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Literally a few doors down from the Height’s swinging Helen icon, Thai Cafe is the best Thai restaurant in Burnaby (in my lifelong Burnaby residential opinion). Its run by Sunida Sirisuwan, an ethnic Thai from Roi Et province in North Eastern Thailand aka Isan, the heartland of the country. Its a humble, no frills little joint that simply serves awesome authentic Thai food. Is it true that the mark of a Thai restaurant is its’ Pad Thai? If so, this place is, in fact, pretty dam good (pic below cut). The Pad Thai here is not sweet and ketchup like. What else can I say? Everything else here is also really fresh and really good? That’s pretty much the case.

Thai Cafe
4160 E. Hastings, Burnaby
604-299-4525

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In fundraising efforts to send 15 ambassadors to continue the construction of homes in Norzagaray Bulacan, Philippines, the Enspire Foundation‘s Enspring Race takes place in downtown Vancouver on SEP. 18 and if you’re interested in participating, you can still register for the race by tomorrow, FRI/AUG. 27. Full details of the race are HERE.

Co-founder Lorie Corcuera talks about how the Enspire Foundation, the race and the recruitment process this year to send the crew 2010 team:

Q – Tell me about Enspire Foundation?
A – Enspire Foundation’s mission is “to empower, educate and encourage individuals to help themselves and others”. We are about ‘enspiring’ young Canadians locally to give back to their communities here and internationally. Through our Shared Experience Program, we are giving volunteers an opportunity to gain a life changing experience by spending time with families from one of the poorest communities in the Philippines and then to build homes for the same families. Our hope is that they will continue this community work when they return to Vancouver (continued under the cut)

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* Wed, Aug. 25 @ Fortune Sound: Emerging hip hop MC & producer and one time Vancouver resident, Shane Eli returns on the strength of his release the Push. Shane was once a part of the now defunct Vancouver
* Sat, Aug. 28 @ W2 Storyeum: HI-5 , 2nd edition with another jungle deep list of our best DJs: Hedpin, Marvel, Bles-sed, Neoteric, Sam Demoe, Ned Kelly with Pump from Calgary and the return of Needle Kineval, the DJ. Pump/Hedspin/Sam Demoe also got a mix tape for your buttocks and the occasion
* Mon/Aug. 30 @ Shine: Jaykin – Sneakers & Videogames release party. Not just Vancity’s flyest but Vancity’s Nicest – Jaykin‘s full material is ready to go and ready for exhibit next Monday. Check the title track here, a video highlight of the last Gangsta Boogie Monday and a fresh snippet of Jaykin in the studio with D-City working on his Galaga track below. Both videos by the Farleft.

Gangsta Boogie Monday with Jay Kin from TheFarLeftTV on Vimeo.

Jay Kin in the studio with D-City – “Galaga” from TheFarLeftTV on Vimeo.

If the PNE fair is coming up, you know it means a couple things: School’s starting soon and summer is nearing to an end. So yall better scramble them eggs and maximize. This Saturday, Aug. 21:
* For those who like to get their party on at locations outside the standard spots (like the Hi-5 gig at the W2 Storyeum, next one up: Aug. 28), start it up with a nice little pre-night outting from 5-10pm with Ion Mag/AJK/Zia presenting Inside Out – a Rooftop Party @ the Scotiabank Dance Centre with DJs AJK, Zeeaa from Ethnic Friends, U-Tern and All Hands In.
* Then the Bonafide Saturdays crew at Shine are giving their props to Daft Punk, Justice and all that electro francais with Robot Rock with Pat Lok, U-Tern and Laberge. Pat Lok also just finished up the BONAFIDE #4 MIX CD. The disco train dont stop there however as Pat & Laberge also just did a swanky little remix of Gwen Guthrie’s Hopscotch and it not only hit #1 on Hype Machine last week, someone out there named Dynomatik also put this video to it (below). See, the internets still can be a good thing.
* Oh, yeah, for those still feenin for their 90′s hip hop fix, Digable Planets is also at the Biltmore Saturday night.

He came. Rakim has now rocked Vancouver for the first time since he came out on the scene back in ’86. After openings slots by an energetic and on point Kyprios and Checkmate and Concise who were joined by Maestro Fresh Wes (proving he’s still got the fire for his original art), a banging golden era set by Hedspin (check out his Rakim – the R mixtape too) the 18th letter didnt get on stage until what seemed like near 2am. It was dam hot, dam sweaty, dam stanky but when Rakim walked on stage, it transported me right back to my childhood when hip hop was this new and fresh thing and this MC was the mystic king of the mic. As cliche as it still may sound, a figure that represented perhaps the most “pure” era of hip hop, when nothing else but beats & rhymes were king, was now on stage at Pop Opera…….MORE UNDER THE CUT.

Rakim @ Pop Opera, Aug. 17 from Japfunk on Vimeo.

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Pics from Vancouver’s first Filipino parade and fiesta from last Saturday at St. Patrick’s church on Main & 12th.

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Ive said it before but now is a good time to be a late 80s & 90s hip hop fan. Everyone from Public Enemy and EPMD to Camp Lo to Souls of Mischief have come thru town lately. With no disrespect to the aforementioned, the MC performing tomorrow at Pop Opera may take the golden cake however. If the late 80s/early 90s “golden age” of hip hop can be likened to the classic rock era, Rakim is the Jimi Hendrix of the microphone. A fiend, before he became a teen. A must that he bust any mic he’s handed. Came in the door, said before, never let the mic magnetize him no more….

