Jah’Mila: Transcript
Jah’Mila:
Growing up, I know that I love to sing, and every opportunity I get to sing, I sing. I joined the Nova Scotia Mass Choir for the opportunity to sing because I found that as my project and my team and my band we're growing, I'm actually singing less informally. It's almost like every time I sing, there's a big to-do. And so the simple joys of just harmonizing with a group of people for fun, I wasn't getting a lot of that. And so I go there and I just sing harmonies with them and it's wonderful. So I share that story with you Leah and your listeners to show that I love the music. All the other things are extra and I'm grateful for them all. But if I only had the opportunity to sing, I would just be singing. Nonetheless.
Leah Roseman:
Jah'Mila is a Jamaican born singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Canada. In this episode, you'll hear about both her youth in the countryside of Jamaica singing gospel, and then her immersion in reggae roots in Rastafarian culture in Kingston. Her father is the legendary Earl "Chinna" Smith, who's performed extensively with the Soul Syndicate, been featured on over 500 albums, and also played with Bob Marley and The Wailers on the Rastaman Vibration album ,Live at the Roxy and the historic one Love Peace concert in 1978. I met Jah'Mila in her role as the Associate Artistic Director and lead singer of the Reggae Roots program, which is available to all Canadian schools, free of charge, created with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, and the National Arts Centre. If you missed my episode with Daniel in season two, you should have a listen. Jah'Mila speaks so eloquently about being grounded in a strong sense of identity and purpose, her love of music, and communicating with a wide audience. And she's also generously shared two tracks from her album Roots Girl, which are part of this episode. You can use the timestamps to navigate to any topics or musical selections, and you can listen to this on your favorite podcast player, watch the video on YouTube or read the transcript. Everything is linked with the show notes on my website, leah roseman.com. You may want to sign up for my newsletter to get access to exclusive sneak peeks for upcoming guests. Please also consider supporting this show with a tip. The link is also in the description.
Hi, Jah'Mila, thanks so much for joining me here today.
Jah’Mila:
Thank you so much, Leah. It's my pleasure to be here with you.
Leah Roseman:
Now we met at rather a cool project, but before we get to that, I think we should get to that later. Let's talk about your first album. At the time, we released this, it'll be almost a year since you released Roots Girl, and I know you're going to be willing to share a couple of tracks from that. So do you want to talk about the process of making that recording?
Jah’Mila:
Absolutely. Sure. Roots Girl being the first album, of course, I had a lot of emotions around it, a lot of anxiety leading up to its release, and the pandemic came and kind of broke and interrupted our strategy for want of a better word. So our team had to pivot quite a bunch of times to make sure we got it out there. And so I'm really just proud of us all my band and all the producers and everyone who contributed to making the album despite all of the limitations we had. And so Roots Girl to me not only represents me growing roots in my new home here in East Coast Canada, but it's also a testament to our will and resilience as we fought really hard to get it out given the circumstances.
Leah Roseman:
And you actually toured with your band to Jamaica before you recorded the album?
Jah’Mila:
We did. So in 2020 February of 2020, we went to Jamaica with the intention of recording a huge bit of the album. So we came back with some tracks, some live off the floor recordings, and we had a plan to use the next three months to kind of wrap it together. And three months became two years, but we got it done and super amazing the way that things unfolded. I don't believe that it could have gone any better, Leah, because during that time that I thought it was an interruption, our team had an opportunity to collaborate with Symphony Nova Scotia as they too were pivoting through the pandemic and so they had virtual programming. And so begins my journey into the wonderful world of orchestra music. So I'm really grateful. Maybe if I was super hyper-focused on the album, there would've been no room to invite that beautiful opportunity into our lives.
Leah Roseman:
I really like to include some music towards the beginning of an episode so that people who haven't heard you sing can hear your voice. Before we talk too much more about your story, I thought it would be really cool to include the track that you created with your dad who's a super famous reggae musician, Earl "China" Smith, who's recorded over 500 albums.
