State Champ Radio Asian Hall of Fame
The late, Grammy-winning conductor Seiji Ozawa; Matt Cameron, drummer for Pearl Jam; and Grammy-nominated concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers are among the Asian Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 inductees. The class will be announced at a kick-off event, “Celebrate Asia Festival,” on May 1 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Celebrate Asia Festival is an annual benefit for the Women Founders Fund, which supports diversity among women in tech, entertainment and the arts. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
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Ozawa, who died Feb. 6 at age 88, was recognized internationally through his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna State Opera and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He won a Grammy in 2016 for best opera recording for Ravel: L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade.
Cameron first gained fame as the drummer for Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of the band’s studio albums until its breakup in 1997. In 1998, Cameron was invited to join Pearl Jam’s Yield Tour and then became a permanent member of the band. Cameron has won two Grammys for his work with Pearl Jam: best metal performance for “Spoonman” and best hard rock performance for “Black Hole Sun.”
Meyers received her first Grammy nod late last year for Fandango, a live recording with Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic, which was nominated for best classical compendium. Her 2023-24 season includes performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic.
Here’s a quick look at this year’s three other music-connected honorees:
John Paris, drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire since 2001, played on Asian Hall of Fame’s Down by the Water charity album for human trafficking rescue.
Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on American Idol at age seven (and was given a golden ticket by judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to come back and compete in 2027) is the recipient of the Asian Innovation Award. The prize includes a grant check, invitation to record a song with pianist Ed Roth at the private studio of Robby Krieger, and opportunities to perform at the May Festival and October Ceremony.
Lydia Lee, choir director at John Muir Middle School in Burbank, Calif., is recipient of the Asian Women in the Arts Prize for her work in music education. Her choir will perform Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” in German with a professional adult choir and ensemble at the Oct. 19 induction ceremony.
An eclectic group of musicians are among the 2023 inductees into the Asian Hall of Fame, which also includes people from business, government and other areas beyond music and entertainment. Sixteen living individuals and one group are being inducted, as are four individuals who are being inducted posthumously, plus one corporate inductee (Nintendo) and one “artist ambassador,” the late country legend Johnny Cash.
Here’s a quick look at this year’s music inductees:
Lalisa Manoban, better known as Lisa from BlackPink, was born in Thailand. The rapper, singer and dancer, 26, is being inducted as a “cultural icon.”
Jennifer Lee, better known as EDM artist/producer TOKiMONSTA, is a second-generation Korean/American. In 2019, she was nominated for a Grammy for best dance/electronic album for Lune Rouge.
Far*East Movement had a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2010-11 – “Like a G6” (featuring Cataracs & Dev) which hit No. 1, and “Rocketeer” (featuring Ryan Tedder), which reached No. 6.
Ben Fong-Torres, a respected rock journalist, author and broadcaster, is best known for his long association with Rolling Stone. Fong-Torres is 78.
Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents. The Queen frontman died in 1991 at age 45.
Ryuichi Sakamoto was among the first Asian composers to win an Oscar for best original score. Sakamoto, who was born in Japan, made that bit of Oscar history in 1988 for The Last Emperor, along with fellow composer Cong Su, who was born in China. The third collaborator on that score was David Byrne, who was born in Scotland. Sakamoto died in March at age 71.
Johnny Cash, who was not of Asian descent, is being inducted as an artist ambassador. The country legend died in 2003 at age 71.
“Inductees and artist ambassadors inspire courage, character, and service for the betterment of our country and humanity,” Maki Hsieh, president and CEO of Asian Hall of Fame, said in a statement.
The induction ceremony is set for Oct. 21 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The Seattle Founders Gala honoring Pacific Northwest inductees will be on Sept. 29 at the Washington Athletic Club. Tickets and sponsorships are at asianhalloffame.org.
Asian Hall of Fame works to advance Asian and Indigenous leadership, achievements, and service to the U.S. and globally. It was established in 2004 by the Robert Chinn Foundation. Year-round programming trains local youth, empowers women founders, promotes cross-cultural content, and amplifies legislation.
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