Review: Funky Oriental Beats

By Jessica George

Funky Oriental Beats delivers on its namesake, providing a diverse group of talented Asian-Kiwi artists who bring the funk, flavour and fun to a night out. F.O.B. is the brainchild of two performers, Renee Liang and David Tsai, prominent figures in the arts scene. Over pearl milk tea the two gave birth to the idea of F.O.B., both recognising a plethora of voices in the Asian-Kiwi community and an audience who would be more than happy to listen, identify and learn. The event originally debuted in 2008 at Whammy Bar on K Road and after making it along then, I was excited to hear that it was returning for its second appearance, this time in the Auckland Fringe Festival.

Heading into The Basement, I was eager to see what the enticing lineup had in store. The lights were down with lanterns hung around the venue, which was set up with amphitheatre seating, filled with a keen, chatty audience. Renee made her introductions for the evening’s entertainment, inviting everyone to listen as the performers bare their souls, asking us to bare our souls as well.

First up was Jamie Banks, a writer of Pilipino and Kiwi descent with a witty way of recanting his adventures in being single. He was endearing as he recited a list of wants for his perfect lady, with my favourite being “I just want a girl who will kiss me…until the news comes on.” Following Jaime was Samoan-Chinese artist, Misa Tupou, a change of pace from Jamie, with intense and elaborate poetry ranging from migration to a sexy, aggressive love letter. Each of his pieces was mesmerizing, as he punctuated lines by scattering sing-song lyrics amongst his poetry, even improvising a piece as DJ Dore@amon mixed beats.

After a brief break and a moving piece by Renee about her father, we headed into the next act. Renee’s beautiful poem was a perfect transition into the spiritual, hypnotic trance that is Colliderscope, a joint artistic venture between Scottish/Burmese songstress, Fiona Soe Paing and musician turned digital artist, Zennor Alexander. The result was a hauntingly beautiful journey that surely sent a simultaneous bout of goose bumps across the audience.

The second half of F.O.B. was equally packed with talent, featuring organiser David Tsai aka DVRDCT, a hip hop force to be reckoned with, rapping in both English and Mandarin, rockin’ excellent kicks to match his hot beats. With the crowd pumping from DVRDCT, Willis Hsu then kicked out some polished, acoustic jams, a change of pace from his usual antics as front man of Auckland indie band Infinite Flying Kick. To top off his set Willis performed a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” which had me gripping my partner’s hand and singing along. Pyon, the last act in the evening’s lineup would inspire even more singing, not to mention nose scrunching, fist pumping and head bopping. A Korean and Taiwanese four piece featuring rich vocals and rocking riffs, Pyon feels like the band that everyone wants to sing along to even if they don’t know the words. After a lighter-in-the-air inspiring encore, the cabaret-esque show ended on a high with lots of applause and excited chit chat.

Each act in Funky Oriental Beats was like a show unto itself, with the whole of the showcase creating something bigger than itself. A feeling of inclusive community was created, not just for Asian-Kiwi artists and audience, but for everyone excited about the thriving arts community NZ has to offer. Keep your ear to the ground as I’m sure there will be more to come from each of the acts and from the organisers of F.O.B., who I hope will continue to pluck up talented Kiwis and showcase them to an eagerly awaiting audience. You can find out more about Funky Oriental Beats by checking out the blog.