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Asian Invasion: Paris by Night, Bo Ningen, and Jessica Domingo

Read More Asia Like the Paris by Night series, these Asia releases are produced and recorded live with a live event director and video switcher and live editor. It's incredible, especially considering that as soon as the show is done....

PARIS BY NIGHT
thuyngashop.com

Celebrating their 20th Anniversary, Paris By Night is taking place this weekend (April 4-5) at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California. There are a few of these Vietnamese-variety shows, but Paris By Night is the original and the best ... thanks to its massive talent pool and stage productions. Entitled Thuy Nga Productions Presents - Paris by Night 114: 1975-2015 - Toi La Nguoi Viet Nam, with the most important words that translates "I Am Vietnamese".

This year's 100+ performers will include singers Bang Kieu, Mai Thien Van, Minh Tuyet, Nhu Quynh, Ngoc Anh, and Quang Le. Longtime hosts Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen will return once again to emcee the four-hour live concerts.

I've own a few of these Paris by Night DVDs, which are typically sold at various Vietnamese stores, or you can purchase direct. They usually come with two DVDs and will sometime have behind-the-scene special features. They have a phenomenal video production team, which includes a live director and large video crew.

Additional details:

In addition to the performers, nearly two dozen special guests who are renowned internationally in their respected fields will grace the stage in person or by previously recorded message. VIP guests include Bill Mathis (US Navy Rear Admiral [Ret.]), chef Khai Duong (gold medalist in the 2012 International Beijing Culinary Competition), Hubert Vo (Texas State Representative), Hung Cao (US Naval Training Center Commander), Janet Nguyen (California State Senator), Nha Khanh (fashion designer), Ta Duc Tri (current mayor of Westminster, CA), Thuy Vu (news anchor), Trinh Tien Tinh (NASA Hall of Fame Engineer), and others.

Paris By Night 114 is directed by the Emmy Award-winning Ron De Moraes (XIX Winter Olympics Opening, Miss Universe, Miss USA, Celebrity Apprentice, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Entertainment Tonight, Soul Train), with production design by David Edwards (Jimmy Kimmel Live, MTV Video Awards Pre-Show, Masters of Dance), choreography by the Emmy Award-winning Shanda Sawyer* (Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey, Dancing With the Stars, Siegfried & Roy, Miss America, Motown Live, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show), and lighting design by Simon Miles (Miss America, World Music Awards, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, CMT Music Awards).

* Sawyer has been choreographing Paris By Night for 20 years, since 1995.

Read More Savages UK post-punk band Savages electrified a sold out First Avenue crowd last night with a set that stabbed, slapped and gnashed. Those who missed Savages in July at the Triple Rock (like myself) were pleased to find that the larger ...

BO NINGEN
boningen.info

London's Bo Ningen (by the way of Japan) will be heading back to the USA this May, supporting TV on the Radio on their tour. Named by both Jon Pareles (The NY Times) and Bob Boilen (NPR) as stand-out favorites at CMJ 2014, their live show is absolutely not to be missed.

Bo Ningen will be playing tracks from their latest III, which featured Jehnny Beth of Savages guest-singing in English on the new album.

US Tour Dates

05/08 – Toronto, ONT @ Canada Music Week

05/11 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel*
05/12 Louisville, KY @ Mercury*
05/13 St. Louis, MO @ Ready Room*
05/15 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall*
05/16 Nashville, TN @ Ryman*
05/17 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
05/19 Washington, DC @ Echostage*
05/20 Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre*
05/22 Allston, MA @ Great Scott

05/24 Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Pike Room

*w/ TV On The Radio

Read More Selena Gomez Disney pop princess, Selena Gomez is currently on tour in support of her solo debut studio album Stars Dance, stopping by the Target Center in Minneapolis last night, November 21st. …

JESSICA DOMINGO
jessicadomingo.com

YouTube pop singer-songwriter Jessica Domingo recently released her new single " "Everything Just Wasn't Enough" off her upcoming EP, Masterpiece.

Additional details about Domingo:

BuzzFeed says that Domingo “has made a name for herself with her soulful voice.” Fanlala calls her style “a toe-tapping beat that still puts us at ease.” With such praise, it’s no wonder she was a world-wide semi-finalist in the Unsigned Only Music Competition 2014, a top 3 finalist of Asian American Singing Idol and a multi-time performer at the Bite of Seattle Festival. She released her first EP, Take A Chance in 2010 and in March followed up with her debut full-length album, Just Vibe, on which she wrote, performed and produced all the tracks.

