4/5/12 Oikos Tragedy, Kosal, La Femme Deadly Venoms

On this show:

(Photo from Karl Mondon, Oakland Tribune)

The recent events surrounding One Goh, and the Oikos Tragedy still leave many questions unanswered. Contributors Marie Choi and R.J. Lozada attend a vigil at the Allen Temple Baptist Church on April 3.  The two report back on what happened at the vigil, and what’s been happening.

(Photo by Cuong Pham)

Contributor Marie Choi interviews Kosal Khiev, Poet, Tattoo Artist, and Survivor of the U.S. Prison System. Kosal is an artist with Studio Revolt and is currently living in exile in Cambodia.

(Photo by La Femme Deadly Venoms)

La Femme Deadly Venoms sit with contributor Ellen Choy for another installment of the Womyn in Hip Hop Series. La Femme Deadly Venoms are Kat O1O, DJ Deeandroid, DJ Celskiii, and DJ Lady Fingaz. The four make up an amazing and truly groundbreaking set of skratch artists, and mind blowing musicians, continuing to make an impact in the Hip Hop community.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

San Jose Stage presents
by Jeannie Barroga’s epic play “Buffalo’ed”

When: April 4 – April 29 (Wed – Sun) at 7:30pm
Location: The Stage -490 South First St.  San Jose, CA
Tickets: $14 – $45

Buffalo’ed retells the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, descendants of American slaves, who were stationed in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th Century, during both the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. The military presence of the United States Army’s Buffalo Soldiers’ during the Philippine occupation is a little-known thread in the fabric of American history. It is an American story told through dialogue and movement.   Click here for more details…

2012 DMC Bay Area Regional DJ Battle

Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 4:00 PM (PT)
San Francisco, CA

330 Ritch San Francisco, CA

Hosted By Fran Boogie

Featuring Showcase sets from

Mista B (2008 DMC West Coast Champ)

La Femme Deadly Venoms (Cellskiii x Deeandroid x Lady Fingaz)

iNBiTuiN (Spintronix / Thud Rumble)

Snayk Eyez (2000/2001 DMC US Supremacy Champ)

This is the DMC’s classic solo showcase style DJ battle:

DJs must perform a 2 minute routine for the elimination round. Judges will select the top 6 who advance to the Finals. The top 6 finalists will perform a 6 minute routine. The champion of the 2012 DMC Bay Area Regional will advance to the 2012 DMC US Finals in New York City (in early August tba).

more info: http://dmcbayarea2012.eventbrite.com/

1/5/12 Reflecting Back on 2011

BAYAN USA marching to the Oakland Port during the General Strike

Tonight, we bring you a special 2011 year-in-review show featuring:

• Eddy Zheng and youth from Community Youth Center
• Reflection on the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami with updates on the floods in Thailand and the typhoon in the Philippines
• Ellen Choy talking about the Occupy Movement, with a focus on the Bay Area
• Alex Tom of the Chinese Progressive Association, taking about Occupy, what Ed Lee’s mayoral win means to the Chinese community, and the unrest seen in Wukan, China
• Continued discrimination against the Muslim American community in New York and on the media
• An update with Anh Pham, her grand jury trial, and her response to the NDAA of 2012
• Lisa Chen of Asian Law Caucus talking about the California Dream Act and what campaigns they’ll work on in 2012
• Bernadette Ellorin of BAYAN USA looks at the issuance of the arrest warrant for former General Jovito Palparan and the calling of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to trial for human rights abuses
• Matthew Ledesma‘s commentary which challenges Manny Pacquiao‘s masculinity
• National Film Society, a new media studio co-founded by filmmakers Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco in Los Angeles
• And Irene Kao, executive director of Hyphen, talks about  independent media and its important role in challenging what the mainstream has put forth including Tiger Mom and Wesley Yang’s interpretation of Asian male-ness

Whew! Tune in!

12/8/11 Labor Leader Elmer Labog, Decolonize Oakland, and Nomi

Ellen Choy brings us her exclusive interview with Elmer Labog, prominent labor leader from the Philippines. Then, we have highlights from the discussion about a proposal to change the name of Occupy Oakland to Decolonize Oakland produced by Karl Jagbandhansingh. And finally, we are joined live in the studio by Nomi, who is part of the hip hop group Power Struggle and an organizer with the Filipino Community Center. He’ll be talking with Marie Choi about his music and his organizing, and the upcoming Beatrock Anniversary Party.

