Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents six videos of vocalists of Black Asian ancestry. This post is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of Black Asian vocalists.
These videos are provided in no particular order.
Enjoy & be inspired!
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VIDEOS
Video #1: Jero - Uwasano Onna / ジェロ 噂の女
Rafael Yudi, Published on Nov 27, 2014
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Update: January 17, 2019: This video replaces one that is no longer available.
Here's some information about this vocalist from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jero
"Jerome Charles White, Jr.(born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 4, 1981), better known by his stage name Jero (ジェロ?), is an enka singer of African-American and Japanese descent. He is the first black enka singer in Japanese music history...
Enka, a product of the late 1940s, is often viewed today by the music industry as commercially obsolete. Indeed, there is hope for Enka yet as Jero’s fanbase is not limited to older women who grew up with the genre but also a new and emerging younger fanbase who before would never have been thought of as potential fans for the genre. Jero’s devotion to the memory of his grandmother and his image as a well educated individual has helped him to win over the hearts of older fans, while younger fans are drawn to him and his music because of the way he has revitalized the genre by blending it with a dash of hip hop.
From the start, Jero always wanted to keep his hip hop attire, but his record company was a bit hesitant at first. Most Enka singers wear a kimono in their performances, which Jero felt was inappropriate for him. After pleading with his management company, he was allowed to maintain the hip hop image and to great success as it is one of the many factors that contribute to his great popularity."
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Click http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1097 for selected comments about Jero's performance of this song which were posted on a YouTube video that has been deleted.
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Video #2: 인순이 - 거위의 꿈(Live).avi
Uploaded by leejinyoungful on May 6, 2011
윤도현의 러브레터방송출연분(05.5.13)
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Editor: Here's some information about this vocalist:
"Insooni (Hangul: 인순이; born Kim In-Soon (김인순) on April 5, 1957) is a famous female South Korean singer. Insooni made her debut in 1978 in a group "Hee sisters (희자매)". Since then she has recorded a total of 19 albums (14 regular). She is now South Korea's acclaimed R&B diva with a wide range of fans, even though nearly 30 years have passed since her debut. She is one of the few singers who performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and earned several top prizes at broadcasters' annual award ceremonies. She is distinguished by her rich, throaty voice on stage. She was born to a Korean mother and an African American father, who served in the US military in South Korea, and was brought up by her mother alone. She is now regarded as one of the best female singers in South Korea. She has one daughter, named Jasmine Park, born 1994, and currently goes to Seoul International School as an honor student."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=5256589
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Video #3: Crystal Kay - Girl's Night
Uploaded by willieharrisjr on Nov 13, 2010
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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Kay:
"Crystal Kay Williams (born February 26, 1986), known by her stage name Crystal Kay, is a singer and songwriter from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. She debuted at the age of 13 and is a pioneer for multiracial artists in Japan...
Kay was born and raised in Yokohama in the Kanagawa Prefecture to an African American father and a South Korean mother. Her father was a bassist from New Jersey and a sailor in the United States Navy stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. Her mother was a professional singer with one album while her father played music as a hobby. As a child, Kay met artists such as Diana Ross and Bobby Brown through her parents taking her to shows...
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Video #4:Tesanne Chin - Hideaway presented by Urban Overdose
Uploaded by UrbanOverdose on Sep 23, 2007
Tesanne Chins breakout hit HIDEAWAY! Its a Lovers Rock thing yall!
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Here's some information about this vocalist from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessanne_Chin:
"Tessanne Chin (born September 23, 1985, in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Reggae fusion recording artist, best known for her hit singles Hideaway and Messenger. Hideaway was featured on VP Records' Reggae Gold 2007. She has already opened for famous acts such as Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight, and toured for 3 years with Jimmy Cliff....
Her father, Richard Chin, is of Chinese descent with Cherokee ancestry and her mother, Christine Chin is of half Afro-Jamaican and Afro-European ancestry. Her older sister Tami Chynn is also a singer. Her cousin is J Hall, bad boy vocalist / guitarist with UK rockers The Royal Pl..."
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Video #5: Tami Chynn - Tel Mi Seh
Uploaded by PtBouchon on Mar 3, 2008
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Here's some information about this vocalist from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tami_Chynn:
"Tami Chynn (born Tammar Anika Chin) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and dancer...
Tami Chynn (born 14 June 1984)[1] was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Her father, Richard Chin, is of Chinese descent with Cherokee ancestry and her mother, Christine Chin is Afro-Jamaican and British.[2] Her parents were in a band called The Carnations[3] and her younger sister, Tessanne Chin,[4] is also a reggae fusion singer and former member of the group 'Mile High'.
Tami grew up in the parish of St. Andrew and attended St. Peter and Paul Preparatory School. She later attended Campion College in St. Andrew, Jamaica. In 1998, at age 14, she moved to Leamington Spa, UK where she spent three years studying the performing arts and in 2001, at age 17, moved back to Jamaica where she worked on her music career and recorded her first single "Rock U"..."
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Video #6: TV talent show exposes China's race issue - CNN.com.flv
Uploaded by Siyclone on Dec 21, 2009
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Here's some information about this vocalist from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jing
Lou Jing (simplified Chinese: 娄婧; traditional Chinese: 婁婧; pinyin: Lóu Jìng) is a Chinese talent show contestant from Shanghai. She was born to a Chinese mother and an African American father, who left China before she was born and has lost contact ever since. Lou Jing's mother raised her as a single mother. She is currently enrolled at the Shanghai Theater Academy. She entered the Shanghai-based Dragon TV's Go Oriental Angel talent quest in August 2009, where she became one of the five finalists from Shanghai.
Dubbed the "Black Pearl", and "Chocolate Girl" on the show, her rise to fame culminated in heated discussions on the Chinese blogosphere. While some comments on internet forums expressed support, some comments insulted Lou and her mother with racist remarks. Her attention in the media opened serious debates about racism in China and racial prejudice."
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Thank you for reading this post.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Thanks for posting these. Being part-Asian myself, it's always an interesting (and often a sad) thing to note how not-fully-Asians are talked about (and often not fully accepted) in their "other home country".
ReplyDeleteAs difficult as being recognized as multi-racial in the US (where, at least in many places, one is still expected to fall within one, often homogenously conceived, racial group), a part-Asian, part-non-Asian in Asia have a greater difficulty of being even accepted as part of the culture, even if one is a national.
At least we have some examples that show how multi-racial talent that claim Asian heritage are able to force many people into examining their perceptions of race (something that many people never really have to do in relatively homogenous East Asia).
Thanks for your comment, Umlud.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your personal imput.
It was interesting & heartbreaking to hear the stories of children & adults being taunted and otherwise mistreated because of their mixed racial ancestry.
I wish that race and ethnicity weren't something that people needed to concern themselves with.
We all need to keep working for a better world.