While Christmas in Los Angeles brings sunshine instead of snowflakes, Angelinos can still enjoy holiday festivities—particularly the music. In today’s podcast episode, graffiti artist Man One and filmmaker VONJAKO join host Scott “Sourdough” Power to discuss the creative journey behind the music video for “Christmas in L.A.,” a unique hip-hop holiday track celebrating the vibrant culture of LA. Released by Crewest Studio as a tribute to the city, the song features a powerhouse lineup of LA-based emcees, including Aceyalone, 2Mex, Medusa, and Myka 9, along with members from Grammy-winning band Ozomatli. Produced by Dan Ubick of Danube Productions, “Christmas in L.A.” stands out as a rare addition to holiday music, infusing traditional festivities with the city’s iconic hip-hop roots.
The episode delves into the challenges of the music video’s production, highlighting the creative decisions that brought a fresh perspective to Santa Claus’s portrayal—reimagined as a graffiti artist. Man One and VONJAKO discuss the importance of collaboration, emphasizing how working with local talent contributes to an authentic representation of LA culture. They reflect on the joys and trials encountered during filming, reinforcing the significance of storytelling in art and the shared experience of creating with limited resources.
Listeners will hear insights about the joy of authenticity in the creative process and the unexpected adventures that arise when artists engage deeply with their surroundings. The episode invites audiences to appreciate the music and the stories behind it, capturing the essence of the holiday spirit in a city famously devoid of snow. As "Christmas in L.A." gains traction on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, this podcast is a crucial companion piece, illuminating the artistic spirit that defines LA's unique seasonal celebrations.
About VONJAKO
Andrea “Jako” Giacomini, aka “VONJAKO,” is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer based in Los Angeles. Hailing from the Italian town of Ascoli Piceno, he moved to the U.S. to pursue a music career but also kept his childhood passion for photography. An editor at the LA Times took note of his work and gave him his first assignment, which led to a full-time photojournalism position at the Cal State Los Angeles University newspaper.
Soon, VONJAKO expanded into the realm of filmmaking. He directed and created music videos for various artists, including Eric Benet, Fatboy Slim, and Gnarls Barkley, to name a few. His videos have been showcased at SXSW, AFI Fest, Cannes Shorts Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival, among others.
He has created commercials and brand content for companies including Levi’s, Honda, Yamaha, Lincoln, Nissan, Fiat/Chrysler, Converse, and Doritos. His multimedia work “More than Words” won the AFI + Levi’s “Show Us The Way” competition, as well as the FutureCity Yokohama Award (Best Short Film) at the Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo. He recently directed Amazon Prime's "The Soul Within" with Porsche, earning the Telly Awards 2021. His "VALERINE" music video won at ARPA Film Festival 2022 and CineGear 2023.
About Man One
Man One believes in the transformational power of art and its power to save lives and make the world a better place.
Man One believes art gives mankind an essential and irreplaceable cultural language in which to express and know itself. Man One believes art can transcend cultural and socio-economic barriers, fostering understanding, mutual respect, and unity among disparate peoples. Man One believes these things are possible because he's seen them happen through the power of his own art and the art of others.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Man One developed his love for art, developing his skills as a graffiti artist on the streets of LA. He honed his talents as a fine artist and understanding of art history at Loyola Marymount University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in fine arts.
Over the years, Man One has worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and the Mexican Consulate in the U.S., and most recently received a Speaker and Specialist Grant from the U.S. State Department to work with the U.S. Embassy in Panama. There, he demonstrated to Panamanian children and teenagers how art could build self-esteem and self-respect to help you overcome any situation.
In 2011, he was invited to North Ireland (twice), where he painted murals and conducted workshops to help foster understanding and mutual respect among young Irish Catholics and Protestants. He has led similar workshops in Japan, Germany, Mexico, and throughout the U.S.
Man One's art is comprised of his trademark bold, colorful art strokes and has been featured in 10 solo shows, countless group exhibitions, and curated well over a hundred. His work has been exhibited in many museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, The Getty, Pasadena Museum of California Art, LACMA, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana, Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, Parco Museum in Tokyo and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. His artwork is collected internationally and has shown in galleries around the world, including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico, the UK, Japan, and Switzerland, among others.
In 2002, Man One founded Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles to legitimize graffiti art as a valuable and collectible art form and give graffiti artists a professional venue and forum in which to showcase their work. In the book Graffiti L.A., street art documentarian Steve Grody listed the opening of Crewest Gallery as a milestone event in the history of graffiti art in Los Angeles. Ten years on, Crewest continues to be a leader in the world of collectible graffiti art.
Man One and his art have been featured in many television shows, such as MTV’s Pimp My Ride, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, America’s Next Top Model, and The Contender, to name a few. On the silver screen, he has appeared in John Tucker Must Die (Revolution Studios), The Roommate (Screen Gems), and Burn Hollywood Burn (Cinergi) and featured in television commercials for Ford, Microsoft, Target, and Verizon.
He has painted live on stage at some of the largest U.S. music concerts and festivals, including tours for MTV with The Black Eyed Peas, De La Soul, and Wyclef Jean, as well as traveling across the country on the Van’s Warped Tour performing side by side with bands like 311, Blink182, and Good Charlotte. He has performed with music legends like George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
Man One has been commissioned commercially by a plethora of corporations, including Coca-Cola, Disney, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Carmax, Oakley, Dickies Girl, Pioneer, Symantec, EA Sports, and Ubisoft, to name a few.
Man One has been recognized for his unwavering support for many charitable causes, donating his time and talents to painting and teaching art on behalf of The HeArt Project, I Am Angel Foundation, The Center for Biological Diversity, and Heal the Bay. In 2009, The HeArt Project selected Man One as the recipient of that year’s Artist Award for his significant contributions to their important cause of arts education among underprivileged youth in Los Angeles. He was also acknowledged with a RIVIE award for Artist of the Year in 2008 by the Friends of the Los Angeles River.
Man One's artwork has been profiled and featured in a number of international magazines, newspapers, and books, including The L.A. Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Warp Magazine (Japan), Angeleno (USA), 38Times (Japan), Lowrider Arte Magazine (USA), Rime Magazine (USA), La Dolce Vita (Italy), Aelle (Italy), Backspin (Germany), Rap Pages (USA), “Graffiti World” (by Nicholas Ganz), “Painting the Towns: California Murals” (by Jim Prigoff and Robin Dunitz), “Graffiti L.A.” (by Steve Grody) and is mentioned in “The History of American Graffiti” (by Roger Gastman and Caleb Neelon).
Man One's life work is about putting the power of art in the hands, hearts, and minds of people all over the world. Everything Man One has done to date is about democratizing art and educating others about the unique value of graffiti art. Moving forward, Man One will continue his life's work as an artist, teacher, and entrepreneur in order to empower mankind and facilitate a more beautiful, fair, and just world through the power of art.
This feature has been edited for length and clarity. All photos published with permission of the artist(s); featured photo: video still from ‘Christmas in L.A.’