Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
From our family to yours…
A special crew dinner celebrating the holidays =)
Congratulations to…
Riva- 2009 TEK OF THE YEAR
Karen- 2009 OUTSTANDING TEK AWARD
Josh- 2009 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Evette- for graduating!
Maraming Salamat and Maligayang Pasko!
UHM Talent Show 2009
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
The Tekniqlingz Crew won 3rd place in both solo and group category at the University of Hawaii Manoa’s talent show on Friday, Nov. 13, at the UH Campus Center Courtyard. Special thanks to those who came out to support. Go Tekz!
Check out our winning performances:
Our First Singer and only singer representing the crew in the solo category, Jericah Baxa!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ4X-LKpfM0
The Dance Crew:
Oct.17 2009 Performances…
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
(Honolulu, Hawai’i), In observance of October as Filipino American history month, Boom Boom Brown! A Celebration of Filipino American Youth Culture, featuring Hawai’i’s young and talented Filipino American visual artists, poets, music ensemble and dancers, will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The public is invited to this free event, which begins at 12:00 p.m. at the Hawai’i State Public Library.
“In the Filipino community, people are concerned that many young Filipinos are lost and disconnected from our roots. That’s not true. We do take pride in our Filipino American culture, heritage and identity. We know about our history,” said April Bautista, event co-chair. She added, “The youth and young adults featured at the event not only express their pride through the creative arts, but they do it in various genres.”
Boom Boom Brown! showcases the works of visual artists Christopher Aradanas, Calvin Bagaoisan, Shaun Castro and Elsie Simpliciano; poets Jessica Ladera, Melanie Medalle and Faith Pascua; and musicians and dancers from Mahalohalo Kolintang Ensemble and Tekniqlingz Dance Crew. This diverse group of participants represents the depth and scope of talent found in Hawai’i’s Filipino American youth. (Participant bios are attached)
The year 2009 is the second year that the State of Hawai’i is officially celebrating Filipino American History Month. The Hawai’i State Legislature passed legislation in 2008 designating the month of October as Filipino American History Month to annually commemorate the contributions of Filipino Americans to Hawai’i and the United States.
Boom Boom Brown! is sponsored by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Hawai’i, the Filipino American Historical Society of Hawai’i (FAHSOH), and Friends of the Library. NaFFAA Hawai’i is a non-profit, advocacy organization committed to empowering the Filipino American community by working with college students through its workshops, conferences and other events. FAHSOH is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster an appreciation for the heritage and experiences of Filipino Americans in Hawai’i.
Event Details:
What: Boom Boom Brown! A Celebration of Filipino American Youth Culture
Who: Visual artists: Christopher Aradanas, Calvin Bagaoisan, Shaun Castro, and Elsie Simpliciano; poets: Jessica Ladera, Melanie Medalle, and Faith Pascua; and members from Mahalohalo Kolintang Ensemble and Tekniqlingz Dance Crew
Where: Hawai’i State Public Library, Courtyard, 478 South King Street
When: Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 12:00 p.m., refreshment will be served
PARTICIPANT BIOS
Visual Artists
Christopher Aradanas
Christopher received a bachelor’s of fine arts from the University of Hawai’i-M?noa with an emphasis in photography. Christopher’s works were featured in the Hawai’i Craftsmen’s Fiber Hawai’i 2006 Juried Exhibition at The ARTS at Marks Garage and at the Contemporary Filipino American Artists of Hawai’i Exhibition at the Contemporary Museum in the First Hawaiian Bank Downtown. Christopher enjoys working with youth and is currently a paraprofessional educator.
Calvin Bagaoisan
Calvin is currently a student at the University of Hawai’i-M?noa majoring in fine arts and minoring in the Ilocano language. He is part of the Timpuyog Student Organization at the university and was its former vice president. Calvin won the 2008 Honolulu Magazine Photo Contest and recently performed at the Filipino Fiesta in May. Calvin continues to volunteer in the Filipino American community to help perpetuate the culture, heritage and history.
Shaun Castro
Since 2003, Shaun has had his works in numerous exhibitions around Hawai’i and California, including local venues such as Prototype in Pearlridge, Studio 1 and the Ground Up art shows at the Chinatown Courtyard. He received his bachelor’s in fine arts from the University of Hawai’i-M?noa. Aside from being a painter, Shaun is also a youth minister and has done mission work in the Visayas region of the Philippines. His Christian faith and love for hip hop culture are dominant influences in his work.
Elsie Simpliciano
Elsie took art classes from the University of California-Berkeley and her works have been featured at Soul Signature Tattoos, the 2002 National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Global Conference in San Francisco and in Maganda magazine. Elsie is the co-vice chair of NaFFAA Hawai’i. She honors her heritage by working within the Filipino American community and helping Filipino youth develop an awareness about the culture and history. Originally from San Francisco, Elsie is a literacy resource teacher with Kamehameha Schools.
