With a degree of involvement in at least three bands, all of which have elements tied to the Caribbean and its history, Ohene Ifrit is one of the most interesting figures in their metal scene.

Some double standards in music include the fact that white people have historically been free to claim any genre they set their sights on, while Black people are relegated to R&B, hip hop and ‘urban’ genres. The following artists: Demi Lovato bouncing from Emo-Nite to R&B influenced album Tell Me You Love Me; Miley Cyrus going from Disney princess to Bangerz (an album I actually love), and “rapping” on 23; and Machine Gun Kelly going from rapper to pop-punk saviour, are all examples of said freedom.

Despite the violent racism experienced last year, Pink Flamingo has several new projects to unveil this year, including the relaunch of the Black Lives Matter mural project

The conversation surrounding Black music as well as appropriation has been a ripe one in pop culture discussions for a handful of years, as open dialogue around white supremacy has become more commonplace. Hip hop and R&B are usually the first genres to be brought up in these discussions. But what is it about these genres that creates such a powerful cultural connector that people all over the world, from all backgrounds and of all races have grasped onto?

On the Permissibility of Homophobia Within Dancehall from the Perspective of One Diasporic Dyke.

Capitalism and its concomitant red tape restricts those who desire self-determination, while racism compounds these issues.

While Orest’s family was successful, they encountered many hardships, this is due to the Rwandan genocide that happened from 1993 to 1994. His family fled Rwanda and moved to Congo for a better life. They were forced to sell their property, their homes and everything that they owned. They lived in Congo for about two years before the Congolese government started kicking people out. This led the Ndabaneze family back to Burundi, where Orest was born.

Eve is the founder of Capability Career Group, a Calgary-based organization specializing in diversity, inclusion and belonging, academic advising, career development and employment skills workshops.

Eve started in this industry by working for employment agencies in Calgary and seeing first-hand just how rigged the system is.

Misha was born in Swaziland and raised in South Africa, Australia and Canada. She credits the African continent’s rich culture of music and singing as well as the church, for her early appreciation of music.