By Jeanine Budd
When the “ARTiculate” show started half an hour late Wednesday, there was little complaint from the crowd. It was an evening to unite under a banner of good music that just happened to associate itself with the Asian American identity.
As part of Asian American Heritage Week, the Asian Student Union, NU Barkada and the Council for University Programs held “ARTiculate” in the Curry Student Center Ballroom.
“We’d like people on campus who come here tonight to hear the music and be like, ‘Oh, this is tight’ and then the fact that they’re Asian American artists can expose you to a whole other level,” said Long Wu, Asian American Center program coordinator. “Because, even if you don’t see these guys on MTV or whatever, there are talented Asian American artists out there.”
The evening began with an acoustic performance from Conchita Campo, who originally hails from San Francisco, but now resides in New York City. Her soft songs featured tales of heartbreak, love and finding personal identity.
“This song is about being a lost West Coaster in New York City,” she said to introduce her third song. “Every time I say the word ‘hella’, I get weird looks.”
During the song, she belted out the lines, “I just need time to figure out where I’m going.”
Kevin So, a native Bostonian, was the second act of the night, bringing with him a performance of R’B and acoustic songs of humor, seriousness and a wide range of emotions. The first song he played, called “Sexy Asian,” set the tone for an upbeat set.
After finishing the song, with a chorus that went, “Sexy Asian/It’s the new sensation/God’s own creation/Ready for a heavy rotation,” So threw two fists into the air and broke into a big, victorious grin.
So’s next few songs became progressively more serious in nature, setting the stage for the overall message that the headlining act, the Blue Scholars, would later convey.
In the song “New York City,” So sang about the strength of independent individuals, whether they are black, white or yellow. As the crowd sang along, he highlighted the importance of unity and tolerance, giving his performance a more than appropriate connection to the Blue Scholars, a hip-hop act who originated in Seattle.
When the group took the stage, Geologic, the duo’s MC, had one thing to say before the music began: “Power to the people.”
At this point, audience members, who had been sitting during Campo and So’s performances, were on their feet up front, surrounding the stage and bobbing their heads to the beat.
While the night had a serious message, there were plenty of smiles to go around.
“Do you guys like love songs?” asked Sabz, Blue Scholars’ DJ. “Because I like love songs everyday. We need more of them.”
The group wrapped up its set with a song of struggle called “No Rest for the Weary.”
Geologic said the concert was more than just another Asian-American Heritage Week event.
“All the performers here who are identified as Asian American, and the audience too, it’s not something you actually see everyday on most college campuses, in most parts of the country,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s a concert. It’s a hip-hop concert. It’s a soul concert. It’s independent artists coming together.”
