Behind a winner, there is a story.   And with six finalists, all with different talents to bring to the table, are stories of the Asian American dream to express self while being accurately perceived. 

WIth only four days away from the final stage, Kollaboration, a non-profit organization committed to promote accurate perceptions of the Asian American community is proud to introduce the six finalists.  The finalists will be competing at Kollaboration Star 2013 on November 16th at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, home to the People's Choice awards. With diverse talents, it was a feat to bring together this set of finalists in one stage. The online voting, which concluded on October 17th, was held on the Kollaboration Star Facebook page and saw nearly 10,000 votes come in during the 3-day voting period.  

Prior to the final six, there were 13 local Kollaboration talent competition winners, coming from all corners of the USA.  Since it started about two years ago, Kollaboration was hard at work in the quest to find and represent Asian American talent all over the US and Canada.   Each of the local competitions also had very interesting mixes of talent, all of which nearly deserving a seat at the finals as well.  So, the final six becomes a true battle between the best of the best in Asian American talent.

From the original 13 local competiton winners, the five competitors with most online votes along with one Wild Card finalist selected by the Kollaboration Directors were chosen to be flown into Los Angeles, represent their cities, and compete for the $20,000 Grand Prize:

 HOUSTON - MIKEY "SILVER-YO" SILVERIO, beatboxing

 LOS ANGELES - JOHN & DANIEL RHEE, band

 SAN FRANCISCO - &BLUE, acoustic band

 SEATTLE - TROY & ARIEL, spoken word/composer

 TORONTO - PLAITWRIGHTS AND CHARLESTON RELAY, band

 WASHINGTON DC - DAVE YOON, vocal

Promising to be a night of authentic talent, the six finalists will share the stage with the big names in Asian American entertainment:  Drunken Tiger, T Yoon Mirae, Bizzy, Paul PK Kim, Mike Song, Terry "KRNFX" Im, David So, and Youtube sensation David Choi.  

A special stage performance of "The Cure", the hip-hop track that made an all-kill in Korean charts earlier this fall, is anticipated from Drunken Tiger, T Yoon Mi Rae, and Bizzy and now also David Choi.  The meaningful hit song is said to be a tribute to Tiger JK's father who is currently battling Stage 4 lung cancer. The song reached its premium status on the charts and was critically acclaimed as it speaks to listeners about remaining steadfast and never giving up amid hardships.  Kollaboration Star 2013 will feature the group's first public performance together.

The authenticity in talent and even in the message sent forth by its headlining acts make Kollaboration 2013 the meaningful event it strives to be.  Nearly an anti-thesis to the dizzying lights and the manufactured sounds of K-pop, Kollaboration 2013 paints an honest picture of Asian Pacific Islander talent.  More importantly, it serves to remind that behind any famous star is a story of the rise to the top, and genuine talent.   

To learn more about Kollaboration Star 2013, please visit www.kollaboration.org or connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KollaborationStar.

Tickets are now available for purchase through Ticketmaster.