Folk singer and musician Charlie Chin was a political activist in the early days of the Asian American Movement in the early 70s. The native New Yorker joined the Movement and formed one of the first-ever Asian American folk music groups, Yellow Pearl, with Chris Iijima and Nobuko Miyamoto.
This CD is from a concert recorded on June 2, 1979, at the Chinese Cultural Center in San Francisco, CA. It features sixteen songs written and performed by Chin (and other performers as noted) as well as a bonus track.
Inspired by the Asian American and other movements of color in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Asian American musicians created art that directly engaged issues of identity, community, and social change. Music was seen as an integral part of the movement, providing a soundtrack for the political struggles to empower our communities.
Even though CDs might be considered a dying form of media, it’s the booklet with the lyrics and introductions that will make this purchase worthwhile. The Japantown Art & Media (JAM) Workshop, which produced the concert in 1979, was started by artists and musicians who were truly talented. The silk-screened poster for the concert, as well as the artwork for the CD, were designed by Zand Gee. She also designed and printed the original poster for the concert, which is in the center of this booklet.
Also available
Drawing the Line: Japanese American Art, Design & Activism in Post-War Los Angeles (DVD)
Serve The People
