سجمكم يا جنوبين: تعالوا شوفوا بتكم روث ماثيانق "video"

Quote: Her sound has been described as a “mixture of traditional African music with modern hip hop, adult contemporary jazz and reggae inspired”. by Samuel Getachew Even in a busy crowded shopping area like Dufferin Mall in Toronto, it is impossible not to spot Ruth Mathiang. Beautiful, confident and tall, the one-time Sudanese refugee to Canada can be spotted from a distance. The now emerging Canadian artist who aspires to use her voice and talent to advocate for important social issues has had a storied Canadian life so far. The one time refugee from South Sudan has been preforming her unique music among a slew of multicultural crowd in Toronto and far beyond. Her sound has been described as a “mixture of traditional African music with modern hip hop, adult contemporary jazz and reggae inspired”. At the yearly Afro FEST festivals for instance, Mathiang has always made the strongest impression even among superstars and no wonder she has been invited back on a regular basis. She sings in trilingual of languages – in English, Arabic and Kiswahili – and her audience is always moved by the beauty and style of each songs, often times without understanding her words. Her passion is rare and organic; no wonder she has been welcomed by a United Nations like audience. If music can be felt instead of be understood – Ruth can be its poster child. In her signature song for instance – she signs in Kiswahili – “We are the children of tomorrow, women and men of tomorrow, mothers and fathers of tomorrow and we are the children of tomorrow”. The adolescent like dream of world peace, the importance of social justice and the timeless fight for equality occupy much of her lyrics. No wonder she has spent countless times listening to the likes of the late Miriam Makebe and the socially conscious Tracey Chapman and their important anthem of social commentary. Her journey to Canada started by coincidence as she earned a scholarship through a WUSC (World University Service of Canada) program. With music in her heart and the urge to be educated, she moved to Prince Edward Island (PEI). She soon earned a political science degree and women studies. Toronto then became her next destination. “I was a member of a church choir while in Kenya before I decided to pursue it professionally”, she tells me over a cup of coffee. “My music tells real human stories as well us attempts to have a conversation with my audience”. To date, she has released two albums – the 2002and#8242;s ‘Butterfly’ and in 2006 – Born Black. She is now in the process of producing her third. The new mother of a toddler, I ask her what inspiration she has gotten from being a first time mother. “Plenty, being a mother is such a fulfilling journey”. Music has opened up countless opportunities for her to travel the world. For her – it’s the support of many causes that is more important though. She has been featured with Amnesty International, in “The Lost boys and Lost Girls Conference” held in Phoenix, Arizona as well as the ‘Hot and Spicy Musical Festival’ held in Toronto. What is in the future for this inspiring artist who is a YMCA Immigration and Refugee Counselor in the day time? Graduate school perhaps with an album certainly in the cards she tells me. What does she love about Canada? Freedom she says. Just freedom? “Yes freedom” she tells me as that is the most important this in the world to her. Then again, only those whose basic freedom was once denied can truly understand what she means. Freedom, she lives in in her life and she finds it in her music as she sings freedom to the world with her melodic voice.