Jah’Mila:
Yes, I'm really proud of him. He's given me some really big shoes to fill Leah, but he continues to be a sounding board for me, a source of inspiration and someone I can always call on when I need either encouragement or a bit of support. I involved him in this first track because my exposure to a lot of the culture, especially the music of Jamaica and also Rastafarian culture was through him. And so starting off the album with, we call it a groundation with the drums playing, and the chanting is very representative of the way that Rastafarians hold space for each other and how they ground themselves. And I believe that the time that would've been a great energy to start off the music on the album and with my dad, it just adds another layer of special meaning to it for me.
Leah Roseman:
So he co-wrote that with you and helped produce it. Is that his voice we hear a little bit.
Jah’Mila:
Yeah. So he's also singing as well, but he has a team of chanters and drummers that he collaborates with. He calls them the Bingestra because they play Nayabinghi drums and then he has a team of them. And so it's a collective effort.
Leah Roseman:
Wonderful. Is there anything more you want to share about that song?
Jah’Mila:
I'll start off by saying that it's nayabinghi drumming and nayabinghi drumming is reverent in Rastafarian practice and culture, and it's a really big part of reggae music and Jamaican culture as well. Not the most popular parts of it, but I do believe it holds a lot of significance.
Leah Roseman:
And that name, she was sort of a goddess, an African goddess.
Jah’Mila:
Yes. Ing was a West African goddess. And so this practice, I can't say for sure how it became, it came to have the same name. However, I do know that it's a very powerful Rastafarian practice that brings the community together and they sing, they play drums, and they hold space for each other.
Leah Roseman:
You are about to hear the track Nayabinghi Groundings from the album Roots Girl produced and composed by Earl "Chinna" Smith and Jah'Mila. (music)
So part of my preparation for this, actually, I watched the incredible Bob Marley biopic on Netflix called Marley. Have you happened to have seen that?
Jah’Mila:
I have. It's very nostalgic watching that because some of those same spaces are spaces that I grew up and not until I was in my late teens that I understand the significance, the really big significance that those spaces hold. But they're all still in Jamaica places that I've traversed and I learn more and more about them every day.
Leah Roseman:
So when you grew up in the countryside, it was a different cultural mix with gospel singing. Do you want to speak a little bit to that early childhood?
Jah’Mila:
Absolutely. So my mother and my father separated when I was very young, and my mother moved back to the countryside of Jamaica. And on that side of my family we're all academics and school teachers and we're very entrenched in Christian culture. And so it's quite a stark difference from the rebel nature of the Rastafarian culture that my dad's life kind of revolves around. But I think both of them have influenced me equally to become the woman I am today. I believe that I learned a lot from my time in church, from my grandmother and my exposure to Christianity and even something as simple as being able to go on stage and be confident sharing my music is something that was honed in church, but understanding the cultural relevance of some of the music and practices, I think I got that from my dad
Leah Roseman:
From a musical perspective, singing in gospel choir. Is any of that harmonization related to background singing in the bands you sang in?
Jah’Mila:
Absolutely. When I sang in church choirs, that's how my brain connected harmonies and melodies. That was my first exposure to music at a certain level and the first opportunity for me to practice it. So that's where I developed it. But it can be said that it lived in me naturally. It was inherent because my dad has nine kids and six of us sing professionally, and they don't all have Christian exposure. So I want to say that there's a part of it that is also inherent and lives in me, even before it was molded by church and choirs and group singing.
Leah Roseman:
I haven't been to Jamaica yet. I'd love to go someday. The part that you spent your early childhood in, what was it like? What region for people that know the country,
Jah’Mila:
Of course. So I grew up in Brownstown Saint Anne, so if anyone has been to Ocho Rios, you can go up into the mountains of Mount Diablo, and that's where I grew up. I grew up in a very, very humble beginnings with my grandmother who was a school teacher, and she was one of the main elders in my community. And I had a goat and lived next door to the butcher. My milk was delivered, things like that. We didn't have running water at the altitudes that we were at. So every house had tanks and water catchment systems, and it was a very simpler way of living. So I think that has also influenced the way that I look at life.
Leah Roseman:
In what way do you think?
