Must-Listen Musicians Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, celebrated each year in May, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States. It's the perfect occasion to honor some artists that have contributed to music.

Honouring some AAPI musicians:

La Fonda Music - Indie Rock Band from Seattle, Washington

La Fonda is an indie rock band based in Seattle by Filipino-American sisters, Valerie and Veronica Topacio. They are joined by Jesse Cole (pictured) on guitar and Bryan Dever on Bass. Their songs explore sisterhood and the challenges of growing up, touching on themes like change, identity, and belonging.

Thao Nguyen for Thao & the Get Down Stay Down

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down is a Vietnamese-American indie folk-rock band known for their socially conscious lyrics, lead by Thao Nguyen (pictured).

In a past interview, she reflected on how her mother’s refugee experience inspired her new song and music video. She said talking about her song Temple : "I wrote this song in my mom’s voice, celebrating her life before, during, and after war, and—most importantly—blessing my pursuit of my own happiness and freedom in this life that is a gift.

Yo-Yo Ma the Cello Prodigy

Born in 1955 in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in the U.S., he was a child prodigy who went on to become one of the most influential cello musician of our time. He's a world-renowned cellist blending classical and global influences. Pictured with Christylez Bacon for the opening gala concert of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in 2023.

We love this quote from Yo-Yo Ma "Culture opens our hearts to one another. And the currency in culture is not money, but trust."

Jake Shimabukuro the Ukulele Virtuoso

Jake Shimabukuro, a Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso and composer, is renowned for his fast, complex fingerwork, expanding the instrument’s possibilities.

"With my Japanese heritage, it was great for me to grow up in a place like Hawaii because that's my own culture: even though I'm an American I was raised in the Japanese culture, and observe the practices that we have, especially festivals."

Japanese Breakfast / Michelle Zauner

Japanese Breakfast is an indie rock pop band, formed in 2013 and led by Korean-American is a writer, director & musician based in New York. Michelle Zauner, who serves as the vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter. She’s known for blending dreamy, experimental sounds.

Zauner’s work is deeply personal, drawing from her own experiences to explore themes of love, mental health, and cultural identity. Her music and writing is celebrated for their raw emotion, poetic lyrics, and thoughtful storytelling.

Copperpeace Team