Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries (PAAM) at United
Asian and Asian Americans are family members of United. In 2023, we have the following events and devotions to honor Asian American Heritage Month.
2024 PAAM Theme
AAPI Cooperative Concert: Taiwanese and Carnatic 亞裔聯合音樂會
Saturday, May 25, at 2 pm
This concert brings East and South Asian music elements together, especially elements from Taiwan and South India! 東亞(台灣)與南亞(南印度)傳統音樂元素的新詮釋
Free Admission. Refreshments and Q&A follow.
A suggested $10 donation at the door.
Book your ticket here, tinyurl.com/582huhek
Performers:
- Saraswathi Ranganathan (instrument: Veena)
- Tzu-Tsen Wu (instrument: Zhong Ruan)
Concert Content:
Taiwanese folk songs, Taiwanese famous tunes, South Indian Carnatic tunes, the premier of Taiwanese and Carnatic pieces
Demo video
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzhKna8pcDb/
This concert is co-hosted by the United Church of Hyde Park, the Taiwanese Association of America the Greater Chicago Chapter, and the Chicago Fine Arts Society. It is sponsored by the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.
Saturday, May 25, at 2 pm
This concert brings East and South Asian music elements together, especially elements from Taiwan and South India! 東亞(台灣)與南亞(南印度)傳統音樂元素的新詮釋
Free Admission. Refreshments and Q&A follow.
A suggested $10 donation at the door.
Book your ticket here, tinyurl.com/582huhek
Performers:
- Saraswathi Ranganathan (instrument: Veena)
- Tzu-Tsen Wu (instrument: Zhong Ruan)
Concert Content:
Taiwanese folk songs, Taiwanese famous tunes, South Indian Carnatic tunes, the premier of Taiwanese and Carnatic pieces
Demo video
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzhKna8pcDb/
This concert is co-hosted by the United Church of Hyde Park, the Taiwanese Association of America the Greater Chicago Chapter, and the Chicago Fine Arts Society. It is sponsored by the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.
Saraswathi Ranganathan (instrument: Veena)
Saraswathi brings with her a legacy of firsts. She is the first Indian woman and Veena artiste to win a Chicago Music Award in its 35-year history, the first Veena artiste to perform as an orchestra member of Disney’s Jungle Book production and the first Veena artiste to receive a $10,000 grant from the Logan Foundation in Chicago. She attributes her path-carving success to the inclusive energy in her music and in her life. Her goal? Bring artists and listeners together as one community united in music and understanding. – worded by Stephanie Jones, Jazzspeak.org Saraswathi constantly endeavors for sounds of the Veena to reach a cross cultural global audience. She learned Veena from her mother Shantha Ranganathan and from Karnataka Kalashree EP Alamelu in Bangalore. She has been performing and teaching for over three decades now. Saraswathi also has the distinction as being the first Veena artiste whose original multi-lingual song “Ennai Azhaithaen – I embraced me” was commissioned by the Chicago Humanities Fest. Saraswathi is the first Veena artiste to perform live music for Chicago International Moves & Music Fest with original score for screening of the movie Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances. |
Tzu-Tsen Wu 吳紫岑 (instrument: Zhong Ruan 中阮)
A native of Taiwan, Tzu-Tsen Wu is a Chicago based plucked-string multi-instrumentalist specializing in Zhong Ruan. Her playing style is informed through her Taiwanese roots but also heavily influenced through her studies of various world music styles and ensembles, including as well - western jazz and classical music. She is an active world music specialist touring around Asia and the United States as solo virtuoso. She is a musician of a duet band, Ruan and Hide, and music of the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra (Chicago Reader’s “Best World Music Act” of 2021) and serves as the current Artistic Program Coordinator for The Chinese Fine Arts Society of Chicago. As a music educator, she presently serves as Adjunct Professor of Music at Oakton Community College in addition to running the Chinese Music Ensemble at several Universities and Chinese schools of Chicago. She performs and collaborates regularly and has co-authored a children’s music textbook commissioned by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education. |
2023 PAAM Theme
A contextual conflict and convergence of views
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May 21 is Pacific Islander and Asian American Heritage Sunday worship. The service music selections adopt various composers who have AAPI background and heritage. The message that day is titled "Provision for the poor", from scripture Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36.
* photo credit Chicago Solidarity with Hong Kong 芝援香港 (Facebook page)
https://www.facebook.com/chicagohkdemocracy/ |
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Music is the bridge to the cross-cultural conversations. In 2023, we invite folks to join this interactive concert, to experience, to meditate, and to have dialogues on Saturday, May 20th at 3 pm. This concert is co-hosted by the United Church of Hyde Park and the Taiwanese Association of America the Greater Chicago Chapter, and sponsored by the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.
Musician Bio: A native of Taiwan, Tzu-Tsen Wu is a plucked-string multi-instrumentalist specializing in Zhong Ruan (中阮) and Liu Qin (柳琴). Her playing style is informed through her Taiwanese roots but also heavily influenced through her studies of various other world music styles and ensembles, including as well - western jazz and classical music. She is an active world music specialist tour around Asia and United States as solo virtuoso, a member of Ruan and Hide and Saregama ensemble. She is also a permanent musician of the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra (Chicago Reader’s “Best World Music Act” of 2021) and serves as the current Artistic Program Coordinator for The Chinese Fine Arts Society of Chicago. As a music educator, she presently serves as Adjunct Professor of Music at Oakton Community College in addition to running the Jade Chinese Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago. She performs and collaborates regularly and has co-authored a children’s music textbook commissioned by the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Education. Facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/6027561337360176 Article 芝加哥臺灣同鄉會在亞裔月推廣臺灣文化 以音樂促進交流 (link) |
2022 PAAM Theme
せかいの友と (Japanese)
주의 종들 여기에 (Korean) 世界屬主眾朋友 (Taiwanese) Here, O Lord, your servants gather (English) Original Words: Yamaguchi Tokuo, Japan 1958 Composer: Koizumi Isao, Japan 1958 A Reflection on Injustice at Home and Asian American Heritage Month
2022 PAAM Sunday Worship Service
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A letter from our friend, Pam Hashimoto.
(click the PDF icon above to download the letter)
May 7 joint event recap (discussion section)
Injustice at home – Japanese Americans’ life at incarceration camps and how we can move toward a nation of racial justice together
United Church of Hyde Park and Christ Church of Chicago co-host this hybrid event. * about PBS-KSPS documentary: Injustice at Home (length 58 minutes) (on-air - Feb 19, 2019) https://www.pbs.org/video/injustice-at-home-h8mdt0/ |
2021 PAAM Sunday worship service at United2021 PAAM Theme하늘 나는 새를 보라 (Korean)
請看空中眾鳥隻 (Taiwanese) See the birds as they fly (English) Original Words: Frederick Scheibler Miller Composer: Nah Young-Soo, Korea 1983 |
National Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries (PAAM, United Church of Christ) logo and website.
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