Poets
Jessica Ladera
Jessica was trained under poet Travis T. of Youth Speaks Hawai’i and was a member of Farrington High School’s first slam poetry team. She has competed at the Youth Speaks Hawai’i InterSlams in which the Farrington Slam Team won second place in fall 2008 and first place in spring 2009. Jessica is currently a freshman at Leeward Community College pursuing an associate’s degree in teaching. She hopes to get a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Hawai’i-M?noa or from Nevada State University and become an elementary school teacher. Jessica is also a youth leader in St. Theresa’s Youth Ministry in Liliha.
Melanie Medalle
Melanie is a graduate student in the departments of Women’s Studies and Political Science at the University of Hawai’i-M?noa. She works with the Gender Equity and Civil Rights Advocacy Office at UHM, and is co-chair of the women of color collective CEJE (Collective for Equality, Justice, and Empowerment). Melanie has performed at various community actions locally and abroad, and is published by PAWA Inc. in Field of Mirrors: An Anthology of Philippine American Writers (2007). Her political, personal, and artistic practice aim to analyze, understand, unlearn, and undo racism, patriarchy, and all forms of oppression that deny our full humanity and bring pain to the earth and ourselves.
Faith Pascua
Faith is currently a sophomore at Farrington High School and is with Youth Speaks Hawai’i. She is the vice president of the Farrington Slam Team and was a former T-Shirt Theatre performer. In addition to her creative extracurricular activities, Faith is also involved with her class council in student government.
Music Ensemble and Dance Crew
Mahalohalo Kolintang Ensemble
Founded in October 2008, the Mahalohalo Kolintang Ensemble is rooted in the traditions of Southern Philippine and Malay gong cultures. Mahalohalo is grounded in scholarship and decades of teaching and performative experience, while allowing space for innovation and playfulness. The group has performed in numerous events including the ANAK! Festival at the Hawai’i State Arts Museum, Pasko! at the Hawai’i Filipino Community Center, the Puja Dance Concert at Paliku Theatre and the Pan Pacific Festival. In July 2009, ensemble members conducted fieldwork in North Borneo, Malaysia with Bajau music and dance practitioners.
Tekniqlingz Dance Crew
The Tekniqlingz Dance Crew was created in spring 2008 as an offshoot of the tinikling dance workshops held by the Katipunan Club of the University of Hawai’i-M?noa. The crew has performed at various events such as National Night Out, the Filipino Fiesta, and A Taste of Kalihi. Members also teach the tinikling dance and give demonstrations in various schools and at the Filipino for Kids Summer Program. With its foundation based on modernizing traditional Philippine folk dances, Tekniqlingz seeks to inspire and influence new innovations in the world of hip-hop and dance.
Barrio Fiesta
Celebrating Filipino Entertainment, Food, and Culture
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at Pipeline Café.
Doors open at 10 P.M. 18 and over welcome.
Tickets are $10 presale
Featuring performances by: Comedian David Lee,
The Sharon Sanchez Band, A Trust, DJ’s Flip and
Flykid, The Zodiac Band, & the Tekniqlingz Dance Crew
Purchase tickets at GrooveTickets.com, Pipeline Cafe Box Office,
Hawaii’s Natural High, or charge by phone at 1.877.71.GROOVE
Hawaii Adopt-A-School Day
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
On Saturday, September 19 we had the privilege and opportunity to perform at
Ala Moana CenterStage for Hawaii Jaycees Adopt a School Kick-Off event.
We were also lucky enough to be featured in one of the news casts!
http://kgmb9.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21272&Itemid=40
For more information about Hawaii Adopt-a-school day go to:
Filipino for Kids Summer Program 2009
Monday, July 13th, 2009
On Saturday, July 11. 2009, Tekniqlingz Crew gave back to the community by providing a Tinikling workshop to the students of the Filipino for Kids Summer Program 2009 held at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu.
The last session will be on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at the FilCom Center with Munting Palabas at Salu-Salo (mini-show and get-together). Tek Crew will do a little performance.
Now on its 4th year, Filipino for Kids is a summer program designed to provide elementary school-age children of ALL ethnic backgrounds an opportunity to learn about the rich Philippine culture and heritage. The program includes language and culture components and interactive activities such as games, dances, and songs and a summer reading program. Last year’s 32 students learned about Escrima, Philippine martial arts; Carinosa, the Philippine national folk dance; Sipa, the Philippine national sport and Alibata, the Philippine ancient script. Students also enjoyed other activities including making their own halo-halo, folding/coloring jeepney, and dancing the malong dance.
Started through a mini-diversity grant from the UH SEED office. Filipino for Kids Summer Program has now become an annual summer collaborative project of the Filipino Community Center, University of the Philippines Alumni Association-Hawaii Chapter, UH Filipino and Philippine Literature program, the UH Katipunan Club, Alumni and Friends, and community volunteers.
Next Performance: Katipunan Dramafest 2009
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
The Tekniqlingz will do a first time collaboration with Mahalohalo Kolintang Dance Ensemble and will be known as “Mahalohalo Tekniqlingz Dance Ensemble” performing “Singkil.” Mahalo and II=*tek*
