|
After 15 years of making music together, Hmong
band Paradise gets ready to call it quits
By Chhun Sun
Next to earsplitting Highway 180 situated in West Fresno,
Paradise amalgamates at a recording studio to make noise—in
music form. For the next four hours, the band, comprised of six Hmong
musicians, ignores the world outside. Maiku Vang sits on a stool
expressionless while her bandmates intuitively prepare for practice.
Her feet dangle
inches from the
ground, while she unleashes muffled yawns—due to daylight
savings time, she, and her bandmates, lost an hour of sleep. Still
waiting, the young, petite singer sits with patience.More>>
Music Commentary
An encounter with rock band Ira changes one music
writer's life
By Mitchell Peters
“One of Fresno’s only all-girl indie rock bands, Ira,
will display not only their physical beauty onstage, but their musical
enchantment as well.”
--Mitchell Peters, The Collegian, April 21, 2004
I was in trouble,
big time. First things first, they’re not an “all girl” band;
they’re just a band that plays good music. With that said,
let me see if I can accurately remember what happened. There was
a show going on in the Pit at Fresno State, and some local bands
were playing. I wanted to write something in The Collegian to let
students know they could see some really good bands play for free.
To give a better perspective on the show, I described the bands in
one sentence or less using descriptions I thought were harmless and
fun (see above). The next thing I knew, I was looking into the piercing
eyes of Ira’s bass player Aurora Armijo. Ira was irate.More>>
|
From left to right: Nao Vang, Ko Yang, Haget Yang,
Phong Yang, Maiku Vang, Cina Chang (not pictured) and Long Her
(not pictured) will be the last members of Paradise, a Hmong-influenced
band 15 years in the making.
-Photo by Ryan Smith
DEAD DAYS
by John Rios
|
