Brown-skinned soul. That’s how Zeshan B describes his music — raised in Chicago with Indo-Pakistani roots, he fuses his Muslim immigrant experience, protest music and Bollywood scores and South Indian folk music on his forthcoming debut album, Vetted, out on April 7 on Minty Fresh. “It's a new genre altogether,” he says.

In Vetted, Zeshan — born Zeshan Bagewadi — performs soul classics and original songs in English, Urdu, and Punjabi — a sound that subverts the popular conception of American music and identity, and brings forth the country’s rich immigrant history.

His video for “Cryin’ in the Streets,” a harmonium cover of the George Perkins protest anthem from 1970, is a direct reaction to Donald Trump’s first few weeks in office — it shows footage of Civil Rights-era marches and recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations as Zeshan walks down the streets of Chicago. 

He talks to Myspace about his musical heroes, why protest music is important, and his American identity. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.