Kollaboration Star 2013 Review

Kollaboration Star 2013 took place on Saturday, November 16^th at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.  Kollaboration Star is known as the largest Asian American talent show which features amazing talents from Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, East Lansing, Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Toronto, Canada and more. This year, Kollaboration Star had six finalists: Troy & Ariel, Mikey “Silver-Yo” Silverio, Dave Yoon, &Blue, The Rhee Brothers, and Plaitwrights & Charleston Relay. The show was hosted by comedian David So who made the audience feel welcomed with his witty jokes and punch lines. In addition to the talent, a special performance by Mike Song and KRNFX was held. KRNFX, as his name applies, beatboxed while Mike Song danced and moved in synchronization to the sound effects. PK also had a special comedy stage for the audience.

Troy & Ariel (Seattle)
“Troy Osaki is the 2012 Youth Speaks Seattle and University of Washington Grand Slam Poetry Champion. Ariel Loud is a saxophonist and composer recently graduated from Garfield High School. In the summer of 2012, Troy and Ariel began working together in hopes to connect, learn, and build with others. They enjoy music, poetry, and all forms of storytelling.” Troy & Ariel were the first talent on stage, accompanied by piano played by Ariel, Troy recites a story of the struggle of Asian Americans. A dramatic poetry-like format, Troy & Ariel’s performance left a lasting impression on the audience.

Mikey “Silver-Yo” Silverio (Houston)
“Mikey Silverio (Silver-Yo), from Pearland, Texas, has been beatboxing since 2008 when he was inspired by a beatboxing video on YouTube. While his peers downplayed his beatboxing, the discouragement motivated Mikey to keep improving, eventually leading church and show performances, and winning Kollaboration Houston.” The second talent, Mikey “Silver-Yo” Silverio showcased his beatboxing skills and amped up the crowd with his original beats.

Dave Yoon (Washington DC)
“Dave’s soulful voice and outstanding talent earned him a top 10 spot on popular Korean television show “MBC’s Star Audition.” After the show came to an end, he spent one year training at Cube Entertainment, talent agency home to Kpop idol groups 4minute, Beast, and G.Na. He is currently a college student at the George Washington University in Washington DC. He encourages everyone to try to follow their passions and is excited to share his newfound love of music with the world.” Dave Yoon promised a soulful performance for the audience and revealed that the song performed was written and composed by the singer himself.

&Blue (San Francisco)
“&Blue is a three-person band from UC Berkeley. After a couple of spontaneous jam sessions and late night grubs, the members’ passion for music and quirky personalities forged an inseparable sibling-like bond. &Blue’s soulful and laid-back vibe comes from a combination of different vocal timbres – Jenn’s gospel sound, Patrick’s buttery smooth tone, and Johnny’s husky voice blend to make a sound they consider as delicious as a mocha-caramel frappuccino. &blue’s different styles come together to make a wholesome, acoustic and vocal centered rhythm & blues feel.”

The Rhee Brothers (Los Angeles)
“Two artistically gifted brothers singing about the glory of life, John and Daniel Rhee are devoted to adapting music as a lifestyle. Winners of a Clara C cover contest and performing at the Christian concert, “Inspire 2012,” the brothers also most recently won Kollaboration Los Angeles.” Bringing the garage band-type feel onto the stage, The Rhee Brothers made it feel like party jam session.

Plaitwrights & Charleston Relay (Toronto)
“This Filipino duo emerged swiftly in the Toronto music scene and is notably recognized as Plaitwrights. With the sweet, indie voice of Angela Abrenica and the skills of Xylk Lorena as an MC, the two deliver an eclectic sound that can be heard in their newly released EP, CMYK. Together with their eccentric band, Charleston Relay, they have jammed on some of the largest stages in Toronto including Youth Waves ’12 & ’13, UNITY Festival, and UNPLUGGED Festival. Foreseeing imminent plans to perform in countries abroad, they hope to represent Toronto the best way possible with their craft and integrity. Charleston Relay consists of Matthew Jokhu (keyboardist), Peter Eratostene (bassist), Edrik Barrozo (guitarist), and Alonzo Moore (drummer).”

After the all the talents have performed, the audience was anticipating for the winner announcement but had to wait until after the concert which was held by Hip-Hop royalty Drunken Tiger, T Yoon Mirae, and Bizzy. It was all dark and only the stage was lit and whether you were a fan or not at the time, it was for sure that you would leave as a fan. Drunken Tiger, T Yoon Mirae, and Bizzy sang, rapped, and interacted with the audience and it was purely a good time. The trio performed their old classics and as well as hits from their latest work, “The Cure.” David Choi later joined the trio on stage and accompanied in guitar. Whether the song was a slow tempo or a party jam, everyone lost the track of time and didn’t want the show to end.

It was finally the moment of truth—what everyone has been waiting for: the winner announcement. The Verizon Audience Choice winner was Dave Yoon while the winner of Kollaboration Star 2013 was &Blue. Dave Yoon was rewarded $1000 and &Blue was rewarded the grand prize of $20,000. It was a memorable night for &Blue and the rest of the respectable talents.

Even though the talent portion started off with a few mishaps with audio and video and lights, the event was successful as planned. Kollaboration Star 2013 paid homage to Asians and Asian Americans who made a mark in pop culture and created opportunities for upcoming talent for the future. Many are anticipating for what is in store for Kollaboration’s next show in 2014; until then we hope that many become inspired to pursue their dreams and one day perform on Kollaboration’s stage.