Alex Salazar is a performer in the West San Jose/Saratoga community. At 17 years old, he has been asked to play at the Avalon in Santa Clara five times and has been invited to play more than ten other shows in the area. He attributes his parents’ love of music as his reason for becoming a musician. Music has consumed his time, energy and interests from an early age and is now the “driving force” in his life. Alex Salazar is also involved in the community at Lynbrook High School, lending his talent to school events and performances.

Vincent Wang immediately felt a connection when he first played the drums in December 2005. Over the years, Vincent has gotten together with a number of people to try out different musical styles, and he is proud of not settling for any one genre. Vincent not only performs with Alex in an acoustic ensemble, but also enjoys playing metal music.

Listen to Alex on Youtube.

Hailing from the burgeoning city of Longview, Texas, Andrew Plan is a singer-songwriter who specializes in folk-pop full of melodic twists and exciting guitar lines. Combining the pop sensibilities of artists such as Paul Simon with an attention to songcraft reminiscent of John Mayer or Elliott Smith, Andrew writes songs that capture the joys and sorrows of growing up and growing into relationships. Currently based in California, Andrew has played various venues across the Stanford University campus, including the CoHo and Moonbeans. His 2007 debut EP, The Panda EP, is available now.

Find Andrew on MySpace.

“I hail from a tiny city called Hayward, CA. Though I was born a quarter century ago, my musical soul has time-traveled to witness the powerful moments of female musical genius, such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, the Fugees, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, & Tamia. In my current life, every moment I experience/create is geared towards the idea that I could one day affect & inspire musically receptive time-travelers, just as these great women have done for me.” – Charito

Listen to Charito on YouTube.

HyDef is a dance crew that originated in San Jose California. The crew performs in various clubs in San Jose as well as opening acts for concerts. HyDef formed in April 2009, and is made up of dancers and martial artists. Together Bravo, Dos, J Ray, J Wells, Sonny Boy, Zero, Dunks, Joosi, Contra and Omega are determined to bring performance in HyDef.

HyDef defines themselves as “Redefining Performance”. HyDef brings a unique mixture of styles that range from popping, locking, hip hop, krumping, house, b-boy, martial arts, tricking, and free style. Each member of HyDef possesses their own style, creativity, and individuality. Together they merge to create a brand new style and bring a HyDef experience in every performance.

Learn more about Hydef.

Jean Ma and Bromley Palamountain first teamed up in August of 2004. Jean taught performance swing dancing to UC Berkeley students as part of “The [M]ovement”. She is also well-versed in hip hop, having danced in the professional hip hop troupe Culture Shock.

Bromley’s expertise lies in his gymnastics foundation. He trained under Olympic Gold medalist Tim Daggett and was able to pave his way through college as a competitive gymnast for UC Berkeley’s men’s gymnastics team.

Together they are known for their explosive aerials, high energy, and passion for the dance.
Jean and Bromley love to showcase their talents in competitions, jam circles, and on the social dance floor. They would even practice their technique within the corridors of the B.A.R.T. stations if the security guards would let them. Jean and Bromley ardently spread the coolness of Lindy Hop wherever they go, enjoying teaching and the many friends they have met within the dance community.

Visit Jean and Bromley’s site.

If you think that R&B needs a fresh face and a new sound, look no further than Bay Area-bred songstress, Michelle Martinez. Since the age of 2, this classically trained vocalist has poised herself as the next big thing, and won’t stop until she is a household name. Her funky, feel-good vibe is inspired by contemporary artists like Alicia Keys, Keri Hilson and Rihanna, who continue to push the envelope in Pop music, while classic R&B artists such as Brian McKnight and Mariah Carey give her a fundamental appreciation for romantic balladeers. “I have a fun and sassy personality and I play that up in my songs,” she explains. “But I also can tap into my inner feelings and try to bring out the emotion on slower tempo songs.”

