Soundin' Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship
Watkins, Paul
Synopsis "Soundin' Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship"
Part exploration of a key group of BlackCanadian poets, part literary, cultural, and musical history, Soundin' Canaandemonstrates how music in Black Canadian poetry is not solely aesthetic, but aform of social, ethical, and political expression. Soundin' Canaan refers to the code name often used for Canadaduring the Black migration to Canada. The book analyzes the contributions ofkey Black Canadian poets, including their poetic styles and their performances.The book has several key objectives, including recuperating the collision ofthe historical and the Biblically derived figure of Canaan, the promised landof freedom and security for an African American population seeking to leave theshackles of slavery behind and the northern terminus of the undergroundrailroad. Centering around the poetry of George Elliott Clarke, Dionne Brand, M. NourbeSe Philip, Wayde Compton, and rapper K'naan, it delves into how thesepoets draw inspiration from African American and Afro-diasporic musical genres, such as blues, jazz, reggae and dub, hip-hop, and remix, to reshape the notionsof identity and citizenship. Soundin' Canaan asks: what does Canadiancitizenship sound like, especially when voiced by Black Canadian poets whoembrace a fluid and multicultural form of citizenship that moves between localand global spaces, much like music does? Using a DJ Methodology, the author mixes in close readings ofpoetry, music, cultural and literary history, as well as various interviewswith the poets. The book includes an accompanying soundtrack to further enhancethe reading experience. Moreover, the book uses musical and sonic terms toanalyze the poets' works and reveals their engagement with ideals andexclusions of state-authorized multiculturalism in a society built upon settlercolonialism and anti-Black racism. What happens when those not normally seen ascitizens with full rights are brought more into the picture and seen asco-performers of the Canadian remix project? No longer for the elite alone, citizenship is to be universally conferred for all Canadians.