Many of us are beyond hyped to catch Rakim tomorrow. DJ Hedspin & Sharks and Hammers are so stoked, they put together a limited edition CD x T-Shirt Package. Cop the Rakim – the R mixtape vol. 1. If anyone retailers want to get the shirt in their shop, holla @ Hedspin or Sharks and Hammers:
djhedspin@gmail.com
info@sharksandhammers.com
Track list below.

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The Philippines provides the most immigration to Canada today. In nothing but reflecting the times, Mayor Robertson proclaimed Aug. 14 as Filipino Fiesta Day in Vancouver. Join the Filipino community and much more SAT/AUG. 14 on its’ first fiesta and parade in Vancouver from Fraser & 32nd @ 9am to St. Patrick’s Church on Main & 12th (approx. 10am). Boombox Saints will peform around 1pm at St. Pat’s. Look for the Enspire Foundation in the parade and for their table to learn what they are all about.

Full Event Details

BC Day long weekend is a pretty busy one. Fireworks, Pride, long weekend parties, trying to keep up with homies from out of town coming in for a long weekend rampage and there was also the 34 annual Powell Street Festival. Returning to its’ home at the newly renovated Oppenheimer Park, there are now paved paths, a slick oval shaped building, and a cool little kid’s park (see photos below). This year was my 3rd year as a member of the programming committee and volunteer during the festival. I’ve had different ways to describe the festival over the past few years as I’ve told friends to come down. It just dawned on me this year though that, above all, along with being Vancouver’s longest running community festival, it’s a very uniquely Vancouver event.

It has the history of the old Japantown while still being engaged with the current DTES community and revitalizaton movement. It packs the park every year while still maintaining a sort of low key vibe at the same time. I’m pretty sure it was the first place in town that you could get takoyaki and while it certainly isn’t the only place anymore, the lineups today are full of people who come specifically down for it. You get to see performances and collaborations from some of the city’s most talented yet underexposed artists like long time taiko drum fixtures Eileen Kage and Leslie Komori with URB Next 100 alumni No Luck Club or the do-it-to-your-earholes SSRIs and Kokoro Dance play for an all aged and diverse audience.

Here are some videos and pics from this weekend’s festival.

Poster by Kaori Kasai

Rhythm Clash III: Total Constructive Interference taiko (Leslie Komori, Eileen Kage) and No Luck Club (Trevor & Matt Chan)

Rhythm Clash III @ Powell Street Festival 2010 from Japfunk on Vimeo.

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Today and tomorrow, the Powell Street Festival returns to its home, the newly renovated Oppenheimer Park (400 block of Powell Street) in Vancouver’s old Japan Town. Come down and get your sumo on with Vancouver’s Japanese Canadian community and far beyond.

Vancouver’s No Luck Club who have recently relocated to Toronto to further their music career return for their 3rd collaboration with Total Constructive Interference Taiko (Eileen Kage & Leslie Komori) for Rhythm Clash III @ 4:30pm on Sunday. See their 2008 performance HERE.

Full Festival Schedule
Pics from last year

Nighttime Gig!
TOCHKA (JAPAN) & DYNAMO COLEOPTERA (MONTREAL)
Saturday, July 31st, 8:00pm, Chapel Arts
The Powell Street Festival invites festival-goers to an evening double-bill that spans the globe: new media artists Tochka from Japan, and music and dance performers Dynamo Coléoptera from Montreal.

Full Festival, Tochka/Dynamo gig details below the cut

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For your boogie down beats and bboy battles this coming long weekend:
- TONIGHT/JUL. 29: Jurassic 5 DJ Nu-Mark @ Shine
- SAT DAT/JUL.31: Famous Circle presents: Circle Prinz Canada – International Bboy Battle, 4pm @ Russian Hall – 600 Campbell Ave (Strathcona)
- SAT NIGHT/JUL. 31: Hi5 @ the W2 Storyeum, 151 W. Cordoza (Gastown) with like every single mad DJ in town – Room 1: Hedspin, Illo, Rico Uno, Bles-sed, Nina Mendoza / Room 2: U-Tern, Trevor Risk, Zeeaa from Ethnic Friends, Cherk, AJK
Hi-5 July Promo Mix feat. Djs Illo / Hedspin / Zeeaa / Cherk

Its that time of year again for Vancouver’s longest running community festival, the Powell Street Festival on the coming long weekend, Sat/Jul. 31 – Sun/Aug. 1 returning to its long time home and newly renovated Oppenheimer Park.

***THE POWELL STREET FESTIVAL IS HEADING HOME! After last year’s one-year relocation to Woodland Park, the Powell Street Festival will return to its traditional home in the newly-renovated Oppenheimer Park. Taking inspiration from the Japanese notion of Koen debut, or Park debut, whereupon neighbourhood toddlers are introduced to their local community, the 34th Annual Powell Street Festival celebrates the idea of neighbourhood, youth, children, the park and its landscape itself.***

FESTIVAL WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
Cross-disciplinary collaboration by Toronto-based contemporary dancer Andrea Nann and Vancouver theatre artist Maiko Bae Yamamoto * World premiere of the Podplay The Oppenheimer Incident, a downloadable audio theatre piece by NeWorld Theatre (Vancouver) * Performances by local bluegrass band Shout!WhiteDragon, butoh innovators Kokoro Dance (Vancouver), Katari Taiko (Vancouver) with Latin percussionist Mario Zetina, and many more * Screening of award-winning video art from Japan * Historic walking tours, bonsai and ikebana demonstrations, and tea ceremonies * Full schedule will soon be available online at http://www.powellstreetfestival.com.

Poster by Kaori Kasai