The start of a new calendar year is supposed to symbolize a fresh beginning. The start of the Lunar New Year is much deeper than that. The Lunar New Year is a festival all about spiritual realignment, celebration, and community. With the year we’ve had, this is needed now more than ever. However, with the pandemic lockdowns for many Asians across the globe, the days-long celebration of the ox looked a lot different.
But thanks to the good people over at Joy Ruckus Club, the smaller than usual gatherings didn’t have to skip out on the perfect tunes. Their virtual Lunar New Year Festival showcased some of the biggest independent names in hip-hop, r&b, pop, folk, and dance music. Featured performers included Cirok Starr, BOHAN, Ashley Alisha, Pyra, Run River North, DACEY, ÊMIA, Nick Chun, and many more.
We had the chance to catch up with the organizers to learn more about their mission and more. Check out the short interview below.
What was the inspiration behind the festival?
“Observing the lack of platforms for Asian musicians, a lack that has deepened during the lockdowns, Joy Ruckus Club was founded in August 2020 to fill this void and provide a voice for the Asian community.”
Overall what’s the mission of Joy Ruckus programming?
“Joy Ruckus Club aims to be the fundamental virtual platform for Asian musicians from all over the world to perform on. We will showcase the best of Asian world music, as led and organized by Asian Americans, every few months, to nurture an ecosystem of Asian music that will grow exponentially.”
What’s next as far as events are concerned?
Next up is Joy Ruckus Club 4, Spring ’21, and it should be bigger than JRC 3!
Stay connected with Joy Ruckus Club across your favorite social media platforms for programming updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or on their official website joyruckusclub.com.