Jah’Mila:
Well, I know that my drive and industry, so I try not to be afraid of hard work Whenever it is, I have something in front of me to do. I remind myself how much harder it used to be when I was growing up. So I find that I am more open and grateful for my blessings and I'm not intimidated from hard work. And also too, I appreciate the simple things in life and I try to make do with what I have.
Leah Roseman:
Now. Another thing I was doing to prepare, because in that documentary, a lot of people were speaking Patois, and it was such a beautiful language, and I think a lot of English speakers don't realize, I don't know if you think it's sort of a racist thing, but people think it's not good English rather than realizing it's a Creole, it's a combination of different languages. So the enslaved people, from what I understand, they weren't able to speak. They were kept separate from people from their region, so they couldn't communicate very easily, right? And there's a lot of words and grammar from different West African languages in Patois. And I'm curious in Jamaica, I'm sure standard English is kind of connected with social mobility, but is there an attitude towards people the way they speak?
Jah’Mila:
That's such a great question and you're touching on so much. I'm going to start off from Patois and its structure. So it is indeed has structure like a language, it has ways of being conjugated and it has patterns and it has enough structure to be called a language. And yes, you are correct that people's social standing kind of determine, not really, it doesn't determine, but it reflects the way people speak, kind of reflects their exposure, the level of education they may have and by extension their economic standing as well. And so there are three levels of Patois that I studied in communication studies in high school, but you have the base selectal Patois which is, you can barely understand it. Myself, I will have to listen very intently because it's just so raw that you have to, well, me growing up in the countryside will understand it, but it still requires me to focus.
And misal is kind of what we all speak when we're just speaking every day. And then you have actalectal Patois, which is like, you could understand it, Leah, it's almost like what they would put in ads just to add a little bit of culture in there. And you'll find a lot of richer folk or more educated people use a softer kind of Patois. And so you're absolutely correct that there are these stigmas that go along with the way you speak. I'm grateful that I am able to, I don't want to even call it code switching because the aim is to be understood, but rest assured that if I were talking to my mom, you might not be able to understand me. Yes.
Leah Roseman:
Now, you had mentioned your siblings who are musicians. I believe one of your sisters gave you a huge opportunity when you were what, 21?
Jah’Mila:
21 years old. So I was working at a telephone company doing HR or something. I had just turned 21. And so she was the backing vocalist for The Wailers. She used to be the backing vocalist for Shaggy, and she had the opportunity to do this job, and she was working with The Wailers for three years. And then she called me one day, she said, "the next lady I sing with has to go on maternity leave. And after lots of discussions we've decided that you are the person that should come. I told them that no one else sings and harmonizes with me like you do. " So at 21 off I went on tour. The first seven week tour I had gone to, we landed in Atlanta for our first date, and it was the first time I had wrote an autograph for someone and I came back, a changed woman. I don't know if I was ever able to readjust into my day job again.
Leah Roseman:
Now, I believe you didn't tell your dad that you were going on this.
Jah’Mila:
I did not tell him at all because...so one of the things that has always irked him, he believes so much in our talent, and he believed so much in the value we have to share in the world through our creativity that he never always wanted us to be supporting vocalists for other projects. He always was excited about seeing us do our own thing. And I can't tell you how proud he's told me he is of Roots Girl and the steps I've been taking with the Reggae Roots program, et cetera. But at this time, he wasn't happy. So I went without telling him. And so I'm in at the Hollywood Bowl in California and one of his friends, so you have to remember, he's traversed all these places. There's not a single place I've gone where someone didn't say, I've met your dad before. So they come and they're like, guess who I'm talking to on the phone?
It's your dad. And he's like, "so I hear you're on tour?" And I said," yes."
Leah Roseman:
Did you tour in Europe at all?
Jah'mila:
I love touring in Europe. My favorite places in Europe to tour are France and Switzerland, France, because France, the French really love reggae music, it's quite surprising to see the overwhelming reaction despite the language barriers, despite the cultural differences. I do find the French, especially the French in France specifically, to be really big consumers of reggae music and big reggae enthusiasts, also Germany as well. But my personal experience in France has been very enjoyable. Another thing, Switzerland. I love Switzerland because it was the first country that I've been to outside of Jamaica where I saw my picture on the streets Jah'Mila's headlining a festival before I even had an album, and people came out and they were very gracious and responded very well to my presentation. So I'll always have Switzerland in a really special place in my heart for having given me that opportunity.