After winning numerous singing competitions in the Bay, Midwest and Canada, she landed a spot on the WB Network’s “Live in Hollywood” and won during Amateur Night. Surely the years of singing experience couldn’t hurt, as the young singer used the momentum of the win to start working on her demo with established producers such as Traxamillion, Charles Williams, and Smash Hitta. When she finally turned 21, she started performing at various musical venues around the Bay Area, and later opened for Colby O’Donis and Donnie of MTV’s “Making The Band”. But it wasn’t until she started recording herself on YouTube that she started gaining international recognition, with over 5000 subscribers and over 90,000 views and counting. It was because of her viral videos that Avex Music Group in Japan sent an invitation to live and train there for 2 months, which she happily accepted.

Michelle is currently working on her debut album and releasing a single this summer, working with artists like Clyde Carson and Tony V., and ready to establish herself after years of dreaming about superstardom.

Learn more about Michelle Martinez.

Mickey is a fresh-to-death rapper/emcee who has been writing/performing for the last eight years. He grew up S.F. but currently lives in Davis, aka D-Block. Hanna is a delightful singer with a soulful voice and flavor. She grew up in Sacramento but currently lives in Davis as well. Mickey and Hanna’s passion for music stems from God and their life experiences. They hope that through their music they can combat social injustice and bring awareness to many issues people don’t know about. If anything, they want TRUTH to be heard through their music. For the past three years, they have been performing together at various nonprofit organization benefit concerts, justice rallies, church revivals, and talent shows. Their goal is to continue to represent Jesus and greatly encourage the people they share their music with to live out their dreams and pursue their passions. One more thing, PTL.

Slashton has been together since the Summer of 2009. Our music is positive and it encourages people to do better for themselves and those around them. Collectively we are all of Asian descent and very proud.

Often compared to the styles of Common, Mos Def, or even Kanye West, Kero One, a San Francisco MC / producer / DJ stands as a true testament to the do-it-yourself success story. His early career was marked by endless hours of researching, cold calling, and networking to gain exposure for his debut single. Persistence paid off when his single became a hit in Japan overnight, opening the floodgates for international touring and performance opportunities.

Since 2006, Kero One has been awarded the title of “Best HipHop Album of 2006″ from Remix magazine, topped iTunes hiphop charts, received positive reviews from the likes of Emmy award winning producer Will.i.am, and toured all over the world.

In 2009, Kero One independently released his official sophomore album “Early Believers.” Bouncing between soulful jazz tinged tracks to upbeat synth-driven party bangers, “Early Believers” showcases Kero One’s growth and maturity as a writer, composer, vocalist and arranger.

Recently, Kero One has returned from a worldwide tour performing sold-out venues such as the renowned House of Blues in Hollywood, Irving Plaza in New York, and the Masonic Center in San Francisco.

Find Kero One on MySpace.

Groove Against the Machine started in late 2007 with a group of friends who shared the common passion for dance. after one short year of being together, groove had accomplished more than what was expected, by performing at popular dance showases, night clubs and also creating the norcal hip hop dance workshops. groove strives to show that through passion and dedication, anything is possible and hope to spread this knowledge thru their continued growth as a dance crew.

Check them out on MySpace.

Kevin Shea is a comedian with a very laid back and fresh style. He first moved to San Francisco from his hometown of Pennsylvania in order to explore the country, and it was here that he discovered Stand-Up. He has since appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, ImaginAsian TV, and the “Kims of Comedy” tour.

Visit Kevin Shea’s website.

Shin-B is a female hip hop MC from LA. She’s performed throughout the States and Korea, and has been featured on the widely syndicated radio program in Korea, MBC Music Camp Radio. She’s also been featured on the Los Angeles Times for her music. She’s recorded with the legendary producer of Nas’ Illmatic album, Large Professor. Her single, “Tug of War” featuring independent artist Braille, was featured on Street Hop Magazine. Currently, she’s working on a Mixtape with KRS-One’s former DJ, Silent John. She’s also working on her third album and on a separate project with DJ Cheapshot.

On the side, she holds hip hop workshops for universities, middle schools, high schools, and community events. She recently conducted one that featured the famous Star Trek actor, George Takei and independent magazine, Giant Robot.

