Studying the Sounds of the African Diaspora, from Toronto
As I write this, I'm listening to an Amapiano mix online from Jay Tshepo. Amapiano, a genre I knew nothing about a few years ago, and could have never predicted the way it would capture me. I am pleased that we can still be amazed, impressed, and discover new sounds, practitioners, and audible movements. Continuously, with infinite amounts of song combinations accessible to us. As we inevitably become closer, globally, the exposure of sounds is also becoming closer. The great thing about African-based sounds gaining newfound popularity in this current era of music, is that it's so much deeper than just one country or aesthetic. South Africa has a buzz right now, but Nigeria does also. Music of the African diaspora feels comforting to my soul. Instantly. It reminds me that we all groove to the same heartbeat (forgive the obvious analogy), but that even within our similarities, there are such important, intricate details that make each demographic even more special. Each country...