Frontwoman of on-hiatus Ohbijou ‘frustrated’ about multiculturalism in music

TORONTO – The Toronto-based indie pop band Ohbijou is going on indefinite hiatus, with its frontwoman challenging how Canadians engage with multiculturalism and critics’ perception of the group.

In a post on Tumblr published on Friday, lead singer Casey Mecija said that she felt the media ascribed a selective narrative of otherness for her and the Toronto septet’s music because of her race, gender and sexuality.

“I can’t help but feel sadness for the ways my body (has) been inscribed as a performer,” Mecija wrote.

“I can’t help but feel tired by the ways that my brown, performing body comes into contact with the multicultural sensibilities of Canadian audiences. I am frustrated by the ways that my Asian-ness and my sexuality have been at times hidden and at times showcased to support notions of an ‘inclusive’ Canadian multiculturalism.”

In the post, Mecija does not rule out an eventual return to music.

“I am not giving up on the potential of such a project to alter the ways that people think and feel about queer life and the histories of colonialism out of which Canada was born,” Mecija says. “But, as a band, we are tired and we are broke.”

The group rose to prominence on the strength of their debut record “Swift Feet for Troubling Times,” and they were nominated for CBC’s 2007 Galaxie Rising Stars Award.

Their most recent record, “Metal Meets,” was released in 2011.

The band will play their final show in Toronto on Sept. 7.