African arts have been ‘folklorized’ by outsiders. A Montreal artist wants to change that

Afro-optimism.

This concept has shaped Vanessa Kanga’s vision for the future of African arts.

Like others who believe in Afro-optimism, the Montreal neo soul artist, who goes by the stage name Veeby, professes her “deep love” for the continent and her belief that it will continue to thrive. 

More than a feeling, it has been a guiding principle in her work for over a decade, pushing her to design artistic projects meant to build bridges between African cities and Montreal and demystify stereotypes around African art forms.

“Listen, I know what plays in Lagos, in Douala, in Dakar, and when I’m in Montreal, I look at the programming and I’m like: ‘No, nobody listens to that,'” said the Cameroonian-born artist who travels to the continent regularly.

“I said to myself: ‘No, I can’t go on acting as if I didn’t see the fact that they’ve folklorized us, kept us in expressions that, in their imagination, are exotic, comforts them in their superiority complex as it relates to our art,'” said the Cameroonian-born artist.

Kanga also realized there were “very few opportunities” and platforms for Afro-descendant artists. 

But she wasn’t going to stand by and watch it happen.

In 2012, the Afropolitan Nomad Festival was born.

‘Our artists fill arenas, they fill stadiums’

Between that year and 2022, the Montrealer hosted the festival in countries like Cameron, Senegal, Benin and Ivory Coast. 

The idea was to bring Montreal artists of African descent there to showcase their art — whether it be music, dance, visual arts or fashion — and have them connect with African artists.

Each edition, she would invite key players from Canada’s arts scene to travel to the continent to witness the “beauty and richness of creation on the African continent.” 

“The idea was really to show them that African music is not the primitive perception we have of the drum, costumes from another era,” said the founder of the festival. “Africa, especially young Africa, is modern, it’s vibrant, it’s hip-hop, it’s pop, it’s electro, it’s jazz,” she said. 

“Our artists fill arenas, they fill stadiums.” 

Though it was important for Kanga to bring people from Canada’s arts network to the continent to discover its music, she said she also wished to remind Montreal artists from the African diaspora that there are places where “everyone is like them” and where they’re not being constantly reminded that they make “world music.”

In late May, Kanga brought the event to Montreal for the first time.

“We had created a great network of artists — about 300 on the continent, but I felt that we’d only come full circle if there was reciprocity, if Africa could also showcase its know-how here in Canada,” said the artist.

More than a festival

When Kanga reflects on the effects her festival has had on others, she thinks about a fellow Montreal artist who is of Polish, Jamaican and Canadian descent who has also embraced her father-in-law’s Haitian heritage as her own.

A trip to Benin was all it took for Stella Jeté to change her esthetic and incorporate more Haitian and traditional rhythms to reflect her African roots.

She also changed her stage name from Stella Jeté to Stella Adjokê. 

“I think that’s proof that [the festival] had an impact on her,” said the founder of the event.

Kanga’s initiative is not just limited to a few days per year.

To strenghten that cross-continental relationship, she also invites female musicians from African countries to work with Indigenous artists based in the Montreal area.

“For us, they’re the custodians of the land, and we’re also trying to educate our fellow Africans about the reality of life in Canada, which is, in general, an unceded territory with a colonial history too,” said Kanga. 

The program gives African and Indigenous women — whom she points out are underrepresented in the industry — a platform and a chance to create and share their music. 

“You bring your bag with you, you come to create. You have nothing to ask of anyone. You don’t owe anyone anything,” she said. 

Since 2021, artists from the program have travelled to Senegal, Cameroon and Montreal to present their final projects.

The next call for a new cohort will be made in September. 

‘It’s a godsend, we can only pray that it continues’

Davy Lessouga, a Cameroonian senior manager with Believe, a French digital music company, was invited to hold a conference during this year’s edition of the Afropolitan Nomad Festival. 

He shares Kanga’s dream of seeing a bridge cross the Atlantic Ocean.

For him, bringing African artists to Canada is important because of the country’s “strong Black community” and the way it has “embraced its diversity.”  

“When you’re in Africa, Canada is very far. When we have an event like the Afropolitan Nomad Festival that travels to different countries, every time, it allows us to discover the artists,” said Lessouga. 

“For a long time, Africa had a narrative that was told by others. For a long time, it was people who didn’t really know African music, who didn’t really know our African culture who talked about it,” he said. 

Lessouga said initiatives like Kanga’s help foster collaborations and opportunities for artists. “It’s a godsend, we can only pray that it continues,” added the Douala-based music expert. 

Kanga plans to continue spreading Afro-optimism, one project at a time. She’s determined to fight for all musical expressions to be “valid,” no matter where they come from.

“I think the only way to do that is to break down the prejudices people have about the African continent’s ability to make history.” 

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