Spotify has named Zimbabwe-born Australia-based singer KYE – real name Kylie Tadiwa Chirunga as its EQUAL Ambassador Australia/ New Zealand for December.
Spotify’s EQUAL Hub is dedicated to highlighting emerging female artists to assist them to achieve better representation and broader visibility in the music industry.
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| KYE Image Credit: Spotify |
Spotify Australia/ New Zealand made an Instagram post featuring the 26-year-old Zimbabwean artist as she proudly shares how songwriting and her music have influenced her story of cultural identity. "Growing up I never really felt I could say I was from one place. I was always the kid from another country everywhere I went." reads the post that directly quotes KYE.
"I had multiple versions of home but felt like a foreigner in each one. I struggled to reconcile with the ways my various cultural upbringings intersected. I often felt othered, mostly by myself. I couldn't make my personality or my heritage fold into this neat box I thought it should. There's nothing like being a little black Zimbabwean girl, with an English accent, living in Australia." says KYE.
"I felt too loud, too weird, too black, - too much. I struggled to find a cultural identity and tried to erase my roots for the sake of assimilation. I didn't want to be different. I think music makes you see yourself. When I started writing I was no longer able to hide because I had to confront myself on the pages of my notebooks. Writing songs about your experiences denies you the ability to erase yourself. All of a sudden, I was faced with my history and my heritage, all the things that made me, me and with that acknowledgment came the celebration. I started to celebrate the different places I was brought up, and the ways that enriched the music I make. I am an absolute fusion of a person and I think it's why my music sounds the way it does - a fusion of sounds; pop, r&b, soul, and electronic. I want to tell my story with the celebration of my culture, and I want to tell it proudly. most of all, I want to tell those who feel othered, that you're not alone and so much beauty comes from embracing your differences." she continues.
In March 2021, Australia-based Zimbabwean rapper Takudzwa Tkay Maidza was selected among the EQUAL inaugural class of 35 female artists, each cherry-picked from across 35 international markets, spanning more than 50 countries.
The streaming platform has also featured KYE on its EQUAL Global playlist alongside artists from across the world. You can stream it here.
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