Kenney, “have a duty to integrate.” Further, he
says, “We don't need the state to promote diversity. It is a natural
part of our civil society.”

To that end, the government has
sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes. Why
should the federal government pay for children to learn the language of
the country their parents and grandparents come from? It's the family's
responsibility to teach children about their heritage, including the
language.

The original story appeared in the Calgary Herald on March 20th.

Kenney right person for immigration minefield
http://www.calgaryherald.com/columnists/Kenney+right+person+immigration+minefield/1409011/story.html

The same story appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on March 30th (with comments)

Kenney stands for Canada
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/personal-tech/Kenney+stands+Canada/1443307/story.html

Today, the same story appeared in the Vancouver Sun on April 1st, with a new title:

Immigration minister is right to stand up for Canadian values.
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/blogs/Immigration+minister+right+stand+Canadian+values/1451075/story.html

But this time, it appeared with a picture of Todd Wong aka “Toddish McWong” with the caption:

Now, that's heritage: 'Toddish McWong' combines Robert Burns Night and Chinese New Year.

I have to be flattered that my picture has appeared in the news media. 

But while the original story never mentioned “Toddish McWong” or “Gung Haggis Fat Choy,” a picture of Wong is used mainly to capture the reader's attention and draw them to the article. 

But I am a bit confused as to what the picture is meant to represent?

Is it because:

1  “Being Canadian means being everything to everyone who comes to our shores?”

2 – “People want to define Canada by how many politically correct contations this country can do to accomodate others?”

3 – “New Canadians have a duty to integrate,” says Kenney. “We don't need the state to promote diversity.  It is a natural part of our ciivl society.”

The article, by Naomi Lakritz of the Calgary Herald, goes on to share Kenney's views that: “the government has sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes [other than english or french].” 

“I think it's really neat that a fifth generation Ukrainian Canadian can speak Ukrainian… but pay for it yourself,” Kenney says.  Kenney's right… it is neat.  If you can speak your family's mother tongue, your life is just that much more enriched.  But such immersion in heritage shouldn't come at the expense of you identifying yourself as a Canadian first… and it certainly shouldn't come at Canadian taxpayer's expense.”

The article also goes on to give an example of how Kenney says that a grant for language training to the Canadian Arab Federation will not be renewed: “The government should support moderate mainstream voices, not people on the fringe.” 

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy events that I have created since 1998 have never received any federal grant money. 

I am a fifth generation Chinese Canadian that speaks better French than Chinese. 

I am a descendant of Chinese head tax payers.

I have travelled to Oak Bay in Nova Scotia, walked the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, stood on Point Pelee in Ontario, skiied in Banff Alberta, visited totem poles in Haida Gwaii, and even stood on the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg during windchilled Winter. 

I have been the guest speaker at a Terry Fox Run in Beijing, China.

By creating Gung Haggis Fat Choy events, my aim is to recognize both the pioneer histories of Chinese Canadians and Scottish Canadians, as well as the future of Canadians born with these shared ancestries.

I believe that culture evolves, and is not stagnant.

I believe that all Canadians should read “How to Be a Canadian” by Will Ferguson and his brother Ian Ferguson.

If it is a Canadian value to laugh, make fun of ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously, then maybe this book should also be mandatory reading when all new immigrants apply to become Canadian citizens, along with learning English or French.

And that's what Gung Haggis Fat Choy also encourages us to do… laugh and make fun of ourselves, by flipping stereotypes of Scottish and Chinese tradional customs into juxtapositions of cultural fusion.

Montreal Poet John Asfour is the inaugural writer-in-residence for Historic Joy Kgoawa House

MONTREAL POET ARRIVES IN VANCOUVER FOR FIRST WRITER RESIDENCY

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Inaugural writer-in-residence John Asfour poses with life-size picture of Joy Kogwa, and the board members of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.
– photo Deb Martin

Historic Joy Kogawa House chooses first writer-in-residence 

Historic Joy Kogawa House is pleased to announce our first writer-in-residence, Montreal poet John Asfour. 

