Heads up, Boston. East Meets Words is the longest-running Asian American/Pacific Islander open mic series in the East Coast. This week, they're celebrating a decade of creative expression and community with an evening featuring Magnetic North and Taiyo Na. It's happening Friday, March 13 at East Meets West Bookstore.
Here are some more details about the event:
10th Anniversary East Meets Words Featuring Magnetic North & Taiyo Na
East Meets Words is the longest running Asian American / Pacific Islander open mic series in the East Coast.
On Friday, March 13th, we will celebrate a decade of creative expression and community! We have hosted 119 open mics with features ranging from APIA luminaries I Was Born With Two Tongues, Beau Sia, Reggie Cabico, Kelly Tsai, and Yellow Rage, to local community youth and budding artists and activists just starting to find their voice. Here's to another 10 years of APIA arts and activism!!!
// THE FEATURE ///
MAGNETIC NORTH & TAIYO NA
http://homewordsound.com/
MAGNETIC NORTH hit the ground running in 2003 when emcees Direct and Theresa Vu came together to write a song for an Asian American rally in Berkeley, California. The piece, titled "We Will Not Be Moved", was an ode to their heritage - a mix of refugee war stories and ruminations about skin color and stereotypes. Their mix of refreshingly honest rhymes and organic beats has since become the duo's trademark as they went on to rock stages and move hearts at hundreds of venues across the nation. Direct, the mastermind behind their instrumentals, draws upon his classical roots to create beats heavy on melody and acoustic stylings. He tops off his production with insightful lyrics and a uniquely versatile flow that make his vocals as much an instrument as a message. And then there is T-Vu, a female emcee with no need for the "female" qualifier. A wordsmith of rare caliber and presence - she's known for her precise delivery and no-nonsense rhymes.
TAIYO NA was Honored in 2010 by Governor David A. Paterson and the State of New York for his “legacy of leadership to the Asian American community and the Empire State," Taiyo Na is a musician, writer, performer and educator. His critically acclaimed debut album Love is Growth (Issilah Productions, 2008) features the song “Lovely To Me (Immigrant Mother),” whose music video was heralded by MTV Iggy as “the realest thing seen in a while.” In 2010 & 2011, he released the albums Home:Word & Home:Word [Deluxe Edition] with hip-hop duo Magnetic North. The title track off those albums was released as a single in Japan in 2011 and hit #2 on their iTunes Hip-Hop charts, while the latter album reached #3. The albums included the music videos “Summertime,” “I Got My," "Fukushima," "New Love" and “Home:Word," which was directed by Wong Fu Productions. Their song "All On The Table" with Robert de Boron hit #1 on Japan iTunes hip-hop charts in April 2013. He was seen as "Min" in Dennis Kim's play Tree City Legends directed by Marc Bamuthi Joseph at San Francisco's Intersection for the Arts and the Painted Bride Arts Center in Philadelphia (2012 & 2014). @taiyona
/// Location ///
EMW Bookstore
934 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA
/// Admission ///
Doors open at 8:00 pm
$5 suggested donation
All ages welcome, wheelchair accessible (except restroom)
Congratulations to East Meets Words! For further info about Friday's open mic, head over to Facebook.