A Piece by Chan Pag Na 28.06.08-05.07.08

So I've decided to stare at this piece that I bought while traveling to Southeast Asia in 2008. I purchased this painting in Battambang, Cambodia while visiing a local art school. At the school, I got to meet the children and teachers in the program. After a presentation we were allowed to look at the art and buy what we liked for a reasonable $20. I bought mine from a boy I had been talking to, Chan Pag Na. I bought the piece not because I was visually attracted to it, but because Chan had said it was his best work and I wanted something to remember him by.

This piece sits on the back of my bedroom door. Sometimes I stare at the piece and I'm reminded of Chan and my trip. Mst of the time I don't look into the techniques he used or what the painting is trying to say, so this is why I choose this piece.

The piece appears to be a group of six people riding on a boat. Three of the people are children, three are adult. In the background their are houses and docks but no sign of people in the houses. The water is a muddy brown. The men and children are wearing everyday clothing, hats, t-shirts, and pants. There is a woman on the front of the boat who is wearing a longer shirt, pants, and a headwrap. The boat and the people are the foreground, the houses are the background. The piece is a watercolor painting.

The piece uses earth tone colors: brown, green, white, grey, and dark yellow. Until now, I have never noticed the use of red throughout the piece. The focal point seems to be a red rectangle positioned in between a few of the houses and the dock. My eye moved from the rectangle to the young child on the boat (wearing red) and the red bag near him/her. From the child, my eye then moves to a house that has a light pink streak painting against the side panel. At first glance, the red does not stand out, but after staring at it for more than a few minutes, the red becomes very vibrant. I am curious to why Chan used the red, what is the symbolism the red has to the child and why do the three connecting reds form a triangle? Was this a technique the students learned in their art classroom?

What I really like about this piece is the direction. All of the people in the boat, along with the boat and the waves are all moving towards the right. None of the boat is cut off by the paper, but is positioned as far left as it can be. None of the people are making eye contact with the viewer, except maybe the child in red. The child in red seems to be staring at the viewer, but since the piece is watercolor, the lines are almost blurred and its hard to tell. The movement to the right makes me wonder, where are these people going? Who are they? My main focus while looking at this painting seems to be with the people, because they are the foreground. The background seems less imortant to me because it just seems like normal Cambodian scenery. I wonder if the background was painted on location and the meaning behind the location. There are only a number of houses and they all look very similar: shakey, grey, and desolate. Are the people in the boat leaving this area to find a better place? Maybe not. Maybe this is just how they live and I am making a subjective decision based on what I have seen and my own daily life.

There is a contrast between the quickness of the brush strokes on the water and the steady brush stroeks of the people. Chan's focus seemed to be geared on the people, and he paid attention to detail in each of the person's clothing and facial expression. But why? Why are they so important then the background? Is it because they are his people? Or?

Chan finished this piece on July 5, 2008 when my tour came to visit. His signature lays in the right hand corner of the painting. I analyzed this piece because just like any piece I would see at the Art Institute, I do not fully know this painter. Yes Chan and I have met, but I really do not know him, his story, and why he choose to paint this piece. I was just given the painting because it was his favorite and he was going to receive cash for it. I will never see Chan again and I will never get to ask him about the significance of this piece, just like Dali or Monet.

Solar Midnite is a Fiasco

Before I begin, let it be known that Lupe Fiasco is currently my favorite musical artist. Within Hip Hop today, there are plenty of artists that try to go beyond the mainstream ideas of Hip Hop (video hoes, money, cars, booze, drugs, etc.), but many of these artists are underground and will remain underground until they are found by big execs like Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs, or my favorite Hova, Jay-Z. Lupe Fiasco just happens to be one of these artists, with one minor exception--he was discovered, signed, and produced by Rockafella Records and has since become a superstar in the musical industry--

And this is exactly why I love Lupe. He's a prominent figure within Hip Hop, yet he doesn't let his music become generalized and overwhelmed by thoughts and ideas that he does not represent. If this is difficult for you to understand, maybe it's best that you check out the video for the song "Dumb it Down," in which Lupe discusses his music and the influences of outside sources:



So essentially, that's Lupe. A popular rapper who is trying to change the Hip Hop game and promote the education and freedom of the mind.

