The Whitewashing of EDM

ArtistsMusic

Mar 16

Written By Star

Kaytranada’s Big Wins

Honestly I did not watch the Grammys. But today I did read up on who were the big winners, who got snubbed, Beyonce’s history making moment (Congrats Queen Bey), and Cardi B and Megan TheeStallion’s raunchy performance. But the story that caught my attention the most was Kaytranada’s two wins in the dance/electronic category. I am not even going to front like I am a long-time fan of theHaitian-Canadian DJ. But I am very happy about his win for a couple of reasons.

Besides being super talented, he’s black and he’s gay. In other words, he embodies the roots of the genre. Yes, in case you didn’t know, some of the most influential pioneers of this music were gay, black, or both. Whitewashing black contributions to American musical genres is nothing new. Please see rock ‘n roll, pop, jazz, and country music in particular for more background on that subject. But the erasure of EDM’sblack American origins has been especially egregious. And just importantly, the central role of gay men in developing EDM music has also been largely overlooked.

We should all take a moment to recognize the fact that dance music and the surrounding club culture was created as a safe space for black gay men and other gay men of color. In fact, the music and the clubs helped create a sort of escape from the daily struggles for those living at the intersection of blackness and homosexuality.

Look, I realize you are probably reading this on your phone and don’t have time to read an elaborate history about modern-day dance music. So here are the basics. Techno and house are the OGs of the genre. And according to Afropunk, house music originated on the south side of Chicago, while its musical cousin, techno-based on jazz, funk, and employing Motown studio techniques—began in Detroit. In other words, techno did NOT originate in Ibiza. And house music was not invented in France. Shoutout to Frankie Knuckles, the black American gay artist who is the real Godfather of house music.

ABC Nightline erroneously crowned David Guetta with that title, decades after Knuckles had been recognized as such. (The Tribe) Even though folks trolled ABC for their ignorance, I couldn’t find a statement or rebuttal from Guetta correcting the record after a quick Google search. If the Frenchman has in fact publicly acknowledged that he couldn’t possibly be the godfather of house music, please let me know.

Back to the Grammys—they should be ashamed that Kaytranada is the first black winner in the 17-year history of the dance/electronic category. Let’s hope they do better going forward. Maybe Kaytranada’s win will help counteract the underrepresentation of black and LGBTQ folks in the genre, either as artists or as audience members.

For a deeper dive into this topic, please see the sources below.

Sources