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Dawen
王大文
Birth nameDawen Wang
Born (1981-10-28) October 28, 1981 (age 43)
OriginChicago, IL
GenresSoul, R&B, Neo-soul, Funk
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrumentvocals
Years active2007–present
Websitedawen.us

Dawen Wang (Chinese: 王大文; pinyin: Wáng Dàwén), known as Dawen, is an American singer and songwriter. He first gained prominence when he won Kollaboration Acoustic 4.[1] Dawen's first single "Wake Up", deals with Asian American stereotypes and prejudice towards minorities, and is especially popular among high school and college students.[2][3] Known for his socio-politically conscious music, Dawen's material is a staple of Asian American Studies departments all over universities across the US, frequently performing and speaking at various panels and conferences.[3][4][5][6][7]

Dawen became popular for translating famous popular songs into Chinese on YouTube, with his Mandarin cover of Rebecca Black's "Friday" becoming a viral runaway hit in 2011.[8]

Early life

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 28, 1981, Dawen grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and attended Lexington High School as a freshman. At the age of 14, Dawen moved to Hong Kong to reside with his mother, attending Sha Tin College.[3]

Dawen returned to the United States to study at Northwestern University. He majored in English and vocal performance.[9] After graduation, he worked at Starbucks for two years.[10]

His brother George Wang, is a new media and TV producer based in Los Angeles, California.[11]

Career

Dawen first appeared on the music scene as an indie artist in the mid-late 2000s. He started off in Chicago, Illinois, playing at open mics and at various music venues. In the fall of 2008, he decided to move to Los Angeles, upon the advice of his brother George, to further pursue his music career.[12]

In late 2009, he released his debut album, "American Me" and followed soon after with a tour including stops in Taiwan and Hong Kong.[2][13][14] In August 2010, Dawen entered the talent show Kollaboration and emerged the Grand Prize Winner, increasing his prominence and exposure online.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

His translations of American pop songs, such as Rebecca Black - "Friday" and Backstreet Boys - "I Want It That Way", have turned into YouTube hits.[9][11] His brother shot a music video for his a cappella cover of Bruno Mars - "Just the Way You Are" in 2011. The video was uploaded onto YouTube, where it caught the attention of Universal Music Taiwan. Dawen later moved to Taiwan in 2012 to sign with Universal Music Taiwan.[11]

Although Dawen grew up speaking Mandarin, he was not fluent in the language. Upon moving to Taiwan, he took an intensive Mandarin course. He released his first Mandarin language album "Hello" at the end of 2013.[11] Dawen was awarded Most Popular New Artist at the Singapore Hit Awards in November 2014.[10]

Dawen's first Mandarin single, "A Change of Heart" ("回心轉意") debuted in episode 9 on the Taiwanese idol drama, Lady Maid Maid (愛情女僕), broadcast on SETTV. It has been regularly featured on subsequent episodes and has since been released as part of a fourteen song TV soundtrack compilation, available as a digital download on Taiwan-based KKBox.[23]

Discography

Studio album

  • (2009) American Me[9]
  • (2013) Hello
  • (2015) Happy Or Not
  • (2019) The International Space Station

References

  1. ^ Eun, Elizabeth. "Dawen Wins Kollaboration Acoustic 4". KoreAm Magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Q&A with Singer-Songwriter Dawen, embarking on New York "American Me" Tour | Hyphen magazine – Asian American arts, culture, and politics
  3. ^ a b c "Asia Pacific Arts: Soul Awakening". Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  4. ^ "Panelist and Moderator Bios – Asian American Studies : College of Liberal Arts : Purdue University". Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  5. ^ Sailing Beyond the Horizon | ITASA 2010 West Coast Conference | UC San Diego is set to host the ITASA 2010 West Coast Conference on April 1–4, 2010. Here's a behind the scenes...
  6. ^ Seen and Heard Conference 2011 Features Dawen
  7. ^ "The Midwest Asian Pacific Islander desi American Students Union".
  8. ^ "[Video] Carson Daly: Rebecca Black's "Friday" Goes To China!". May 10, 2011. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Chan, Boon (May 1, 2014). "Late to the game". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Hon Jing Yi (November 21, 2014). "Wang Dawen is happy to be here". TODAY. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Kai-Hwa Wang, Frances (April 27, 2015). "'Epic Adventure': Dawen On Making Music And A Home in Taiwan". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Dawen Interview | Asian American Musician |". Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  13. ^ Dawen — American Me | MTV IGGY
  14. ^ Introducing Guest Bloggers: Dawen | MTV IGGY
  15. ^ "Kollaboration – EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT – Kollaboration Acoustic 4". Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  16. ^ dawen wins kollaboration acoustic 4
  17. ^ Dawen Wins Kollaboration Acoustic 4 « KoreAm Journal – Korean America's Premier Magazine
  18. ^ Dawen Wins Kollaboration Acoustic 4! | a-Tunes
  19. ^ Dawen Wins Kollaboration Acoustic 4 | Music | 8Asians.com | An Asian American collaborative blog
  20. ^ Empowerment Through Entertainment – Rafu Shimpo
  21. ^ http://www.channelapa.com/2010/08/dawen-wins-kollaboration-acoustic-4.html
  22. ^ Slant Eye For The Round Eye: Official: Dawen Wins Kollaboration Acoustic 4
  23. ^ 愛情女僕情歌合輯 – 回心轉意 (演唱：王大文) (愛情女僕 插曲) – KKBOX
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