Upon
arriving in Vancouver, Asfour said: “I am pleased to be chosen as the
first writer-in-residence at Kogawa house. I’m here to learn how a
community like the Japanese Canadian would turn a part of their
historical suffering into something positive by establishing a place
where writers can live and work. Japanese Canadians were very
supportive of the community of Arab Canadians and what it had to endure
after September 11.”
 

Asfour
is the author of four books of poetry in English and two in Arabic. He
translated the poetry of Muhammad al-Maghut into English under the title Joy Is Not My Profession (Véhicule Press), and he selected, edited and introduced the landmark anthology When the Words Burn: An Anthology of Modern Arabic Poetry, 1945–1987 (Cormorant Books).
 

The majority of the writer’s time in residence will be devoted to work on a book of poems entitled Blindfold,
which exposes the “rich and strange” possibilities of a life that has
undergone some frightening transformation and is displaced from its
element. The book is partly autobiographical—born in Lebanon, Asfour
was blinded in 1958 at age 13 during the Civil War there.

The
poems also explore feelings of loss, displacement and disorientation
experienced by the disabled and relates them to immigrant themes that
Asfour has previously addressed. Asfour suggests that the disabled
often feel like foreigners in their own land, hampered by prejudice
(sometimes well-meaning), communications barriers and the sense of
“limited personality” that characterizes the second-language learner.  
 

While
in Vancouver between now until the end of May, Asfour will present
poetry workshops to a variety of audiences, in collaboration with the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Simon Fraser University’s
Writers Studio and the Vancouver Public Library. Opportunities for
consultation on work in development are also available.
 

Further information can be found on the website of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society at www.kogawahouse.com and TLC, The Land Conservancy of BC, at www.conservancy.bc.ca or by calling (604) 263-6586.  

Contacts: Kogawa House Society: Ann-Marie Metten (604) 263-6586 

TLC, The Land Conservancy of BC: Tamsin Baker (604) 733-2313  

Information on Historic Joy Kogawa House Historic
Joy Kogawa House is the former home of the Canadian author Joy Kogawa
(born 1935). It stands as a cultural and historical reminder of the
expropriation of property that all Canadians of Japanese descent
experienced after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Between 2003 and
2006, a grassroots committee fundraised in a well-publicized national
campaign, and with the help of The Land Conservancy of BC, a non-profit
land trust, managed to purchase the house in 2006. 
 

Together
with Joy Kogawa, the various groups decided that the wisest and best
use of the property would be to establish it as a place where writers
could live and work. Following the models of the writer-in-residence
programs in place at the Berton House Writers’ Retreat in Dawson City,
Yukon, and Roderick Haig-Brown House in Campbell River, BC, the
Historic Joy Kogawa House writer-in-residence program brings
well-regarded professional writers in touch with a local community of
writers, readers, editors, publishers, booksellers and librarians.

While
in residence, the writer works to enrich the literary community around
him or her and to foster an appreciation for Canadian writing through
programs that involve students, other established and emerging writers
and members of the general public.

Beginning
in March 2009, as a partner with TLC, the Historic Joy Kogawa Society
will begin hosting writers to live and work in the house on a paid
basis. Funding is provided through the Michael Audain Foundation for
the Arts, the Canada Council and through donations from the general
public.
  

Jack Layton likes bagpipers following St. Patrick's Day parade for Vancouver's Celticfest

It's not everyday, you meet an important Canadian parliamentary leader in a pub on St. Patrick's Day…

– but Jack Layton was in Vancouver for Celticfest and the St. Patrick's Day Parade

2009_March 120 by you.Todd Wong, Jack Layton, Allan McMordie, Trish McMordie – photo T.Wong/T.Lam

We had spent 3 hours in the cold preparing and walking in the parade
with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drums, and Gung Haggis Fat
Choy dragon boat team, carrying a parade dragon, lion head masks and
dragon boat paddles.  We were cold, and in need of warm food and
carbohydrate replenishment.  Jack Layton, federal NDP leader had been in the parade too.  He often
comes in August for Vancouver's Pride Parade. Jack said he was also in Vancouver to attend an event for Don Davies, MP for Vancouver Kensington. 

