From the spice-laden shores of Zanzibar, where taarabu melodies float in the evening breeze, to the electrifying streets of Dar es Salaam, where singeli pulses like a heartbeat, music tells the story of its people. Cross the borders, and you’ll find the hypnotic grooves of Amapiano shaking dance floors in Johannesburg or the deep, rumbling bass of Bolingo echoing through the clubs of Kinshasa.

And yet, in each of these places, the music of the land is not just loved, it is held as the best. The purest. The one that truly moves the soul. But if every society believes its rhythm is supreme, then who is wrong? Or, perhaps, the better question is does it even matter?

Like music, our opinions, beliefs, and ways of life are shaped by the rhythms of the places we come from. We are born into cultures that tell us what is beautiful, what is right, what is worth defending. And yet, just as a lover of taarabu might dismiss singeli as too chaotic, or a Bolingo fan might scoff at Amapiano, we often find ourselves doing the same with perspectives outside our own rhythm. We argue, we debate, we fight trying to prove that our soundtrack is the soundtrack.

But what if we didn’t?

What if, instead of forcing others to dance to our beat, we simply let them move to their own? What if, instead of clashing over whose rhythm reigns supreme, we accepted that every ear finds its own music?

Indifference is often misunderstood. To be indifferent is not to be cold, nor is it to lack appreciation, it is simply the ability to let something exist without the need to rank, change, or control it. It is knowing that the fisherman in Zanzibar, nodding to taarabu, is no more right or wrong than the boda-boda rider in Dar es Salaam vibing to singeli. It is the recognition that the world is filled with different rhythms, and none of them need to be defended as the truth.

So, let the music play. Let people dance to their own beats, unbothered by the fact that their tune may not match yours. And most importantly, allow yourself to listen without the need to judge. Because the world isn’t just one song it’s a playlist of endless melodies, and none of them need your approval to be beautiful.