Leah Roseman:
Here's an excerpt from the title track of Jah'Mila's album Roots Girl. The entire song is also included as a bonus track linked to this episode. (music)
I understand that when back in the seventies the reggae was actually had this huge - in the States, it was a lot of white audiences but not Black audiences. I hope that's changed over time. It's more diverse.
Jah’Mila:
That's such an interesting question, Leah. From my understanding, and this is just my understanding, that there was a movement happening in the states, especially in northern California where you'd have the rainbow movement, the hippie movement, and those concepts were really aligned with the concepts coming out of reggae music, the belief systems and the culture at that time, whether it's peace and love, brotherhood living closer to the earth. And so there was easily an easy crossover there. It should also be noted that reggae was not openly accepted by the Jamaican bourgeoisie at the time because it was looked at as rebel music. So the name reggae, the coined term reggae, was coined by Toots Hibbert, and I don't know if you've heard the term ragamuffin?
Yes. So Toots did an interview where he answered an interviewer asking, where did the name come from? How did you coin that great name? And he's like, it sounds like Ragga music, the music that all the Ragamuffins make. And so it's ragga-ragga, so I call it reggae. And of course, because you look at a rastaman and you listen to the type of music, and it did not sound like the North American hit songs of the time, the Temptations, you know what I mean? It sounded a little heavier with that heavy bass drum. The subject matters were more speaking towards social advocacy and social justice, and I think it was a way for Jamaicans who didn't have a lot of opportunity to really pour their creativity in and free their spirit through this type of music. So yeah, I love that question, and I really think that is the connection there. It's rebel music, and so it's not openly accepted by those in high standing. It had to actually gain its recognition outside of Jamaica before the arms of Jamaica opened to embrace it.
Leah Roseman:
But in terms of the African-American community in the United States, so yeah, when you played concerts there, would it be like a mixed crowd?
Jah’Mila:
Yes, actually whenever we played in. So the United States is such a big place, and I've toured there. So you find in the East Coast, for example, New York, Connecticut. So whenever I play shows there, I see a lot more Black audiences. But whenever I'm in Northern California or Montana or you're going to find a lot more audiences that embrace these sorts of concepts like One Love, living back closer to the earth, living in a more natural way, people who are open to those kinds of lifestyles are the persons who I find gravitate to reggae music.
Leah Roseman:
Yeah, I was curious about it. It came up in that documentary that it bothered Bob Marley that he'd look out and he wouldn't see people of African descent because of the whole Pan-Africanism is so important to reggae, and that's why I was curious about that.
Jah’Mila:
I would love to add as well, if that's okay, that even today the Jamaicans or my generation, because I'm a millennial and even those younger than myself are gravitating to different types of Jamaican music, like sub genres like dance hall music for example, which is huge all over the world at this time, but it's certainly not the same kind of reggae music that I'm advocating for, which is roots reggae. So this dance hall music is a little more showy. The contents and the subject matters are a little more sexual, and it comes with a sort of entertainment style and branding that I don't really find is ideal for me, but people love it just the same. And I do believe that these forms of sub-genres can coexist. What I fear for is that roots reggae gets lost as the time progresses. And so that's why I've made a commitment to maintaining this kind of music in my creativity and also to keep it clean in a way where it can be consumed by all.
Leah Roseman:
Now, we skipped over how we met, so it'll be interesting to get back to that.
Jah’Mila:
Sure.
Leah Roseman:
So when I first met you, it was actually the height of the pandemic, and I believe you did one concert with the NAC orchestra and then you returned to do this big recording.
Jah’Mila:
Yes, Reggae Roots. So a good friend of mine, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser , who I met through Symphony Nova Scotia, gave me a call one day and he was like, would you be open to doing some work with the orchestras outside of Nova Scotia? And I hadn't imagined that and that opportunity would ever present itself, but so I asked him, do you think I'm ready? And he said, yes, I've worked with you with Symphony Nova Scotia and it doesn't really get much harder than this. If you could have done that, then I have all the faith in the world in you. The next call I received was from an NAC representative who asked me if I would be interested in doing a virtual educational program as a part of their educational offerings because they too have pivoted from a lot of live presentations to doing more virtual programming.