I've known Don for a few years, when he first introduced himself to me at one of Meena Wong's dim sum luncheons (coincidence: Meena had been an assistant for Jack Layton's wife Olivia Chow in Toronto). Jack's wife is Chinese-Canadian MP, Olivia Chow, and they are also friends of Canadian author Joy Kogawa. Wow… Jack and Olivia are a real inter-cultural couple on a national scale!  Very Gung Haggis!  I had dim sum with Olivia in 2007, at one of Meena Wong's dim sum socials with Chinese head tax activists, see: Dim Sum with Olivia Chow in Vancouver

I asked Jack, if he had Scottish ancestry, which he affirmed. It was on Robbie
Burns Day, January 25th 2003, he became
federal leader of the NDP (New Democratic
Party”). If Robbie Burns was the ploughman's poet, then Jack Layton must be the workers' parliamentarian.

Layton's views of social democracy, probably
best represent Robert Burns's similar views – more
than the other federal leaders. Burns was such a progressive thinker of the Scottish enlightenment, that many of his views were not published until after his death – they would have been considered “that radical”.  Remember that during Burns' time, happening around him was the American Revolution, and the French Revolution, as Modern Democracy emerged.  But 250 years later they fit very much into a social democratic world.   Layton's great-granduncle, William Steeves, was a
Father of Confederation. Layton's own grandfather
Gilbert Layton was a cabinet minister in the
Quebec provincial government, and his father
Robert Layton was a Member of Parliament and
cabinet minister. 

Just as Jack Layton was preparing to leave the pub, our bagpipers started playing some songs.  Jack took out his cell phone and started videoing them, then recorded a Happy St. Patrick's Day message.  Maybe this will appear on his web page.  I used my camera to record the action. 

Check it this video:

2009_March 129

Allan McMordie, Patricia
McMordie, David Murray –
bagpipers
Filmed by Jack Layton,

Gung Haggis Pipes & Drums & dragon boat paddlers… brave the snow in the Vancouver Celticfest St. Patrici's Day Parade

SNOW and bagpipers and parade dragons normally don't mix
– but the inaugural parade debut of the Gung Haggis Pipes and Dragon Boat Drummers smiles in adversity!

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Our brave troupe of paddlers, pipers and drummers… – photo T.Wong / J.McDonald

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Tzhe carries and the dragon in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery, with help from Stephen – photo T. Wong

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Snow and Wind did not deter our pipers and drummers: Front row Bob Wilkins, David Murray, Allan McMordie, 2nd row Barbara, Danny, Patricia, Drummers: Tony & Cassandra – photo T. Wong

2009_March 100

Mackenzie led our contingent as “paddle bearer” leading the pipers! – photo T.Wong

And when it was all over… Pipe Major Bob Wilkins congratulated Mackenzie on a job well-done.  In all his years of piping and parades, it never snowed on him before.  Bob said he “never had so much fun being miserable.”

2009_March 104

St. Patrick's Day 2009 Parade…

Here's a picture of the dragons on our car! – photo T.Wong

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2009_March 104

Check out more pictures on
Toddish McWong's Flickr account

FOOD: Hapa Izakaya in Kitsilano…

Hapa Izakaya is a place to take friends and make them say:

“Ahhh…. Yummmm….

2009_March 003

Duck with vegetables and green sprouts… very tasty! – photo T. Wong

We went to Hapa Izakaya Kitsilano on Thursday night.  My girlfriend Deb was entertaining her friend Peter and his girlfriend Emily from Seattle.  It was Peter's birthday.  We went to Deb's favorite new restaurant. 

Hapa Izakaya Kitsilano has only been open for about a year.  Owner Justin was there to greet us.  The original Hapa Izakaya is on Robson St. near Jervis.  And just like the original, almost every dish begs you to take a picture!  And it is ohhhhh…. so tasty.  Peter and Emily were very impressed.  They said, “Ahhhh….” and “Mmmmm” and “That is SO good!”  a lot.

