Sonia Aimy’s new single “TRACE” features mellow grooves, bright horns, smooth singalong vocals, and an overall vibe of joy and positivity. Its corresponding music video celebrates the beauty, diversity and history of Black Canadians with a montage of historical photos, as well as a celebration of the food, dress, and traditions that strengthen Black Canadians’ roots.
“TRACE,” an acronym for Tracing Rare African Canadian Extraordinaire, is the theme song Aimy wrote for a documentary of the same name, which she also directed and produced.
Called “The Velvety Voice of Africa,” beloved Nigerian vocalist Sonia Aimy is also an entrepreneur, actress, and activist with many humanitarian passion projects. Sonia’s life and work almost reads like an ongoing serendipitous conversation with the universe, with every song, album, and project steeped in altruistic purpose and the result of a refreshingly unpretentious self-reflexivity.
The documentary, out now, recognizes the work and efforts of seven Black Canadians in diverse sectors including business, entrepreneurial, academic, arts and culture, history and philanthropy, as well as front-line workers and more, all of whom have impacted the community with their great accomplishments.
The inspiration for the song comes from the TRACE project itself – the desire to discover true role models who do a lot for their community, but do not boast about their actions. The Afrobeat genre at its core follows a similar principle: allow the instrumentals to speak to the narrative, while the vocals are simply an added flourish.
“It inspired me to focus on the musical arrangement that will balance the TRACE beautiful narratives”, says Aimy.
Prior to filming TRACE and recording its theme song, Sonia released her post-pandemic album Reconnect, which exudes her signature dynamic sound – a blend of Afro-Jazz, Afrobeat, highlife, and elements of the African griot call-and-response tradition “in a string of easy flowing, yet virtuosic performances.”