We had only three months to make it happen. And so I was very nervous that because I'd never done anything of that magnitude before. Long story short is I was on a plane going to Ottawa with my team to record these songs, and so it became the Reggae Roots. And Reggae Roots is actually a virtual educational program consisting of six modules that introduces youth to reggae music, the foundational concepts of reggae music. It comes along with a pedagogical guide that outlines activities and it's available to all Canadian students free of cost from grades four to grades eight is the ideal target audience for this program. And I am beyond grateful and proud to have been involved in this because the feedback to this program has been overwhelming even today. So yes, the NAC I'm so grateful, and that's how I met you as well, Leah, in that first recording. If anything, that first recording and that first experience emboldened me with a lot of confidence because since then I have touched that stage again and several others in Canada. And I want to say that it all kind of started there, the level of confidence and the belief that I could because it showed me that I could, I did. And so when I had to do it again, I went towards it with even more enthusiasm, more confidence and more certainty of myself and my team. So that's how I met you and Reggae Roots is now a big part of my offering.
Leah Roseman:
So I interviewed Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, I can't remember the date, but it was when I interviewed him, we had recorded Reggae Roots and they hadn't yet announced it. So I remember I had to ask permission to release my episode, and it was coordinated with when they were going to be releasing the first press releases about it. So if people haven't heard that episode with him, he's a really interesting guy. It'd be interesting to hear, and we did talk about that a little bit, but when I re-watched, well, I hadn't actually seen the video, so you shared them with me and I was able to see what the kids are seeing and see all the wonderful modules they have. It's really cool, and exercises to try about their feelings and all kinds of cool stuff. I saw the orchestra and we were so far apart from each other and we're all wearing masks, and it just brought me back to that time and I thought how strange it must've been for you. You must've been scared of getting sick and you're out there.
Jah’Mila:
Yes, there was a lot of feelings. There was that we all had to get tested every day before coming into the hall into Southam Hall and the strangeness, Leah of us all playing to an empty Southam hall. You know what I mean? Because one thing about performances is that as a performer, I feed off the reaction of the audience. And so the reaction of the audience could very well determine how the show goes, but having to actually find that energy from the inside, there's no back and forth. There's no energy exchange. It's just you and the orchestra. I remember also everyone wearing in ears and how long it took us to get that done. But as I said before, having gone through that experience taught me that that's it. That's as hard as it gets Leah. It can't get any harder.
Leah Roseman:
And then when you came back and you did these marvelous evening shows for adults and people of all ages, and the energy in the hall , the hall was packed, especially that last night, you really got the crowd going and they were all on their feet, and it was really, really memorable and you sounded amazing and your charisma! To have experienced that live, I, it really felt very privileged. It was a really great
Jah’Mila:
Thank you. Thank you very much. It felt really good for us as well.
Leah Roseman:
And my colleagues and I backstage, people were talking about she could do so many different things with the orchestra, it's really cool like tribute concerts to all these different kind of artists. And then I found out afterwards you'd done a Nina Simone tribute with Symphony Nova Scotia. Do you have kind of a wishlist for maybe other artists that'd be really cool to do a tribute concert too in that kind of setting with orchestra?
Jah’Mila:
Oh, that's such a great question. So Nina Simone for sure. Actually. I thought that was a lofty undertaking, but we did it and I would love to continue doing that repertoire for as long as I am allowed to, and it's okay for me to do that. But just right now, Tina Turner one that just rings right off the top, it was a massive loss for the music industry this year. Aretha Franklin is one that I would love to dig into as well, and taking it home to Jamaica. There are two reggae art female reggae artists that I have a lot of respect for one of them being Ms. Judy Mowatt, who I do one of her songs in our Reggae Roots program. And Phyllis, Dillon, who's another incredible singer from Jamaica, Phyllis Dillon has passed. Now, Ms. Judy Mowatt is still alive, but I would love to honor those two Jamaican artists.
