Dawen
Encyclopedia
Dawen is an American
singer-songwriter
and keyboardist
who gained prominence when he won Kollaboration Acoustic
4. His single "Wake Up
" deals with issues of Asian American
stereotypes
and prejudice
towards minorities. Known for his socially
conscious music
, Dawen has recently become popular for translating famous songs into Chinese.
, Dawen grew up in Lexington
. At the age of 14, Dawen moved to Hong Kong
before returning to the US to study in a college.
playing at open mics and at various music venues. In 2010 he decided to move to LA
to further pursue his music career. In 2009 he released his debut "American Me
" and followed with a college tour. He is currently working on an EP
slated for a release in the fall (autumn) of 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
who gained prominence when he won Kollaboration Acoustic
Acoustic
Acoustic may refer to:In science:* Acoustics, a branch of physics that studies sound** Musical acoustics, the branch of acoustics that studies the physics of music** Acoustic metamaterials, engineered materials with atypical properties...
4. His single "Wake Up
Wake Up
-Music:Albums* Wake Up! * Wake Up! * Wake Up * Wake Up * Wake Up, by Pocket Change* Wake Up, by StereosideSongs...
" deals with issues of Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
stereotypes
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
and prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
towards minorities. Known for his socially
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
conscious music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Dawen has recently become popular for translating famous songs into Chinese.
Early life
Born in Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Dawen grew up in Lexington
Lexington
-Places:In the United States:*Lexington, Kentucky, the largest 'Lexington'*Lexington, Massachusetts, the oldest 'Lexington'** Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War*Lexington, Alabama*Lexington, Georgia...
. At the age of 14, Dawen moved to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
before returning to the US to study in a college.
Career
Dawen started off in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
playing at open mics and at various music venues. In 2010 he decided to move to LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to further pursue his music career. In 2009 he released his debut "American Me
American Me
American Me is a 1992 biographical crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, his first film as a director, and written by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos also stars as the film's protagonist, Montoya Santana...
" and followed with a college tour. He is currently working on an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
slated for a release in the fall (autumn) of 2011.