Amp Fiddler is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist and record producer from the city of Detroit. Fiddler is recognized for his funk, soul, dance and electronic music and has had an impact on many in the industry. He’ll be honored alongside Zana Smith at the Detroit Diaspora: Day Party Is King event, which will highlight a lineup of exquisite musicians.
Fiddler talked with rolling out about being honored at the event, and being embraced by Detroit.
How does it feel to be an honoree at the Detroit Diaspora Day Party?
It surprised me. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been in the music industry for quite some time. I really appreciate that people are acknowledging me for all the work that I’ve done. It’s pretty big.
You’re being honored alongside Zana Smith. What is your experience with her?
I’ve known Zana for a long time. I’ve always had high respect for her, her commitment to keeping Detroit on the radar, and staying in Detroit because she could have just moved like some of her family did. But she stayed and I love what she does. She’s all about the city and the people.
How has the city of Detroit treated you over the years?
From the beginning of my life until now, Detroit has always been amazing. There’s always been a lot of Black culture here. My sister was a hippie, and she was older than me, and she would bring guys from the Panthers over, and we’d watch the riots and tanks go through Detroit. We saw people come and go and we saw changes in the country. I think that being able to see Detroit as a Black city is always amazing because there’s always a lot of culture when it comes to events and there’s always a lot of love. I’ve always liked to put both feet forward as far as showing up for different things here in Detroit because it’s always fun and amazing.
How special is it to know that other artists around the world look up to you?
It didn’t happen overnight, I have to say that. I feel like I paid a lot of dues and I was respectful at the right time. I like mentoring and giving back to the youth and doing things for the younger people in our city to help strengthen the vibe of being here and being confident about coming from Detroit. It was rough when I was younger because Detroit was falling apart. Now, Detroit is building and we’ve got a lot of people who really show how amazing Detroit is with their talents and their art. I think that those people that recognize you when you get to this point, and you’re still working at doing some of the same things that you were doing before, it’s an honor.