Songs and video featured in tonight’s show include:

Highlights from the Decolonize Oakland discussion at the General Assembly

Decolonize Oakland – Antithesis Crew

Blood of My Heart – Power Struggle

Lookin Up – Prometheus Brown and Bambu

Mr. Sagittarius – Power Struggle

03 Mr. Sagittarius…A Proletarian Path To Enlightenment.mp3

We also have some concert tickets which we’ll be giving away later in tonight’s show, thanks to the San Francisco Arts Commission. We’ll be giving away two pairs of tickets to next week’s Colors of Christmas Concert featuring Filipina Broadway musical legend Lea Salonga.

Hosted by Marie Choi and Karl Jagbandhansingh.

6/9/11 Toxic Nail Salons, Deportations, and Healing

For this week:

Thanks to Making Contact, Guest Producer Pauline Bartolone and Correspondent Momo Chang take us into the toxic truth about nail salons, they talk to nail salon workers, medical experts, and policymakers on the move to safeguard workers’ health, and help salons go green.

APEX Producer Robynn Takayama explores the details and issues regarding the unique, yet universal, deportation case of Cambodian American Andrew Thi.

APEX host, R.J. Lozada brings in Hip-Hop artist, RJ Sin (pictured above), who’ll be sharing his music and information about the benefit party for Cambodian Community Development, Inc.

Community Calendar:

Youth Music Benefit for the Japan Multicultural Relief Fund
Sunday at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley.The Japan Multicultural Relief Fund assists underrepresented groups effected by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. The project was conceived and organized by the Bay Area youth music duo, Bayonettes and other youth musicians! From the ages of 13-25, these young musicians are a diverse lot. Indie Rock, Jazz/Psychedelic Rock, and Folk, their cover tunes and originals will inspire you. Come support the efforts of these giving young, budding musicians while helping those in need! For more information visit their facebook event page

Laced with Tradition with Tattoo Artist Melissa Manuel
Opening Reception: Friday, June 17, 2011
(Exhibit runs June 17-August 20)
6:30-10:30pm
Join Manliatown for an evening of music, food, and body art! San Jose/Bay Area native Melissa Manuel will be present to dialogue about and share the body art which she has masterfully created. This event features live music from Dj Krucial.
Show up and show off your tattoo(s)! Find out more about Melissa Manuel at melchon.blogspot.com, and Manilatown.org

Rizal150: Bay Area Artists and Institutions Commemorate
150th Birthday of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal
The American Center of Philippine Arts (ACPA) and a collective of Bay Area Filipino American artists today announced a collaboration and exhibit to celebrate the life and legacy of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal who was born 150 years ago this June 19, 2011. The exhibit will be held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center from June 20 to August 31 kicking off with a dinner celebration and fundraiser for the ACPA and the Filipino American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES) on Saturday, June 18. For more information to buy tickets to the dinner or to make a contribution, please go to philippinearts.org/rizal150.htm or http://rizal150.eventbrite.com/

The “spirit of Wisconsin” – working people standing up for their unions, their rights and their fair share of society’s benefits – is coming to the Bay Area on Saturday, June 18th at the 3rd Bay Area Troublemakers School at Laney College in Oakland. This School, sponsored by Labor Notes, brings together a collection of vibrant, engaged, curious and activist members of unions, worker centers, and community-based pro-labor organizations to share struggles, learn together about economic forces shaping our world, and kindle inspiration and solidarity. Workers from the Chinese Progressive Association and Filipino Community Center will be presenting workshops on the Campaign to End Wage Theft. Don’t miss it! For more information on workshops, schedules, and registration for the Troublemakers School, please go to www.labornotes.org/bayarea, call (510) 542-9436  or email schools@labornotes.org.