2009_March 006

Spicy Sockeye Salmon Sashimi,

Owner Justin and his wife are “Hapa.”  Half Japanese-Cnaadian and Hafl Caucasian-Canadian.  They met while both were working in Tokyo.  Hapa Izakaya brings the “Izakaya”/ Japanese Pub food to Vancouver, but pushes it up a level with its fusion cuisine.  The Robson St. restaurant is very cool with its dark interior and club music.  The Kitsilano restaurant is more laid back.

2009_March 005

Unagi (eel) cone.

Seattle Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Sunday February 15th.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy III in Seattle Washington: 200 strong and amazing!

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Todd Wong and Joe McDonald (centre), went down to Seattle on February 15th, to
take their manic Gung Haggis Rap south of the Canadian border. Here they stand with Red McWilliams (left) and Don Scobie (right), following an exciting Seattle program of Chinese lion dances, Scottish bagpipes, Chinese dancers, Highland dancers, and the Asian Youth Orchesta. – photo Deb Martin.

It was 5pm at Ocean City Restaurant in Seattle's International District, the day after Valentine's Day.  Where were you?  Todd Wong, Joe McDonald and Deb Martin, were still driving to Seattle after a 2 hour delay at the US Border.  They arrived about 6pm, as the Kenmore & District Pipe Band has just followed David Leong's Bellwon Martial Arts Lion dancers.

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Joe McDonald raps the Address to the Haggis, “An' legs and arms and heads will sned like taps of thrissle”, while Bill McFadden and Todd Wong look on – photo Deb Martin.

Bill McFadden, producer of Gung Haggis Fat Choy III in Seattle, set up a program that really featured Seattle's youth, by featuring the Melody Chinese dance Group, Karen Shelton Highland Dancers, and the Asian Youth Orchestra.

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Melody Dance Troupe, performs a fan dance – photo Todd Wong

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Young dancers performs the sword dance – photo T. Wong

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The Highland Fling – photo T. Wong

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Asian Youth Orchestra peforms drums – photo T. Wong

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After Emily's performance drew standing ovations, Todd Wong exclaimed “That song's not Chinese!” as Emily smiled.  “That song was Czardas, a Romanian song… I play that on my accordion.  What a wonderful display of technique by Emily!”

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Young Chinese drummers raise their arms in excitement at the end of their performance! – photo Todd Wong

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The Kenmore & District Pipe Band played to bring a rousing finale! photo Todd Wong

Vancouver Opera is showcasing Asian-Canadian singers in their “Voice of the Pacific Rim”

Opera has led to many cross-cultural musical fusions… name an opera set in Asia…


Here I am playing accordion, with soprano Jessica Cheung.  We are performing the “Farewell Song” used in the Naomi's Road opera, accompanied by Mats on guitar and Harry Aoki on bass.  Jessica is one of my favorite sopranos!  This photo is from the first open house event at Historic Joy Kogawa House. – photo Deb Martin

Some of my favorite opera arias are set in Asian.  The famous tenor aria Nessun Dorma, is from Puccini's “Turandot”, set in ancient Peking.  Puccini's beautiful “Un Bel Dei” is from Madame Butterfly, set in Japan.  I like playing both of them on my accordion.

And the “Flower Duet” from Lakme, composed by Delibes, is set in India.  You will recognize this from many television commercials.  It is always so exciting to hear it performed live.  Here's a beautiful version on youtube with Sumi Jo & Ah-Kyung Lee.  And then there is also Bizet's “The Pearl Fishers” set in Ceylon.

It's a wonder that in a Pan-Asian city such as Vancouver, there isn't a real push to feature more Asian performers.  Music has always been a prime mover in breaking down racial barriers.

The Vancouver Opera is featuring their 2nd annual “Voices of the Pacific Rim” recital.
Sunday, Feb 8th, 7:30pm.

This show features young Asian-Canadian artists.  I got to know Jessica Cheung, Gina Oh and Sam Chung, when they did the Vancouver Opera Touring production of “Naomi's Road,”  which debuted in September 2005.  I saw the show many times in many venues.  The opera was based on the children's novel “Naomi's Road” which was based on the adult novel “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa.