Check out Shin-B’s music on MySpace.

Comedian Joey Guila was born in San francisco, in the bay area he won the Kings of Comedy competition which led him to perform on P Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy in New York. Joey’s tours include, Latham Entertainments Kings of Comedy Search Tour 2003, Takeout Comedy Tour 2004, Brown Seoul Comedy Tour 2005, The Furious Four Comedy Tour 2006 and now on The Filipino Kings of Comedy Tour 2009. Joey is currently working on season 2 on the hot new cartoon called the “NUTSHACK” on the MYX channel on Direct TV. Also on MYX Joey host a new television show called “That’s My Jam”, a top 10 music countdown that also features celebrity interviews, movie reviews and comedy. www.top10.myx.tv Coming soon on Showtime Joey is on the LOL Comedy Festival put together by Edwin San Juan and Slanted Comedy

Find Joey Guila on MySpace.

This Asian comedian sensation has been shaking up the comedy scene! Watch this Asian brother fight ignorance with ignorance! His unique talent has been seen all over major clubs around California such as SF Punchline, Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Icehouse in Pasadena, SF Clubhouse, SJ Improv, LA Improv, Brea Improv, Tommy T’s, Rooster T. Feather, and many others. He was also invited to perform in Hong Kong (2008) and Malaysia (2009). In 2009, He was a finalist in the San Francisco Walk the Plank Comedy Competition. Zhangster’s Fans,

Visit Mark Zhang’s website.

Sway is no stranger to the studio or stage. As a member of Drop ‘N Harmony, he was first featured on their self-titled album in 2000. Sway joined Kai and Innerlude alumni to form his next group 6th Day. He released his second group album Forever Starts Today in 2005, coinciding with his selection as a finalist on American Idol. He continued to tour with 6th Day until the group split in 2006. Sway continued to tour with fellow American Idol alum Elliott Yamin until deciding to start work on his first solo album in 2009.

Visit Sway Penala’s website.

Harry is a dancer/choreographer who plays football player “Mike Chang” on Fox’s new hit series “Glee!” He has danced for numerous world-renowned artists including Beyonce, Mariah Carey, T-Pain, and Chris Brown, and was one of the original silhouettes in the Apple iPod commercials and print campaigns. Harry has also guest-starred on such shows as ABC’s “Greek”and appeared in hit movies such as You Got Served, Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift, and Step Up 2.

A.J. Sioson is the Founder & Owner of B Box Entertainment, the media and production company notable for Battlefest Live, a seven-city Urban Dance competition. His other projects include Bamboo Park Filipino American Arts Festival, Beat Junction Urban Dance Showcase, DanceLife247.com, and B Box Live Sessions. A.J. attributes the success of B Box to the support and approval he received from his parents growing up. He is also a community activist and co-founder of B Box Arts Foundation, a non-prot committed to building community through art.

Hans Cho is a singer/songwriter from the R&B vocal group, Tatum Jones. Formerly known as AT LAST, they have appeared on TV shows such as “The Wayne Brady Show”, Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh” and were finalists for the debut season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”. They have also performed in concerts with Boyz II Men, The Backstreet Boys and Justin Timberlake.

Check our their MySpace.

Christina Luna is the founder of The Luna Co., which provides artist management and event production services. With experience in artist development, album production, industry negotiations, public relations, and tour management, Christina’s portfolio boasts over one hundred release events, artists showcases, festivals, and other productions. Her current roster includes Melissa Polinar, Manny Garcia, Lori/Leejay Abucayan, and more. She is also the founder of the Asian American Music Conference.

Victoria Pham is the 2009-2010 Miss Asian California and Miss Asian 1st Princess from the Miss Asian America Pageant. She is a 19 year old honor student studying business administration. When she is not actively participating in various community events, or volunteering at her city’s senior center, you can find Victoria spending time with her close friends and family. She has a passion for the performing arts, and has performed in numerous theatrical and musical shows including Pride and Prejudice and Crazy for You. She is more than excited to meet the talented performers of Kollaboration SF!