Examining Sonic Citizenship, Remixing, and Multiculturalism in Soundin’ Canaan
Sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Recorded on 10/22/2025
Posted in The Authority File
Episode 446
In the third episode of this four-part series, Paul db Watkins, author of Soundin’ Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship, discusses themes of citizenship and multiculturalism examined in his book. He first digs into how he uses the word “sounded,” touching on music and poetry as acts of belonging and resistance. Next, he explores his adaptation of Vincent Andrisani’s concept of “sonic citizenship.” He argues that reading and listening to the artists featured in Soundin’ Canaan is a form of sonic citizenship as the reader explores the poets’ and musicians’ lived experiences as Canadian citizens, showcasing the malleability of cultural identity and multiculturalism. In closing, Paul relates ideas of citizenship to the practice of remixing or sampling music, highlighting Somali-Canadian artist K’naan’s song “Wavin’ Flag,” which grew to global significance when used by FIFA and remixed by international artists.
About the guest:
Paul db Watkins
Professor of English
Vancouver Island University
Paul db Watkins is a Professor of English at Vancouver Island University. He is also a research team member with the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI). He has published widely on multiculturalism, hip-hop, Canadian poetry, jazz, DJ culture, and improvisation. Under his DJ alias, DJ Techné, he has completed several DJ projects that explore the spaces between poetry, hip-hop, and jazz.
Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:
- Soundin’ Canaan Explores How Aesthetic and Rhetoric Intertwine in Black Canadian Poetry
- How Decentering and the “DJ Methodology” Enhanced the Writing Process of Soundin’ Canaan
- How Soundin’ Canaan Remixed Its Design, Launch, and Website
Check out our previous series with Wilfrid Laurier University Press:
– What the Implied Reader of Refugee Comics Tells Us about the Genre and Citizenship
– Talking Infrastructure, Education, and Canada and the Blackface Atlantic
– Podcasting in Academia: A critical look at its potential and discussing a new book, Podcast Studies
– Exploring Ecologies in Practice and Environmental Humanities
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