Funky Oriental Beats (FOB, yes the pun is deliberate) started in May 2008 as a platform for Kiwi-Asian performing artists to reach out to the wider community and showcase their unique work.  The brainchild of writer Renee Liang and bilingual rap artist David Tsai, FOB is a direct expression of the need for the Asian-Kiwi community to start telling their stories. 

In recognition of this need, this year FOB includes a series of writing and performance workshops.  Workshops in writing rap, DJ'ing and writing poetry have already taken place over  Easter; this weekend there will be workshops in songwriting (tutored by acclaimed singer-songwriter Karen Hunter and jazz singer Bex Peterson) and performance (tutored by actor, singer and burlesque performer Callum Stembridge, together with Renee Liang).  Liang is also excited about a mini-forum for emerging artists which she put together after conversations with many of those registering for the workshops.

"We want to get people talking and writing more.  The mini-forum will deal with topics such as developing a career as an independent artist, collaboration, promotion, reaching the Asian audience, pros and cons of training and development, funding, and negotiating the culture/identity question. And since this is a topic much bigger than just "Asian artists" everyone is welcome."

The emphasis is on inclusion.  The FOB workshops are open to all comers, not just Asians. And though the performers for the concerts (on at the Aotea Centre on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th April) all come from an Asian or part-Asian heritage, Liang hopes the audience will hail from a mixed background.  “Our work isn’t just about ‘being Asian’; that’s hard to define anyway.  And we certainly won’t just be exploring our cultural stories – we’ll be covering all the bases, from love to family to career and all the spaces in between.”

That being said, the artists do draw on their respective backgrounds for their writing inspiration, leading to some interesting work.   The concert lineup features established performers along with fresh new talent, some recruited from the workshops, and others literally spotted on the street.  Among the experiences on offer will be drum and bass duo Boombak Attack who create an astonishing sound on old paint buckets and saxophone, original singer Jessica Fong who performs with backing dancers, and Chinese-Indian rap artist Julian Sammy aka Threat1.  There will also be some innovative collaborations including poet Jamie Banks jamming poetry to traditional Chinese instrumentalists, and rapper David Tsai freestyling in Mandarin and English in collaboration with Sammy, who speaks Malay, Cantonese and English.

Visual artists and filmmakers are also included in the program, with the white walls of the Limelight Lounge converted into giant canvases as images are projected during the performances and interval.  Visual artists, some from artists collective Crossover and rising Asian filmmakers are all contributing.  The venue will be decked out in cabaret style, with lights by Ponsonby-based designers Chan Andreassend.

“Sometimes the best way to communicate is through performance,” Liang says.  Funky Oriental Beats looks set to prove her right.

FOB workshops run this Saturday at Lower NZI, Level 2, Aotea Centre: Songwriting 10.30am – 3 pm, Performance 3 pm – 7.30 pm.  $5 koha, register by emailing docrnz@gmail.com.

Emerging Artists mini-forum is at Te Karanga Gallery, 205 K’Rd (upstairs and next to Illicit Clothing), this Sunday 1-4 pm. Free but a koha to support the venue is requested.

FOB concerts are at Limelight, Level 3, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE  on 15 and 16 April. 
Tickets $15 full, or $12 concession/group (Service fees apply).

Book at 0800 BUY TICKETS or www.buytickets.co.nz