Leah Roseman:
Now, Judy Mowatt, she was part of the I -threes, the background singers with The Wailers
Jah’Mila:
Well, yes, they did together and individually. Judy Mowatt, as a matter of fact, was the first woman to receive a Grammy nomination for reggae music. And the song Black Woman that is a part of Reggae Roots is on that piece of work. And just to know that I can give her a call, Leah, it's a blessing. And yeah, I want to immortalize these relationships in some way, shape, or form. I feel so blessed to. It's a big part of my culture and history. And to be able to reach out and be able to touch it, I consider that a blessing.
Leah Roseman:
Now Sister Nancy comes up in that program as well. Have you met her or talked to her?
Jah’Mila:
I have not met Sister Nancy personally. My dad has, and I know a lot of people. She seems to be just one degree of separation away. I have messaged with Sister Nancy personally and she knows who I am and she knows about this incredible Reggae Roots program that we're doing. But Sister Nancy, if you're watching this, I would love to share space and time with you one day.
Leah Roseman:
I was looking her up and seeing how she'd rebooted her performance career after retiring from a bank job. And I think she lives in New Jersey or something, so I was thinking they should get on stage together. That would be really cool.
Jah’Mila:
I really wish that would happen. Fingers crossed. Leah, we may be planting a seed here.
Leah Roseman:
Well, let's go back to your album, the other tune. Well, I think we talked about sharing Irie Meditation. Yes. And so that was a collaboration. Do you want to talk about that?
Jah’Mila:
Yes, I would love to talk about it. Irie Meditation is a collaboration in several different ways. When I came to Halifax Nova Scotia as an immigrant, not quite sure what communities will open their arms to you, where your friends will come from, but there was a band Dub Kartel , and they were doing reggae music slash dance hall, a little bit of fusion, and they invited me on their stages. They were like, come, here's your mic. And I didn't always know how I would fit in, but I tried and it worked out. They broke up because some of their members moved away, but they left me with the skeleton of that song Irie Meditation, which I first started to perform on their stage with them. They would give me that slot. And so two of their members became members of my own personal band. And so when this album came about, we decided to include this song as a sort of homage to those early days when I came.
And those were the guys who opened their arms to me and kind of opened up the music scene to me by extension, Tachichi now is another collaboration. Tachichi has been in the music scene in Halifax for decades as an incredibly respected rapper. And earlier, before my album was released, Tachichi included me in the title track of his previous album that he was nominated for an ECMA award for #blm. And so I decided to include him, give him that same courtesy because that's a big deal for someone to value your talent, enough to include you in their title track of their album. I was very floored and grateful for that. And so I returned that sentiment and he did an incredible great verse rap verse, the only rap verse, and also the only collaboration from inside here in Halifax. So I'm really grateful for that. And Irie Meditation just reminds us to take it easy. Chill out
Leah Roseman:
Okay, you posted something on social media, I'm not sure if you're willing to talk about it.
So you have a,
Jah’Mila:
Of course!
Leah Roseman:
I know you're planning your second album. I don't know if you've started recording yet. So there's a tune, "So good", I think it is.
Jah’Mila:
Thanks for that question, Leah. I just want to start off by saying I've never felt so supported in my artistic journey as I am today, thanks to Canada Council, Factor and my team who are working with me to secure these kinds of supports as we're learning each day. And so now I'm going to work on this new album and I can actually do it strategically, not feeling like I'm lacking anything, not feeling like I'm putting all of my own life into it, that I will die at the end of it. Anyway, long story short is we've started recording the next album that is tentatively titled Woman of the Sun will have 11 tracks and we have 10 of these bed tracks all ready to go. "So Good" though was a part of another Canada Council project done by my friend James Shaw. And James Shaw puts together these big bands and then he's collaborating with artists in the community to write original songs with this big band.
