WASHINGTON, DC – On Saturday, May 15, 2010, Sulu DC will host its monthly showcase of Asian American and/or Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists and performers in spoken word poetry, theater, music and multidisciplinary arts, followed by a dance party with tunes by Tittsworth.
“Six months after the divine intuition of five Sulu DC co-organizers—Jenny Lares, Brian Wang, Alex Cena, myself and Regie Cabico—we've already had the White House and DC Mayor's Offices on APIA Affairs and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival recognize us, and we were branded as the 'face of D.C. Poetry' in a recent article in The Washington Post. Where do we go from here? I think we've got to keep reminding DC how amazingly cool APIAs are. We shatter the 'model minority myth' they've created for us every month with stellar performers. And we're just going to keep doing it,” says Sulu DC's founding co-director, Simone Jacobson.
May's performance features DJ 9-Volt on the turntables and storyteller/Sulu DC co-founder, Brian Wang, as emcee. Performances include artists from DC and New York. The performers and their biographies are included below. The community event takes place on Saturday, May 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the U Street Music Hall at 1115 U Street, NW DC. Tickets can be purchased at the door ($10 general admission; $8 students with valid ID). Ticket sales benefit the artists and Sulu DC’s ongoing programs, including monthly showcases, open mics and writing and performance workshops. U Street Music Hall's own DJ Tittsworth (AAPI himself) will set off the dance party at 10 p.m., after the Sulu Series. Dance party is free for Sulu DC attendees staying after.
About the Artists
DJ 9-VOLT
Originally hailing from Guam, DJ 9-Volt (b. Tristan Nery) began his career in 2000 as a member of Bassline Productions in Philadelphia. Though still a member of Bassline, 9-Volt now resides and DJ's in the DC area. 9-Volt has DJ'ed parties all over the country, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. 9-Volt is also a founding member of Progressive Beats, a monthly party in the DC area benefiting various non-profits.
JR RUSS
Born and raised in DC, JR's parents met in the city after his mom moved from the Philippines
--more--
and his dad moved from Florida. He was a Dance major at University of Maryland and is finishing his Master’s degree in Arts Management at American University. He is also Membership Director for Artists’ Bloc, Content Director for DC PAL and Vision Director for a performing arts company he’s starting, AWoL Productions (AWoL stands for A Way of Life). He’s had the fortune of traveling a lot growing up, going back to the PI about every other year.
JENNIFER CENDAÑA ARMAS
Jennifer Cendaña Armas is an actor/dancer/singer/writer/violinist/community-worker born and raised in NYC. She performs, facilitates Red Tents, and organizes and teaches arts and activist workshops in schools, prisons, and community-based organizations stateside and abroad.
YALINIDREAM
Lankan Blood, Manchester Born, Texas bred and Brooklyn steeped, YaliniDream is a Queer Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater, song and dance. One of the South Asian American community’s most prominent performance poets, YaliniDream has toured nationally in the US and Canada, England and Sri Lanka. She has performed in numerous venues ranging from NYC's Lincoln Center and Dance Theater Workshop to subway cars to street protests to universities to Independent & Experimental Theaters to the hottest clubs in the NY underground. YainiDream was a 7-year member of Mango Tribe directing their NYC run of Sisters in the Smoke and serving as the group's Co-artistic director in 2007. She's also a trained aerial dancer in corde lisse.
LILIAN BUI
Hailing from Orange County, California, Lily Bee has been making music since age five when her mom signed her up for piano lessons. At age 14, she locked herself in a room with her mother's guitar and taught herself the chords to “Louie, Louie” and began writing her own songs shortly after. Since then, she has added the ukulele, violin, and some mean egg shakers to her instrumental repertoire.
SNRG
We are a message of passion. Passion shared through music, graphic design, photography, film and fashion. SNRG is a coalition of Creatives. We present a platform ranging from active artists all the way to the hidden artist inside of you. Feed your subconscious. SNRG is Some Never Really Get. . .those that Get it - Get us.
About Sulu DC
Named after Sulu of Star Trek and a remote island in the Philippines, Sulu DC is an underground, grassroots network and home for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) focused spoken word and multidisciplinary arts in Washington, D.C. We foster relationships with local and national organizations, nurture the artistic development of emerging AAPI artists and build inter-generational alliances with cities across North America in preparation for the APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit (www.apiaword.com). On the third Saturday of every month, we showcase emerging and established talent from the AAPI diaspora. For more information, visit www.tinyurl.com/suludc or contact the founders via e-mail at suludc@gmail.com.