Domingo has also been featured in the New Artist Spotlight of You Know I Got Soul, as well as outlets such as GroundSounds, Solo Vibes Music, Pen’s Eye View and many more. Examiner.com recently premiered her latest video release, “Masterpiece,” raving about her “superb vocals” and the way the video “brilliantly blends live action and beautiful animation.” “Masterpiece” is also in the  finalist round for the International Songwriting Competition.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Asian Invasion

Speaking of Asians... See where this is going? You following me, Camera Guy?

*The title courtesy of Kate & Lara.

JAPAN

Utada - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI

Utada

Hikaru Utada, or better known simply as Utada (official/myspace), is a massive Jpop singer from Japan. I'm not sure how popular she is in the US, but she seems popular with the anime crowd (her music's been used in Square Enix's games).

Her second album, This Is The One, released May 12^th, on Island Def Jam, sounds like more or less R&B.


The lead single, is "Come Back to Me", which I caught the music video for it during their promotional push in May (you could've also gotten the album for $5 too!). I was actually impressed with her English, it actually sounds like it was written and sung by a native English speaker (most Jpop songs seems to me like they throw in English words that sounds good, even if it doesn't make much sense in the song. Like South Park's interpretation.).

As far as the album is concern, it's very slick and, maybe just a little over produced? Take a listen to my favorite song, "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI" to see what I mean. I liked the lyrics, "FYI, we're gonna be up all night". You can interpret that how you like, but I can't see this cute/big-eyed girl being naughty.

HMONG

Maiv Xyooj - Ncaim Mus Deb

Maiv Xyooj

I don't think there is a country anymore, but the Hmong culture and language lives on. They descended from Southern China, and you can hear that influence in their language.

I was given a few albums by popular Hmong singers, Maiv Xyooj (myspace) and Tou Ly Vangkhue (myspace).


Since all their songs are all sung in Hmong (and I don't speak a word), I'll admit to not spending too much time listening and analyzing the music.

Tou Ly Vangkhue - Tshaj qhov kuv hais tau (Love You More Than I Can Say)

From listening to Xyooj's greatest hits album Best of Maiv Xyooj Collection, it sounds to me like pop music with traditional singing (the flutes and chimes help create that authentic sound). However, some of the recording sounds like it was recorded with 80s technology.... but it doesn't sound very new wave.

As for Vangkhue, his music is basically what you would call "soft rock". I was surprise to hear his Hmong version of the Bobby Vee classic song, "More Than I Can Say" (how come nobody ever covers Vee's "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"?). Anyway, this version sounds like Hmong Karaoke: not quite as passionate with mellow guitar melodies.

VIETNAM
If you're Vietnamese or hang out with Vietnameses, you're probably familiar with the very popular music program called Paris By Night (official). They celebrated their 25^th anniversary last year, but the DVD version wasn't made available until earlier this year - in two parts.

Of course, I have a copy, as do all Vietnamese families across the world (although ironically the program is banned in Vietnam).

The same crew and staff have been doing this annual program for years that it seems flawless, but because 2008 marked such a special year for them, everyone seems under a lot of stress and pressure. There are moments on the DVD where one of the hosts goes backstage and talk to the crew handling the program (everything from makeup, to lights, to camera works, etc).

As for the performances, it's not live... but the performers do some great lip syncing. Some of the speech are hard for me to understand, especially if they're using a northern dialect (they like the "zz" sound vs the south with the "yy" sound).

If you don't speak Vietnamese, don't bother tracking down a copy, there are no subtitled version as far as I know. But if you're just into the culture and performances, then Paris By Night #94 and Paris By Night #95 have a lot to offer. There's a bit of everything, from comedy sketches, insane dresses, film (The Vertical Ray of the Sun), interviews, traditional Vietnamese music, modern dance/techno, to even cover of popular American tunes ("Bang Bang I Shot My Baby Down").

As you can see from the follow epic intro to #94: it's pretty ridiculous. Especially when they started lowering this woman sitting on the 25th logo, holding a globe. As if the girls in white dresses balancing candles weren't crazy enough!

Paris By Night - Vũ Khúc Paris Và Hãy Cho Tôi Ngày Mai

Stick around until 70% into this "thank life and parents" song, and it becomes a techno/dance song!

 06/23/2009 00:00:44 ♥ vu () ♥ news.weheartmusic.com