May marks Asian Heritage Month each year, and at CBC Music we focus our celebration on Asian Canadian musicians creating the music we love.

South Asian music has been on the rise in Canada, both in popularity and in award-winning recognition: after making history on the Junos stage in 2023 for being the first act to perform entirely in Punjabi, AP Dhillon made history again this year by taking home the first Juno Award for South Asian recording of the year. There are so many South Asian artists making music across the country, in myriad genres — and we have a list of 15 South Asian Canadian artists to listen to right now to get you started.

If you’d prefer a guided tour by musicians themselves, we’ve got you: we asked Asian Canadian artists including Sook-Yin Lee and Justin Nozuka for recommendations of songs they’re obsessed with, and they delivered a list of 30 excellent choices.

Musicians incorporate their identities into their music in various ways: lyrically, visually and sonically. The sound of Asian Canadian music is varied, and perhaps that is its key identifier: a world of possibilities where no two artists have to sound alike, and where everyone is thriving as long as they're approaching their art with authenticity. Find out how Asian Canadian artists are incorporating their heritage into their music for more.

Woodstock is one of Joni Mitchell’s biggest songs, but she never attended the festival

“That was the place every kid wanted to be,” she said in an interview years ago. Shockingly, the legendary singer wasn’t allowed to attend.

Mi'kmaw rapper Wolf Castle launches the only Indigenous label in Atlantic Canada

"When I looked around, there's less than 10 Indigenous music labels in the country that are doing it at a certain level, right?" said Tristan Grant, a Mi'kmaw rapper and producer from Pabineau First Nation who performs under the name Wolf Castle. "And the thing that I think is really important is I find [as] Indigenous people and their stories and their voices are getting more and more exposure and more and more in the front-facing culture, we have to protect that and make sure that while that is happening, we still have control over that."

Hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids lose recording studio in Vancouver fire

Recent Juno winners Snotty Nose Rez Kids lost their recording studio, equipment, clothing store and more in an East Vancouver fire that took place in late April. The Haisla rappers Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce and Darren "Young D" Metz took to Instagram to share the news, writing: "With a heavy heart we had to watch while a fire took out our recording studio, our shop housing RBRTH clothing and our shop for Savage Kids, not to mention irreplaceable items like paintings, artwork, custom mask carvings and other items we'd come to cherish."

‘They not like us’: Monet X Change on Drake, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and more

If you want the tea on what drag queen and singer Monet X Change really thinks about Drake and Katy Perry, hit play on our latest episode of Jam or Not a Jam. 

The Halluci Nation's amped-up nod to wrestling, and 3 more songs you need to hear this week

If you’re looking for a walk-out song, look no further than Canadian Destroyer, the brand new track from the Halluci Nation and Northern Cree. This week’s list of must-hear songs also includes releases from Penny & the Pits, Isabella Lovestory and Billianne. 

Reclaimed brings you songs with big, deep feelings

This week on Reclaimed, you’ll hear songs to honour the kind of love that we all need in good supply: loud love. Featuring music from nêhiyaw Treaty 6 experimentalists Ghostkeeper, moccasin-gaze trailblazers Ombiigizi, Inuk disruptor Tanya Tagaq, songwriting siblings Logan and Layla Staats and the artist whose song is the namesake for this episode, Carsen Gray, repping the majestic coastline of Haida Gwaii. Get ready for songwriting that connects you with big and deep feelings.

Mumford & Sons, the Beaches make big returns to the Top 20

On March 28, stadium folk-rock revivalists Mumford & Sons released Rushmere, the band’s first new album since 2018. The title track, a typically uplifting, driving tune, bursts into the Top 20 at No. 19 this week. Also entering the chart, and just edging out Mumford & Sons to land at No. 18, is Toronto rock band the Beaches, who have been on an incredible and historic run of hits and awards for the past few years. The Beaches' new single, Last Girls at the Party, seems set to keep their party rocking right up our chart.

Thanks so much for joining us for this issue of Listen Up! If you loved it, feel free to let us know at listenup@cbc.ca — and use the same email if you have questions or suggestions. Please share it with your friends, family and even enemies via cbc.ca/listenup.