Appearing on such high-profile events as MTV’s “Top Pop Group” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” the pop group Jazmin can be selective in choosing when and where to perform.
When the Asian American live performance event Kollaboration 9 inquired if Jazmin would be interested in performing, the possibilities of opening doors and working with new talent were too much for the four-sister group to resist.
“There are so many talented musicians, actresses, models and entertainers out there that don’t get any exposure because basically they are Asian,” said Felicia Khong, a 2004 UCLA graduate and member of the group. “We’re out there to show that it doesn’t matter what color or what size you are, (because) if you have talent, you have talent.”
The focus of Kollaboration on Asian American empowerment through entertainment intrigued Khong, who is looking to gain even more exposure after appearing on TV. On the subject of why Asians haven’t become American pop idols or superstars, Khong is ready to offer some advice.
“You have to meet the right people at the right place at the right time,” Khong said. “Any big company has a great team of people behind it; when you have the right people who know the right people … it will work. You cannot be close-minded. … You need to try different things and fail before it works.”
A non-profit organization that calls itself a “movement,” Kollaboration seeks to empower Asian American youths by giving talented artists a stage on which to win recognition, and will cap-off with a performance at the Shrine Auditorium tomorrow that could be the biggest Asian American talent show in history.
Kollaboration began as a Korean American-only talent search at a small theatre on the USC campus in 2000. Nine years later, the event has become a phenomenon sweeping different North American host cities from year to year.
At the second annual Kollaboration, it took only a few wacky break dance moves to make freelance dancer David Elsewhere famous.
“What actually catapulted Kollaboration is (Elsewhere),” said Alicia Um, Kollaboration’s publicity officer and a 2002 UCLA economics graduate. “He came up and did a sick liquid dance move, and went on to be pretty well-known, appearing in commercials for iTunes and Volkswagon.”
Other Asian artists whose careers were launched by Kollaboration include members of Quest (“So You Think You Can Dance”) and Tatum Jones (“America’s Got Talent”).
While Kollaboration is ready to bring Asian American talent to the forefront, it is also working with Los Angeles area charities to donate tickets to at-risk Asian American youths. Kollaboration also works with Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches to encourage bone marrow donations among Asians.
“Kollaboration has a separate youth program for high school kids who are interested in entertainment,” Um said. “They’ll come to the meetings, work with the team, listen to talks … like a mentorship program.”
Meanwhile, Um said this year’s show will have the most talented group of its nine-year history. Competing for up to $10,000 in cash is a diverse group including maverick songwriter Jane Lui, hip-hop violinist Paul Dateh, teacher-singer Lilybeth Evardome, singer-writers David Choi and Kina Grannis, and dancer Kenichi Ebina.
UCLA graduates performing at the after-party include pop artist Kaila Yu and rapper Roscoe Umali.