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May 16, 20233 min read

AAPI Heritage Month: Celebrating AAPI Musicians

Updated: Feb 26, 2024



May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions and achievements of AAPI individuals in the United States. In honor of this month, we'll be posting about some notable Asian-American creatives whose work has had a profound impact on their respective fields. First up: musicians!


1. Mitski

Mitski is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter whose unique brand of indie rock combines elements of punk, pop, and folk with raw, emotive vocals and introspective lyrics.


Her songs often explore themes of love, loneliness, and mental health, and are deeply personal and poetic. Mitski’s Be the Cowboy was named one of the best albums of 2018 by numerous publications.


Mitski has been praised for her ability to capture the complexities of the human experience and mental health with sensitivity and insight. Some of Mitski's music also addresses her experiences as a mixed-race Japanese-American. In her song "Your Best American Girl," she reflects on the challenges of trying to fit into American society while also staying true to her own cultural identity.


2. Jai Wolf

Jai Wolf, also known as Sajeeb Saha, is a Bangladeshi-American electronic musician and music producer.


Born in Bangladesh and raised in Long Island, New York, he first gained popularity with remixes of popular songs.


Jai Wolf's music often explores themes of nostalgia, personal growth, and emotional connection.


His tracks blend electronic and pop sounds, incorporating South Asian influences in his melodies and beats. He often uses instruments such as the sitar and tabla, which are common in Indian classical music, and the dotara, a traditional string instrument often heard in Bangladeshi folk music.


3. Thao Nguyen

Thao Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American indie rock singer-songwriter and guitarist known for her distinctive voice, intricate guitar work, and socially conscious lyrics that address issues such as race, gender, and politics. She not only performs with the band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, but also collaborates with other artists, including Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. She has contributed music to film and television projects such as “One Mississippi,” “The Bling Ring,” and “The Spectacular Now.”


In Thao’s song "We the Common (For Valerie Bolden)," Nguyen reflects on her own experiences as the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, and explores the tension between assimilation and preserving cultural heritage: "We come from a history of fleeing / That is where our sorrow comes from / But we are gonna leave here singing / With our children by our side." Nguyen offers a powerful and nuanced portrayal of the immigrant experience, and challenges the stereotypes that can often accompany it.


4. Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga is an award-winning Filipina singer and actress. She made her Broadway debut in 1991 as the original Kim in Miss Saigon, earning critical acclaim and a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.


She has appeared in many major productions, including in Les Miserables as the first Asian woman cast to play the characters of either Éponine or Fantine.


Salonga has had a successful career as a recording artist, releasing several albums in both English and Tagalog. She's lent her voice to a number of animated films, including the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin.


Salonga is a prominent advocate for Filipino artists and has used her platform to promote cultural exchange and understanding.


5. Kishi Bashi

Kishi Bashi is a Japanese-American musician, singer, and songwriter known for his unique blend of indie pop and classical music. He began his musical career as a violinist, playing in orchestras and backing up artists such as Regina Spektor before releasing music on his own.


His music has been heralded for its experimental usage of looping, electronic effects, and references to chamber music.


Many of Kishi Bashi's creative works engage with themes of identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. In his album Omoiyari, he explores the history and legacy of Japanese internment during World War II, drawing connections between past and present struggles for justice and equality.



Image Attributions:

  • Mitski -David Lee, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Thao - matthew hickey, katiebordner, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lea Salonga - The Tony Awards, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kishi Bashi - William Neuheisel from DC, US, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jai Wolf - Kdwallach, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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