“Six months after the divine intuition of five Sulu DC co-organizers—Jenny Lares, Brian Wang, Alex Cena, myself and Regie Cabico—we've already had the White House and DC Mayor's Offices on APIA Affairs and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival recognize us, and we were branded as the 'face of D.C. Poetry' in a recent article in The Washington Post. Where do we go from here? I think we've got to keep reminding DC how amazingly cool APIAs are. We shatter the 'model minority myth' they've created for us every month with stellar performers. And we're just going to keep doing it,” says Sulu DC's founding co-director, Simone Jacobson.
May's performance features DJ 9-Volt on the turntables and storyteller/Sulu DC co-founder, Brian Wang, as emcee. Performances include artists from DC and New York. The performers and their biographies are included below. The community event takes place on Saturday, May 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the U Street Music Hall at 1115 U Street, NW DC. Tickets can be purchased at the door ($10 general admission; $8 students with valid ID). Ticket sales benefit the artists and Sulu DC’s ongoing programs, including monthly showcases, open mics and writing and performance workshops. U Street Music Hall's own DJ Tittsworth (AAPI himself) will set off the dance party at 10 p.m., after the Sulu Series. Dance party is free for Sulu DC attendees staying after.
About the Artists
DJ 9-VOLT
Originally hailing from Guam, DJ 9-Volt (b. Tristan Nery) began his career in 2000 as a member of Bassline Productions in Philadelphia. Though still a member of Bassline, 9-Volt now resides and DJ's in the DC area. 9-Volt has DJ'ed parties all over the country, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. 9-Volt is also a founding member of Progressive Beats, a monthly party in the DC area benefiting various non-profits.
JR RUSS
Born and raised in DC, JR's parents met in the city after his mom moved from the Philippines
--more--
and his dad moved from Florida. He was a Dance major at University of Maryland and is finishing his Master’s degree in Arts Management at American University. He is also Membership Director for Artists’ Bloc, Content Director for DC PAL and Vision Director for a performing arts company he’s starting, AWoL Productions (AWoL stands for A Way of Life). He’s had the fortune of traveling a lot growing up, going back to the PI about every other year.
JENNIFER CENDAÑA ARMAS
Jennifer Cendaña Armas is an actor/dancer/singer/writer/violinist/community-worker born and raised in NYC. She performs, facilitates Red Tents, and organizes and teaches arts and activist workshops in schools, prisons, and community-based organizations stateside and abroad.
YALINIDREAM
Lankan Blood, Manchester Born, Texas bred and Brooklyn steeped, YaliniDream is a Queer Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater, song and dance. One of the South Asian American community’s most prominent performance poets, YaliniDream has toured nationally in the US and Canada, England and Sri Lanka. She has performed in numerous venues ranging from NYC's Lincoln Center and Dance Theater Workshop to subway cars to street protests to universities to Independent & Experimental Theaters to the hottest clubs in the NY underground. YainiDream was a 7-year member of Mango Tribe directing their NYC run of Sisters in the Smoke and serving as the group's Co-artistic director in 2007. She's also a trained aerial dancer in corde lisse.
LILIAN BUI
Hailing from Orange County, California, Lily Bee has been making music since age five when her mom signed her up for piano lessons. At age 14, she locked herself in a room with her mother's guitar and taught herself the chords to “Louie, Louie” and began writing her own songs shortly after. Since then, she has added the ukulele, violin, and some mean egg shakers to her instrumental repertoire.
SNRG
We are a message of passion. Passion shared through music, graphic design, photography, film and fashion. SNRG is a coalition of Creatives. We present a platform ranging from active artists all the way to the hidden artist inside of you. Feed your subconscious. SNRG is Some Never Really Get. . .those that Get it - Get us.
About Sulu DC
Named after Sulu of Star Trek and a remote island in the Philippines, Sulu DC is an underground, grassroots network and home for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) focused spoken word and multidisciplinary arts in Washington, D.C. We foster relationships with local and national organizations, nurture the artistic development of emerging AAPI artists and build inter-generational alliances with cities across North America in preparation for the APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit (www.apiaword.com). On the third Saturday of every month, we showcase emerging and established talent from the AAPI diaspora. For more information, visit www.tinyurl.com/suludc or contact the founders via e-mail at suludc@gmail.com.
