By: Taysha Tiatia, Student Fellow
In October, the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs launched the Pockets of Peace Wellness series focused on self-care and mental health. Each month since then, we have provided resources, events, and information to encourage communities to reserve moments throughout the month for their “pockets of peace”.
For this final installment of our series, we will be highlighting some local musicians of color that are making waves in Utah. During this pandemic, many industries have been greatly affected. Of those industries, the arts and entertainment have taken a hard hit and has had to adapt to these new health and safety guidelines. All things considered, it is important more than ever to support our local artists and musicians. Explore some new music this holiday season by checking out these incredible local musicians and supporting those near you:
Detzany – Detzany is a bilingual artist whose music ranges from urban latin music to pop. Detzany is the epitome of the cool-girl vibe, cultivating songs from female-empowerment to her love life. Detzany’s style is very soulful and playful all at the same time, and it is very reflective in her music and performances.
Aarushi and Amishi – Aarushi and Amishi Rohaj are a dynamic sister duo. They perform BollyPop, which is a culmination of “Indian Classical music and Western pop.” This genre fusion of two cultures is a representation of what makes these sisters who they are.
Marina Marqueza – Marina is a non-binary Japanese-Venezuelan musician based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Marina’s music focuses on expressing her identity and struggle as a queer artist of color. Their music is very experimental, playing around with transcendental instrumentals and melodic vocals.
Vinnie Cassius – Vinnie is an Ogden-based rapper who has a passion for fashion and hip hop culture. Some of Vinnie’s inspiration stem from his favorite musicians such as Nas, Lil Wayne, Jay Electronic and The Roots. His rap music resembles the structure of trap music with lyrics that “flaunt his talent, and his past life, all while explaining his flawless drip.”
During this trying time, our sister division, the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, has services to support artists. Please visit https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov for more information.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our first ever virtual Pockets of Peace series! We hope you were able to experience a moment of peace through practicing self care and mental wellness. We appreciate all the community partners and organizations that helped to make this series happen.
Wishing everyone peace and renewed spirits this season!