★ M.A.R.A.★

Judith Hill

is the ROCKIN chick who sang at Michael Jackson’s memorial and was one of MJ’s back up vocalists slated for his This Is It concert tour.  Though the movie was supposed to be in theaters for two weeks only since it’s October release, the $101 million worldwide revenue over the first five opening days was enough to steer the SONY bosses to keep it out through Thanksgiving.  (Announced Nov. 1)



I saw the movie last weekend and reveled in the MJ showmanship and production.  Judith Hill was a pleasant surprise.  I was stunned by the power of her voice and intrigued by the possibility that she was Asian (scroll below for specific heritage).  Hill had a duet with MJ and it was fascinating to see the process of rehearsal and how such a show becomes a show…and how such creativity emerges…

So definitely worth seeing…you might toss and turn in your seat a bit because the movie’s two hours…but stand in the side aisle and boogie if you need to…


Also…probably not the best to idea to watch a movie after a night of debauchery…even if it’s after brunch…I’m just sayin’…

Judith Hill was born in LA and grew up in a family of musicians.  Her mother was an immigrant from Japan who met her African-American father in a funk band in the 70’s.  Dig it.



Hill seems to look back on her bi-racial experience with love and a matured, evolved sense of appreciation: [via her website]

“I was a skinny mixed kid with a lot of hair that I didn’t know what to do with (and still don’t know what to do with it). And my mom could not help me with it!”

She lived in a Christian home and embraced Jesus Christ at an early age. She comments, “I had a pretty good life in my childhood. Me and God were friends since the beginning. That helped a lot. But, it didn’t save me from walking a path of pain and asking the deep questions of life.

I was a philosopher as a kid, and in school you could find me in the library.” She admits that she never “fit in”. Depending on the social circle, she was labeled “too quiet”, “too loud”, “too black”, “to asian”, or too something. Judith expresses, “I was a traveler, kind of a drifter. But, looking back I see how all of those experiences, friends, and cultures made me who I am today.”

A sample of her talent below…

Related Posts below “Permalink”
Keywords: Asian woman in This Is It, vocalist in this is it, black asian woman in michael jackson movie, asian woman in michael jackson movie, black asian woman in mj movie, asian african american woman in this is it, woman who sang at mjs memorial, judith hill in mj memorial
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4
Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4

Tickets were still available as of 2:30pm today, Saturday, November 7th. 

Stephanie Reese

“…is the third Filipino solo performer, after pop singer Regine Velasquez and Broadway star Lea Salonga to sing at the famed [Carnegie Hall].”  [via]

Reese wowed Pattie La Belle, Natalie Cole, Earth Wind and Fire, Jamie Foxx, and Will.I.Am (of the Black Eyed Peas, who boasts Filipino group member APL), when she performed powerful renditions of Classical Broadway and Opera songs to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the famous Beverly Hills Crustacean Restaurant in June 2008.   

Oliver Stone, Angela Basset, Magic Johnson, San Fransisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom, Michael Bolton, and Paris Hilton were also among the crowd who stood to applaud, cheer, and throw flowers at Reese’s feet before she even finished singing. 

Patti La Belle was so impressed that she invited Reese to dine with her in the VIP room.  They sang the end of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma together, at La Belle’s request, and brought the crowd to screams and cheers once again.  (Read more about Reese taking Hollywood by storm.)

Here is a Reese rendition of the above mentioned aria.  Performed July 4, 2009 at the Fil-Am Friendship Day at Redwing Park Virginia Beach, VA. 




Keywords: Filipino opera and Broadway singer performer, Stephanie Reese performs at Carnegie Hall in NYC November 7, Reese at Carnegie Nov 7, Gawad Kalinga

AMERIE

Her 4th album, In Love & War, dropped TODAY, November 3rd

See the you tube video for the Heard ‘Em All single from her new album

Amerie Mi Marie Rogers is a two-time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and actress, born January 12, 1980 in Fitchburg, Mass to a Korean mother and Africa-American father.  She debuted her first album, All I Have, in 2002.  [1, 2]

Check out her song Gotta Work in the video below. PERFECT for a workout playlist.  Really gets ya goin.

[via Daily Motion]

Photos: Top, album cover
Keywords: Asian and African American hotties, Blasian, Black Asian
Other: Amerie’s Official Website, Amerie’s IMDB

famousfilipinos:

Taiwanese actor, Jay Chou, will play Kato in “The Green Hornet”.  Seth Rogen will play the title character, while Michael Gondry directs.  Cameron Diaz, Nicolas Cage, and Edward James Olmos will also star.

Jay Chou

was born on January 18, 1979 and is a Taiwanese musician, singer, producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. He is well-known for composing all his own songs and songs for other singers. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Chinese singers. Although he was trained in classical music, Chou combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.

famousfilipinos:

Jenna Ushkowitz

most recently stars in Fox’s Glee, whose pilot (permalink to see video below) received rave reviews and aired in the spring of 2009.  Glee makes its official premiere Sept. 9 @ 9PM ET/PT on FOX.

Born in Seoul, Korea on April 28th, 1986, Jenna is an American stage and television actress and singer, who is also known for her roles in Broadway musicals.

See Jenna and castmates greet fans at “THE GLEEK TOUR!” in the Natick Mall in Boston, MA on Monday, August 17.