Asian Heritage Street Celebration

Previous Entertainment Highlights

The Asian Heritage Street Celebration showcases the diverse talent of the Asian American community from comedians to hip hop performers and rock bands, to dance groups and spoken word artists. Here's a look at some previous performers.

APL.DE.AP

Allan Pineda Lindo, better known as apl.de.ap, is a hip-hop musician, record producer, and member of the Grammy Award winning group, The Black Eyed Peas. He is planning to release a solo album of his own, incorporating traditional Filipino instruments into his songs and recently disclosed in an interview that he would be collaborating with fellow Filipino-American Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and Illmind from G-Unit. Through his music, he intends to help link the Philippines with the rest of the world, opening the door to the recognition of the talent and voice of his people, as well as the beauty of his culture. www.apldeap.com/

ANIMEMYU

Renown for their "Sailor Moon Musical, " Animemyu is a non-profit Japanese animation performance group. Formed in 2007, their goal is to introduce children to Japanese pop culture. This year Animemyu will go to Mexico as special guests representing the United States. www.animemyu.org

CALISUS

Calisus is a high energy, alternative rock band whose live performances have inspired the trademark tag line, "Some bands just have to be seen live... "© Influenced by classic rock, modern rock, contemporary pop rock, hard rock, grunge, progressive rock and reggae, their diversity attracts a similarly diverse audience ranging from ages 18 - 50. With success captured in a new live DVD/CD set and sellouts of prestigious venues such as Northern Virginia's Jammin' Java, the band is on an amazing trajectory. www.calisus.com

DJ CHICKEN SKRATCH

As a San Francisco native, DJ Chicken Skratch began his career in 1994 during the Gold Era of hip-hop. He has appeared in hundreds of events and since then, he has continued to DJ between one to five times a week. His veteran experience, ear for good music, friendships among SF's best DJ's, and positive attitude have led him to a successful working DJ. As a proud AAPI, he continues to be a dedicated student and teacher of the arts in hip-hop culture.

LIL JORDAN

Born Jordan Eugenio, Lil Jordan, 10, is increasingly becoming America's favorite personality. The Ambassador of Junior Golf and Hip Hop has been seen on FOX's Best Damn Sports Show Period, Good Morning America, CNN, ESPN, Nickelodeon, Golf Week, The Golf Channel, and more. He's been featured in many commercials and print ads (AT&T, PGA, Save Mart, Mervyn's) coming upon feature-length films and television series (Lil Jordan's Golf Adventure, Mad Dash) releasing in 2008. www.liljordan.com/

JASON MATEO

Born in San Francisco, Jason Mateo is an internationally recognized poet, performer, arts organizer, and activist. Mateo's proudest achievement has been working for Youth Speaks - a San Francisco-based literary art non-profit, where he is Program Director. Through Youth Speaks, Mateo has visited hundreds of schools throughout the country, profoundly affecting thousands of High School students by encouraging voice, leadership, and creative energy.

JEREMY TAGLE BAUTISTA

Jeremy Tagle Bautista aka "KILUSAN" is an independent performance artist, youth empowerment worker and community organizer. He has performed on some amazing stages such as: Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco in 2006 & 2007; Kimball's East in Oakland, 2005; UC Santa Cruz's Rainbow Theater, 1999-2002; and the Bay Area Hip Hop Theater Festival at Yerba Buena Center in SF, 2005.

NATE KROOKS

DJ & producer deedot (Melina Jones, Public Radio), a third-generation Chinese-American, and Kazwell, a second-generation Japanese-American, are the hip-hop duo NATE KROOKS. Bay Area natives, Nate Krooks released their 15-song debut album entitled Still True in February - an homage to positive lyrics, jazz and soul sample-based production from the 1990s but with a new school sound. www.cdbaby.com/cd/natekrooks

NATIVE ELEMENTS

With a myriad of musical influences ranging from classic R&B soul to the deepest tradition of Jamaican and English dub, San Francisco's own Native Elements delivers a dynamic sound that appeals to all music lovers. They have been nominated for a San Francisco Weekly, Local Music Award (Wammie) and BAM Magazine's, Bay Area Music Award (Bammie) for Outstanding World Beat/Reggae Club Band. http://www.native-elements.com/

NITYA VENKATESWARAN

Immersed in Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical Dance) since the age of 4, Nitya Venkateswaran has dazzled audiences in the Bay Area and India with her athleticism, grace and charming stage presence. She has performed in the prestigious Music Season and Shivarathri Festivals in India and was featured as a soloist in San Francisco's 2005 Ethnic Dance Festival. www.nityav.com

NGUYEN DANCE COMPANY

The Vietnamese Performing Arts Group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is proud to present its premier performance troupe, Nguyen Dance Company (NDC). Throughout the year, NDC performs at over 50 community events, produces up to 3 original shows, and teaches more than 120 free classes throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

ODESSA CHEN

Described as intelligent, subtle, and haunting, Odessa Chen's pure, ethereal voice and ?nger-picking guitar style has attracted international attention. Chen has been interviewed on NPR, MTV and KRON4's Paci?c Fusion TV, and her work has appeared in independent films, compilations, and on radio stations.