So we started So Good about 3 months ago and when we sat for our first writing session, I've been recently separated from my husband, about 2 years now, and so I'm starting to date again. And of course, it's changed Leah, it's changed! And I had one bad experience that reminded me that I might not quite be ready for the current dating climate. But it really bothered me. And for the first time in my adult life I was able to watch myself sink into these feelings and analyze myself as I was navigating it. 'Cause before that I was married for seven years and I was in a much different space. But I feel like as a 30-something year old woman I am able to look at it very objectively and look at what am I feeling , and being honest about it as well. And "So Good" was my way of working through this bad experience. And so I'm really grateful that I'll be able to sing this song forever. The song is not yet released, but will be released. The video recording of our live performance is at the Halifax Jazz Festival and then we're going to release the actual single a few months later. Look out for that, I'll send it to you first!
Leah Roseman:
Thank you. I was thinking about processing emotion and I know you write your lyrics. Are you a journal keeper? How do you deal with emotions on a daily basis?
Jah’Mila:
I am a journal keeper. I started keeping a journal after my separation from my previous partner and I really find that it helps me. I do what's called Morning pages, which is a practice I found online. So I wake up in the morning and before I surround myself with anything else, I start to just pour out my thoughts, pour out my energy, whatever is on my mind, I just write it out on the page. And it's quite interesting to go back and read through them and see what comes out. It's very surprising and revealing too.
Leah Roseman:
Yeah, I started journaling. I mean I guess I'd written a little bit as a teenager, but really not since then. I think shortly after my 50th birthday, so almost five years ago for me. And so predated the pandemic and then it was such an incredible tool when we were going through all this uncertainty and it is so therapeutic to read back. And we were talking before about gratitude. It really to appreciate as a performer now to play to full hall. And remember we were playing to empty hall and making recordings. Yeah,
Jah’Mila:
I have a collaborator, Jenny, and she does a lot of administration for my team and my band. And to start off our day, Jenny and I do a gratitude session where we do three things we're grateful for today and we kind start off our workday like that quite consistently. And it really changes the tone of our days. And it's funny because when we don't do it, we notice.
Leah Roseman:
So we talked a little bit about Rastafarian culture and not really too much about the spirituality. I want to ask about your hair because when you take a vow to grow your locks, I mean it's not a fashion, it's a deep spiritual practice, correct?
Jah’Mila:
It is definitely. It actually goes back to the book of Leviticus in the Bible. And so persons who have grown their hair and taken, they've taken what's called a Nazarene vow. And it's explained in Leviticus and it kind of determines or outlines for want of a better word, the right diet, the right way to carry yourself, you cut your hair, the way that you treat your neighbor. It's a vow that you've taken to live in this way that's supposed to make you a little pure. And so I have actually since cut my hair so it signals that I'm no longer applying or abiding by the Nazarene vow. And I've done that kind of as a purge. I want to start again from scratch and take that step again. And I find it's another thing that I find to be spiritually fulfilling for me to kind of do that purge every ever so often. So my first bit of locks, I would've had it for eight years and then I cut it during the pandemic and now here starts the next cycle of it. Okay,
Leah Roseman:
So are those extensions,
Jah’Mila:
The ones you're looking at now are definitely extensions? Yes. However, it's something serious and I wouldn't want, so that's one of the things, there's a difference between persons. Not everyone who wears dreads is a Rastafarian person and not everyone who is a Rastafarian has dreads and they could be going through these cycles as well. I want to be true and honest with myself. And to be honest Leah, I have not been able to maintain the same level of dedication to the practices of Rastafarianism since I've been living in Canada. And one of the things is because I haven't been able to find a Rastafarian community here in the east coast. When I'm in Jamaica, I went to Jamaica, I don't want to date this, but I just went to Jamaica a few days ago for some recording. And it was incredible how I could sit in with the elders and have these conversations that are deeper about my spirituality and about my practice that no one in Canada would ask me about on a day-to-day basis. And these are self searching things. And so I haven't been able to practice at that level. And so that's something I aspire towards because whenever it is that I am fully focused on the practices of Rastafarian culture, I find that I am healthier, I'm happier. My ego is just about dead. And so I am open and it really is a whole, the way that I feel it, it's much deeper. I'm reading more. It really brings about positive changes in the way that I show up in the world.
Leah Roseman:
And when you really became involved with that, you were a teenager and were you in boarding school at the time still in high school?
