2/15/2013
Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre Street
New York, New York 10013
The originators of “HIPHOPUNKFUNKMAMBOSKA” P.I.C team up with multi-genre artist Taiyo Na for a night of collaboration to pay tribute to one of the world’s greatest composers – Prince.
Special guest performer: Rona Figueroa
Taiyo Na was honored in 2010 by Governor David A. Paterson and the State of New York for his “legacy of leadership to the Asian American community and the Empire State,” Taiyo Na is a singer, songwriter, MC, producer and actor. His critically acclaimed debut album Love is Growth (Issilah Productions, 2008) features the song “Lovely To Me (Immigrant Mother),” whose music video was heralded by MTV Iggy as “the realest thing seen in a while.” In 2010 & 2011, he released the albums Home:Word & Home:Word [Deluxe Edition] with hip-hop duo Magnetic North. The title track off those albums was released as a single in Japan in 2011 and hit #2 on their iTunes Hip-Hop charts while the latter album reached #3. The albums also included the music videos “Summertime,” “I Got My,” “Fukushima” and “Home:Word,” which was directed by Wong Fu Productions. As actor, he was last seen as “Min” in Dennis Kim’s play Tree City Legends directed by Marc Bamuthi Joseph at San Francisco’s Intersection for the Arts (Spring 2012).
P.I.C has been a staple of the Lower East Side music scene for the last 10 years. Their wildly successful debut album HIPHOPUNKFUNKMAMBOSKA!!! (2000) was added to over 300 radio stations nationwide and reached #1 on CMJ charts from Canada to Hawaii. P.I.C’s second album SEXY PICNIC (2003) was an even bigger CMJ hit, and was picked up for national distribution by Select-O-Hits Records. In 2002, P.I.C gleefully served as Wanda Syke’s house band on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” which adapted their original track, HIPHOPUNKFUNKMAMBOSKA, as the show’s theme song. In 2005, P.I.C unleashed THE BROOKLYN INCIDENT into the Japanese market, distributed by Swamp/Polystar Records. “GOT ME LIKE”, the first single off their album EL NOVA HUSTLE (2007) won the Asian Cinevision / Michelob Light Music Video Award and was selected a Top 10 Videos of 2005 on CNET’s download.com. P.I.C’s newest release COOKIN’ FROM SCRATCH (2011) contains new songs as well as remixes and instrumental versions of old favorites.
Rona Figueroa has done the Broadway thing, the Rock Band thing, as well as the acting thing. She is currently doing the Corporate thing and therefore incredibly jazzed to join PIC on this Prince thing. Please google for misleading details. Music will conquer all.
Admission: $15/adult; $10/in advance/MOCA members
RSVP required to programs@mocanyc.org