But recently, my boy Lupe has got me down. With his release of the track "Solar Midnite," created for the New Moon sountrack) Lupe has completely got me lost. I'll start by evaluating the track--which includes a full band and definitely some voice editing. I'll give Lupe credit for trying something new (like most artists should strive to at least try), but I feel that Lupe's intentions fell short. I'm not a fan of the voice editing that make him sound as if he has been auto-tuned. Lupe's voice has always been recognizable. If Lupe was in a remix or a video, I could always point him out just by the sincerity of his voice. I believe that all of this was lost with this new computer-generized voice that seems to strip Lupe of all his identity. I'll admit that I like the parts of the song in which it's just Lupe rapping (even if his voice is masked by the editing). What I can't stand is the rough and the explosion of sound that takes over the chorus. Maybe it's because Lupe's tracks usually include a swift chorus that is covered by soft beats instead of guitar riffs and heavy drums. I think over time I'll be able to enjoy the chorus, but for now, I'm at a complete shock over the foreignness of it all.

In regards to why the song was made, I'm curious if Lupe's intentions were genuine. As we all know, New Moon and the entire Twilight series for that matter has completely exploded in mainstream culture. Everyone wants a piece of the pie--because the pie is promising. One slice guarantees money, fans and opportunities. Could Lupe possibly be trying to gain attention so that his upcoming album, Lasers will be successful? I mean, I understand we all got to eat and maybe even sacrafice our true selfs every now and then to get that extra dollar. But, come on Lupe, don't dumb down yet!

Shit is Sweeter than a Sugar Cane Tree

DISCLAIMER: This is not your average discussion on Hawaii. No hula dancing or surfing, just REAL TALK.




First let me point out that my interests are deeply rooted in hip-hop. My soul melts during any good Lauryn Hill rhyme or Nujabes beat. I love hip hop, especially when the cats performing the pieces share familiar stories.

Take the boys from the hip-hop duo, Blue Scholars, Geo and Sabzi better known as Emcee Geologic and DJ Sabzi. Both performers are second-generation (parents emigrated to the United States, they were born in the U.S.) and are deeply connected to their roots (Filipino, Iranian). What attracted me to the duo was the album Bayani, which in Tagalog (a Filipino language) and Persian, means "hero." The album is relentless and pulls words and melodies that connect the desires for hope and the struggles for change. Just recently the duo released their EP OOF! And once again, they have laid out another track that goes beyond the common rhyme.

"HI-808," is a tribute to Hawaii and Geo's relationship to the state. Unlike any track that's been ever performed about Hawaii, "HI-808," takes a deep look into the Hawaiian culture that is rarely seen in brochures or pamphlets. The song starts out with a repetitive line "8-0-8" which is not to be confused with the common use of the numbers 8-0-8 meaning loud bass. In this situation 808 refers to the Hawaiian area code. The lyrical placement of the number serves as a constant reminder to the listener: no, we are not in Kansas anymore, we're in the 808.

The song serves to educate and remind. Geo nicely places important Hawaiian people/places/and things (Queen Liliuokalani, Blaisdell, Barack Obama, In4mation [clothing line], and Lightsleepers[clothing line]etc). I believe Geo uses these icons to further connect himself to Hawaii (Geo lived in Hawaii during his father's military service) and to his Hawaiian/Filipino listeners. The song also mentions that "Hawaii Ain't Free," (in which he pronounces his 'W' like a 'V,' staying true to Hawaiian dialect) and the word haole (Hawaiian Pidgin English word for White American). These lyrical mentions are a discussion of the disconnection between Hawaii and the mainland. I believe that Geo is commenting on the displacement of Hawaiian people through tourism culture ( the lyric: "seen a whole lot of homes erased"), a discussion that is rarely ever talked about here in the mainland or through music.

I could go all day on this song, but what's important is the video. When this video came out in August, I could not stop watching it. I think that video is simple, which is great, considering the lyrics are heavy and explosive at times. The video shows Geo and Sabzi spending a day in Hawaii, driving, biking and walking around. The video makes references to famous Hawaiian hot spots (for locals) and even spotlights Hawaiians (something that I believe draws the audience in closer to the performer, because they are actually seeing a familiar face on screen). What I enjoy most about this video is the glow of the Hawaiian sun that glistens behind each shot. It's a warm reminder of the true Hawaiian beauty that exists beyond the hula dancing and surfing so commonly seen throughout the world.

Mabuhay