By David Li, bostonese.com
Boston, Oct. 12, 2013, — Kollaboration Boston 3 was held at Berklee Performance Center in the evening of Oct. 11. After 3-hour competition and performances in front of an audience of 500, Derek Hus took home the grand prize with his amazing routine of Chinese Yo-yo. The Movement Box (Vocal Percussion/Dance) took the runner-up prize.
Derek Hsu (right) receives the trophy from guest judge AJ Rafael (photo by David Li).
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This event was organized and planned by 36 students and young professionals in the Greater Boston Area. Some of the city’s best Asian American dancers, musicians, vocalists, rappers joined this year’s completion for a $1000 grand prize. One after another, amazing performances paraded in front of the audience, celebrity guest judges, and guest performers, and showed off the extraordinary talents by these young people. Derek Hsu will represent Boston and compete against other city winners for a $20,000 grand prize at Kollaboration Star in Los Angeles on November 16, 2013. |
Guest Performers included last year’s grand prize winner Justin Chiou. Guest Judges Ellen Kim, AJ Rafael and Andrew Rhim delighted the audience with performances of their own. AJ Rafael and Andrew Rhim are Berklee grads and expressed their pleasure to be back Boston to support Kollaboration Boston and the young Asian performers. Grew up in a Filipino American family, AJ Rafael told the audience that his musician father passed away he was only 10. He became a musician to carry out his father’s legacy.
Other finalists for Kollaboration Boston 3 included Angel & Will (Acoustic/Singer), Daesun Yim (Piano), Justin Oppus (Acoustic/Singer), LuDow (Rapper) and UPdrifting (Dance). LuDow performed three rap songs with his unique style, and drew loud cheers from his fans in the audience.
“I taught myself Yo-yo by watching videos. I’ve been practicing it as a hobby for over ten years,” Hsu told reporter after the award ceremony. Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents from Taiwan, Hsu is now a undergraduate student at Northeastern Univeristy. He thanked Kollaboration Boston for giving him an opportunity to show his talents.