Deezer Features New Talent, Promotes Dialogue With Black History Month Collection
Reaffirming its support for Black artists, Deezer expanded its Black Culture Channel with new music and podcasts as a part of its Black History Month Collection.
The music streaming service already offers a permanent Black Culture Channel--a dedicated channel available all-year round that offers music, curated playlists, and even podcast shows featuring both classic and rising black talents from around the world.
Now, it is further expanding this dedicated channel with its Black History Month offer, coinciding with the February commemoration of the African-American History Month. Fans can now enjoy songs from The Supremes, Nina Simone, Prince, Bob Marley, to Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and more.
Deezer's Black History Month Offer
For music content, Deezer launched its Black History Month Sessions--a set of all-original musical content featuring incredible talents. New online sessions will be released every week over the month of February, curated in a special playlist within the Black Culture Channel.
In the new Deezer original sessions, each artist gets to perform a live cover version of an iconic song from their favorite Black artist and an acoustic number of their own songs. Iconic jazz singer-songwriter Gregory Porter took the lead with a heartwarming take on Sam Cooke's 1964 classic "A Change is Gonna Come." He then offered fans an acoustic version of his own "When Love Was King."
Porter explained to Deezer that Cooke's song connects him to the artist, particularly in what Cooke tries to achieve in the track. "If you sing with conviction, and sing with a belief in the lyric - that yes I feel this way, that a change is going to come - it's absolutely optimistic."
Porter added that the Cooke song talks about "self-doubt, insecurity about love and the outside world," stressing the "undying optimism" in the last line: "It's been a long time coming/ but I know a change is going to come."
Malian music and theatre icon Fatoumata Diawara will be swooning listeners with her version of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" before a live performance of her own "Negue Negue."
Covering All Genres From Across the Globe
In recognition of Black History and its indelible mark on human progress, Deezer also hosts curated playlists of Black artists in its "Pocket Songs" and "Midnight Mixtape." Lineup includes John Legend, Nigerian singer-songwriter Mr Eazi, Megan Thee Stallion and more.
For electronic dance music and house enthusiasts, South African music producer and "Bolobedu" dance pioneer Master KG and Zimbabwean vocal sensation Shasha will get the beats up and running with the addition of their own sounds available for global listeners.
"We want to continue giving Black artists the attention and respect they deserve. Our permanent Black Culture Channel is not only a space for discovering, but also a place to learn about black creators and influencers around the world that have shaped some of our favorite genres and podcasts," said Junior Foster, Deezer's Global Editor for its Black Culture channel as well as the head of its Global Artist Relations.