2/10/11 Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon, Dr. Binayak Sen, and Professor Masao Suzuki

We have an exclusive interview with Yukimi Nagano of Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon! They recently stopped on tour to San Francisco’s venue, the Independent, and had a chance to sit down with Apex Express Producer, Renee Yang Geesler. Special thanks to Mandana Modfidi and Mr. Okay for their technical support, and also special thanks to Ester Manilla and Genevieve Harder for their production support.

We’ll hear sounds from the recent protest in front of the Indian Consulate to free Dr. Binayak Sen, human rights activist. He was arrested in 2007 for protecting the right of Adivasi people, India’s indigenous people. Produced by Vstar with special thanks to Preeti Shekar. For more information on Dr. Sen, visit www.freebinayaksen.org

And, Masao Suzuki, economics professor and long-time activist, talks about his run-in with a FBI agent. On September 24, 2010, several anti-war and international solidarity activists were issued subpoenas to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. He believes that his encounter with the FBI was part of that nationwide sweep. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression will be having an organizing conference at the Humanist Hall, located at 390 27th Street in Oakland.

2/3/11 Inauguration of Fred Korematsu Day and Masayuki Koga on the art of Japanese flute playing

photo by Shirley Nakao, courtesy of the Korematsu Institute

A report from the Sunday inauguration of  Fred Korematsu Day, the first day ever to celebrate the life of an Asian American. Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him, arguing that the incarceration was justified due to military necessity.

In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton. And, last September, Governor Schwarzenegger proclaimed January 30th Fred Korematsu Day. For more information or to donate a Korematsu teaching kit to a classroom visit korematsuinstitute.org

photo courtesy of shakuhachi.com

Also, live in the studio, Masayuki Koga plays the shakuhachi and discusses the art of Japanese flute playing. In 1981, Masayuki Koga founded the Japanese Music Institute of America (JMI) to introduce the highest-quality Japanese classical music to an American audience. Currently Masayuki Koga is the general director and principal shakuhachi instructor.

 

With Hosts Karl Jagbandhansingh and Ellen Choy.

8/19/10 API Hip Hop and Update from Melissa Roxas on Her Abduction

This week’s Apex Express, hosted by Kiwi Illafonte, features an exclusive interview with Filipino American activist Melissa Roxas who was abducted and tortured for six days while on a medical mission in the Philippines in 2009. She will share her experience, talk about the progress of her case, and what is currently being done to address the human rights crisis in the Philippines.

This is also Apex’s once-a-month hip hop program, featuring songs from Asian & Pacific Islander hip hop artists, as well as an interview with local Bay Area rapper Jern Eye.

6/3/10 Permaculture for the People and Update on Sri Lanka

Listen:

Three young Asian Pacific American, women, community organizers in the Bay Area – Angela Angel, Jidan Koon, and Amanda Wake – discuss their recent experience in Movement Generation’s Permaculture for the People two-week training. We will discuss the popularizing concept of permaculture and urban gardening in the context of API cultures and how it has inspired them as activists fighting for economic and environmental justice in low-income communities in the Bay Area. We will also highlight ongoing local projects led by API leaders who are already turning principles into practice.

Also, Preeti Mangala Shekar sits down in discussion with noted feminist activist and human rights advocate Sunila Abeyasekara on the ongoing political situation in Sri Lanka. Sunila also shares her insights on the history of the Sri Lankan women’s movement. Plus events calendar and music.

3/11/10 A Village Called Versailles and Burma Human Rights Day

Still from A Village Called Versailles

We speak with the Leo Chiang, director of the newly released documentary film, A Village Called Versailles. In the New Orleans neighborhood called Versailles, a tight-knit group of Vietnamese Americans overcame obstacles to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill. This film will be featured at the SFIAAFF.

Also, members from the Burmese American Democratic Alliance join us to talk about the 10th annual Burma Human Rights Day.

And Jennifer Kim talks about her self published book “Waiting for Appa,” which explores a Korean Woman’s immigration story as she deals with the death of her father.

Listen:

2/18/10 Fund drive show tribute to Richard Aoki

This week we take a look into the politics of community activist Richard Aoki, one of the first members of the Black Panther Party later holding the title of Field Marshall, in the new documentary of his life ‘AOKI.’

Hosts Amit  Pendyal and Karl Jagbandhansingh.