RANDOM NINJAS

This American heavy rock/fusion band has a sound that utilizes the usual western rock instruments like guitars, bass, and drums with a combination of diverse languages, traditional Asiatic instruments, and random humor. Founded in 2004 by their guitarist, Full Metal Ninja, this ethnically diverse group is a neo-cultural expression of a global lifestyle, and their diverse fan base is dedicated and growing. Often people try to box them away with the rising J-rock trend, however, anyone who knows J-rock will tell you these guys can't quite fit their distinctly Asian American big sound in the J-rock cubby hole that's mostly full of rehashed punk, 80s glam, and pop rock from America and Europe. www.randomninjas.com

REN THE VINYL ARCHAEOLOGIST

Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist's True Skool events won the "Best of the Bay" in the SF Bay Guardian in 2000. As a DJ, he has shared bills with world-renowned artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff, Q-Bert, Wu-Tang Clan, and Lyrics Born to name a few. http://www.trueskool.com

RON PUA

Ron (Pua) Patrocinio was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He comes from a family of hula dancers and musicians, and started dancing the hula at the age of 4. He currently teaches at the JCCCNC in Japantown has over 65 students, ages ranging from 4 to 70. Pua' has danced hula for over 40 years.

THOSE KIDS

Goofy, crazy, and awesome entertainers, the Carvajal Kids aka "Those Kids" began performing at family gatherings and have been entertaining ever since at many community events, festivals, and shows throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii. Those Kids consist of two sisters Caite and Ciara, and their brother Daric. www.myspace.com/thosekids916

TRACY CRUZ

For over 15 years, Tracy Cruz has been capturing the hearts and ears of many with her powerful vocals, emotional stage presence, and unique, soulful music. She has performed at several prestigious music events and venues around the Bay Area including the 102.9 FM KBLX Soul Music Festival, Juneteenth Festival, Nihonmachi Street Festival, Temple Bar, Agenda Lounge, and many more. www.myspace.com/tracycruzmusic

THE SLANTS

This band has everyone screaming for some "Chinatown Dance Rock." The Slants were formed and began playing in mid-2007 and their self-recorded, self-produced, and self-released record quickly caught media attention, with press from AsianWeek, the Asian Reporter, Willamette Week, Shojo Beat, and more. www.theslants.com

SAMBASIA SF

SambAsia SF is an award winning multi-ethnic multi-generational escola de samba (community-based samba school) modeled after those in Rio de Janeiro and the Bloco Afros of Salvador Bahia. In Brazil, these ensembles are the centerpiece of the neighborhood community where they serve as the hub of social activity, and represent strong neighborhood pride, support and commitment in the face of economic and socio-political hardship. SambAsia's theme of "One World Awareness, Building Cultural Bridges" was born out of SambAsia's founder Jimmy Biala's observations of the separation that continues to exist between different areas of San Francisco despite the diversity of our city. Currently directed by Masaru Koga and Gary Ceralde, SambAsia is an annual and highly anticipated participant in San Francisco's Carnival Parade since their debut at the 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco Carnaval in 2003. www.sambasia.com

EMCEE T

Emcee T, self-proclaimed "The Chinese King of the Bay", is a hip-hop musician, producer, and television host for East Bay independent channel, Pushin' the Bay TV. For over a decade, Emcee T has been writing and publishing music independently while performing at nearly every major national city for crowds of all skin color. Through his music, his influence on Asian youth to realize they can achieve their career goals while having fun through positive hobbies is realized; Case in point, Emcee T has a pair of bachelor degrees and a Masters in architecture. T's upcoming debut album, "Underestimated", features Bay Area hip-hop legends, Rappin' 4-Tay (multi-platinum recording artist), and Ray Luv (recorded with 2Pac Shakur and Mac Dre). www.emceet.com

JAMES LONTAYAO (Actor/Comic)

This San Francisco native has performed with Bay Area production companies such as Asian American Theatre Company and Bindlestiff Studios. Watch him in action over at Lexationships.com and this Summer you can catch him in the new online mini-series Eve, Beauty and The Blade on Veoh.com. Right now you can see James on Direct TV, where he is a VJ for MYX TV.

ROCKSON YAN

Tandem lead by Rockson Yan, Ed Yuen and James Szeto started performing together as a group last year after Rockson won first prize in Sing Tao's Chinese Singing Contest. In their first performance, they debuted at Union Square, SF Chinatown Street Fair and Portsmouth Square Association Dinner all in one day. Starting out with cover songs, Tandem has started writing songs together and have debuted their first song called "I know....It's Goodbye."

NICOLE MAXALI (producer/writer/actor/comic)

Nicole quit her job as a News Producer and began her journey as a working artist/non-profit humanitarian in 2005. During that time she has found her calling through her first stand-up comedy workshop under Kevin Camia. Since July 2007, Nicole has been bringing the funny at the following shows: Bindlestiff's Hot Lunch Comedy Show, Bindlestiff's 2007 Midnight Mass Sketch Comedy Show, Speech Therapy's Bombshells, SFSU's Asian Comedy Night and SJ Improv's Slanted Comedy Night. She is currently Co-Producing a musical for Bindlestiff Studio under PMS Through Art. You can also watch her as "Esther" in the SciFi webseries, Eve: Beauty & the Blade, premiering this summer on Veoh.com.

- compiled by Christine Padilla