Carefully curated playlists of local Black artists now on Spotify
The Reach Gallery Museum has partnered with former UFV club Black Connections and UFV campus radio station CIVL to present TURN IT UP, a celebration of Afro music here in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. In celebration of Black History Month, The Reach’s Spotify will release a playlist in February, March, and April, each curated by a different Afro music enthusiast to showcase local Black artists.
Milca Tshimpaka, a UFV alum, and Jerusalem Amosha were the representatives from Black Connections who thoughtfully selected the curators for each playlist. Through meeting with curators at The Reach, the collaborative team came up with ideas on how they could create inclusive art that would reflect the Black community at the gallery.
“One of those ideas was to have a playlist featuring artists in the Fraser Valley and British Columbia,” said Tshimpaka, “to celebrate them and give them the exposure that they deserve.”
“I enjoyed the project, in receiving feedback from the first curator of the month, and also seeing the interactions on Black Connection’s Instagram page was very rewarding,” said Amosha.
Tshimpaka wanted listeners of these playlists to be open to change and to experience the culture these artists are influenced by as well. These playlists highlight the diverse, impressive music scene and artists we have here in the Fraser Valley that can be indulged in.
“Hopefully in the future the music scene in Abbotsford and in the Fraser Valley will grow — we can have these artists play and be recognized and appreciated here in the Fraser Valley,” said Tshimpaka.
She added that UFV can play a role in creating a more active art scene and shaping the culture here in Abbotsford. The UFV student body and community can work to create these experiences here locally, instead of travelling to Vancouver.
Tshimpaka emphasized that there needs to be some effort made to research local Black artists because they are here, but it might be required to get outside of your comfort zone to find them.
“I think one of the first steps is consciously doing research that is outside of your norm,” Tshimpaka said.
Look for Tshimpaka and Amosha’s next project, a discussion by mental health professionals about the mental health of Black people in our community, which Black Connections will release on March 19. The project aims to inform people about seemingly harmless actions that affect members of the Black community, as well as to inform the Black community itself to be aware of how these actions affect them and to take the proper precautions to preserve their mental health.
Stay tuned for next month’s playlist, which will be curated by Diyoka Tshimpaka. Follow Black Connections on Instagram and Facebook. Check out the playlists on The Reach’s Spotify or attend a listening session in the gallery every Saturday between 12 to 3 p.m.
(Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade)
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
