Kollaboration staff with performers for the 2009 talent show, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Front row, from left) Kollaboration executive board members Christine Kim (associate producer), Roy Choi (executive producer), Rina Lee (programs director), and PK (executive director).
By Ellis Song
The brainchild of Paul “PK” Kim, the annual talent showcase Kollaboration has provided a Los Angeles stage (and large cash prizes) for Asian artists, dancers and musicians for the last 10 years. Now hosted in Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Tulsa, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, D.C., and Toronto, the organization’s mantra to empower through entertainment is indeed becoming an international movement. This March marks the tenth year for Kollaboration’s flagship event in Los Angeles. It will also be Kim’s final year as executive director of the nonprofit organization. Kim, who is exiting his post to concentrate on his stand-up comedy career, believes it’s time for a new generation to take over. Executive producer Roy Choi says that Kim, who also hosts the show, is “Kollaboration personified,” but “we’re just going to continue the course. Keep expanding and moving into other cities.” KoreAm takes a look back at some of the more memorable moments of Kollaboration’s first decade.
KOLLABORATION X
SHRINE AUDITORIUM
www.kollaboration.org
March 6, 2010
A DECADE OF KOLLABORATION
2000
The birth of a movement. The original Kollaboration staff includes founding executive director PK and Ben Chung of Jabbawockeez. Until 2008, Kollaboration would remain an all-Korean event.
2001
The second show is hosted at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles Koreatown.
2002
Program director Rina Lee, John Cho and emcee PK at the third annual show.
2003
Far East Movement (Kev Nish, Jsplif & Prohgress) wins in the rap category. Kollaboration shows are also launched in Chicago and New York.
2006
Seriously, the band, wins the grand prize. Kollaboration Toronto kicks off.
2007
No show (Kollaboration’s one hiatus).
2008
Kollaboration’s first year as a pan-Asian event. Jane Lui is the grand prize winner of the second acoustic event at the Ford Amphitheatre. Kollaboration goes down under, to Atlanta.
2008
One2Swing Jitterbugs wins the grand prize at the eighth show.
2008
The first sold-out show is held at the Orpheum Theatre.
2009
Acoustic 3 competitors gather to sing Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World.”
2009
More than 6,000 swarm into the Shrine Auditorium for a star-studded extravaganza that includes pop darling BoA, comedian Jo Koy, and MTV-famed dance troupe Kaba Modern.
2010
Kollaboration is now hosted in Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Tulsa and Washington, D.C.