The presence of the opera, really helped to build awareness for the “Save Kogawa House” campaign, as well as 2005's One Book One Vancouver, by the Vancouver Public Library, which featured the novel “Obasan.”

Voices of the Pacific Rim


February 8, 2009
7:30pm

Vancouver Playhouse, Hamilton & Dunsmuir
Tickets:  $20, including GST
To purchase call 604-683-0222

Vancouver Opera brings Asian and western cultures together in Voices of
the Pacific Rim, a recital of popular opera selections combined with
traditional Asian songs, performed by rising Asian Canadian opera
singers and celebrating and honouring the Chinese, Korean and Japanese
communities.


Featuring Jessica Cheung, Lucy Hyeon Kyung Choi, Sam Chung, Joyce Ho,

Brian Lee, Michael Mori, Stephanie Nakagawa, Gina Oh, Asako Tamura, Szu-Wen Wang 


Music Director:  Kinza Tyrrell


Artistic Curator:  Gina Oh

Artwork:  Marco Tulio, courtesy of Artspace


Community Partners:

Powell Street Festival Society

Canadian Society for Asian Arts

Silk Road Music hosts Cultural Olympiad show for Chinese New Year!

What is typical Vancouver music for the Cultural Olympiad?  I think it is the cultural fusion music of Andre Thibault and Qiu Xia He''s Silk Road Music!

Cultural Olympiad Feb 1 09 10 by DM by you.
For Chinese New Year, Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault organized a truly multicultural show, featuring many ethnic performers and musical styles in Vancouver.  But more importantly was the intercultural representation.  Caucasian Willy Miles is singing in Mandarin Chinese.  Non-African ethnic dancers are performing traditional African dance with Jackie Essombe.  The stilt walkers are every ethnicity including mixes.  And of course the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team features Scottish and Chinese ancestry + everything in-between and everything beyond – photo Deb Martin

Cultural Olympiad Feb 1 09 6 GH Dragon and stilts in back..DM photo

Still Moon Arts Stilt walkers meet the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon dancers.  The stilt walkers are children and young teens led by Carman Rosen, who has also performed celtic music at the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. – photo Deb Martin.

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Kathy Gibler, executive director of Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, Ellen Woodsworth – Vancouver City Councilor, prepare to help make opening speeches with Dr. Jan Walls – MC for the show and performer of Chinese clapper tales – photo Deb Martin

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Bonnie Soon leads Uzume Taiko through some very exciting rhythmic drumming perfomances.  Uzume Taiko often performs with bagpipers.  Bonnie and I talked, and I hope we can feature them at a future Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner one year – photo Todd Wong

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Chinese Lion stilt dancers!  In one of the crazy moments of beautiful serendipity, I offered my Lion Dance costume to the Sill Moon Arts stilt walkers, for a photo prop… and the next thing we knew, another stilt walker offered to be the tail, and presto!  The very first Chinese Lion stilt walkers!!!  The kids had so much fun, it is always a joy to see them. – photo Todd Wong

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Jessica Jone is a classically trained dancers – she has studied Chinese classical and Chinese folk dancing as well as Western classical and contemporary dancing.  She always smiles and has incredible presentation. – photo Todd Wong

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Dancers from the Jessica Jone dance school come on stage for a wonderful fan dance.  I love the colour and movement. – photo Todd Wong

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Jacky Essombe and The Makalas perform traditional African Dance.  The weather was so cold you could see Jacky's hot breath steam into the cold air.  But they brought so much high energy, you just felt warmer while seeing them work so hard – photo Todd Wong

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Here's a group shot with almost everybody on stage.  The dancers posed for pictures, and so we brought the dragon to stand behind them.  Soon everybody was in the picture!

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Here we pose with Qiu Xia He, organizer of this great event. Left to right: Todd Wong, Devon Cooke, Qiu Xia, Dave Samis, hidden are Brooke and Deb – photo Marion 

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Here's our dedicated group of Dragon Boat paddler dragon dancers! Todd Wong, Deb Martin, Brooke Samis, Dave Samis and Devon Cooke. – photo Marion.