Jah’Mila:
No, actually I knew about it. And as a matter of fact, I had my own grouses and stigma attached to it because I didn't understand it as fully as I did when I went to university. And so I was hanging out with my dad more freely because, so I'll give you an idea of the geography. My mother lives in the countryside, in the mountains, and my dad lives in the Metropolitan Center of Kingston. And so when I left, it's like students will leave the countryside to go to university. And so what happened was I was no longer around my mother's family's influence. I was mostly around my father's influences because whenever I wanted to be home, that would be my home. And so I learned more about the practice and about the culture and really it put to bed a lot of those stigma that I had coming from the church background where they would look at Rastafarian culture and think that it's trivial or it's uninformed or it's just weed smoking, that's all it is. Just little things like that. And then you realize these are some brilliant folks who are doing incredible things in the world and who are well-read, who value themselves enough to take these decisions to treat themselves and their bodies and their minds in a different way. And they're not perfect because I do struggle with some of the belief systems, some of them that might be patriarchal or homophobic or these are things that are big issues, but I cannot say that I have not extracted positive things from my exposure to it.
Leah Roseman:
Yeah, no, I was going to ask actually that about that the treatment of women, and I didn't know about the homophobia. So Jamaica, would you say it's a fairly male dominated culture to begin with, or most of the world like Canada?
Jah’Mila:
Yes, it is an even more so I think it's funny because there's a dichotomy and so there an irony, not a dichotomy, more of an irony. And I'll tell you why. The Jamaican household is run by the woman. It's matriarchal in every sense of the world word except for the fact that those insidious male or patriarchal things will still rise up. But it's the woman that's the head of the household. I see that over and over again. It's a stronger voice in the home. But yet still there's the saying in Jamaica for women, they say, you play fool to catch wise, you play fool to catch wise. So it's almost like, you know, have the power, but you don't need to shout it out from the top of the steeple. You just kind of quietly use it. But yeah, I do believe that Jamaica at its heart, at its core is matriarchal, but those patriarchal trends all over the world are still evident.
Leah Roseman:
So we talked about this virtual program going out to schools. Now I heard in another interview that you did a while back about your first live performance for a high school. And I was really touched that you requested if you could have a T-shirt for that high school when you went up in front of the kids.
Jah’Mila:
Yes, Leah, the kids are the most honest people ever. And if they don't like you, they are not shy to tell you that they don't like you. And so one of the things, going into this was, okay, I'm not a trained teacher. I love kids. And that has been a theme in my life for all my life. I love kids, but I had never engaged them at this level before. And so you always worry, will they like me? If they don't, they're going to be honest about it. So going to play at the Prince Andrews High School, they've since changed their name in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I went to the organizers of the event and I said, okay, what are these kids like?
They were like, well, you're going to get a wide cross section, everyone from five to high school. And I was like, okay, well that doesn't help because that's a big range of ages. And so I asked, who is your star singer in the school? Maybe they can come up and sing something with me. Star Singer wasn't at school that day. A name came up. They were like, I can't recall the name off the top of my head, but they were like, yeah, so-and-so would love to do it, but they're not here today. So I was like, okay, how am I going to connect with these kids? I was like, do you have a school shirt? And they were like, yeah, we do. And so they ran back and got me a shirt, it was tight, I put it on, and when I came up I put a jacket on and then I did the whole James Brown and they started screaming and I was like, yeah, I got 'em. But the kids have been so gracious, they've been so attentive listening to the modules, listening to the stories around the modules, sharing their experiences with music, sharing with me their favorite reggae songs, playing the one drop with me, whether it's on their leg or on the desk. I sometimes bring shakers for them as well. It's been what an experience. Leah? I had 2000 kids sing me happy birthday at the Roy Thompson Hall in April.
Leah Roseman:
Wow.
Jah’Mila:
Yeah, I think I found my calling. Any opportunity to continue working with kids, I'm going to take it.
Leah Roseman:
Well, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser has his connections in the States. Maybe yor'll be doing some concerts down there.
Jah’Mila:
Fingers crossed. We have spoken about this and we're working towards manifesting that.
Leah Roseman:
I'm sure it'll happen. One thing we didn't talk about, it came up in the Reggae Roots, which I found interesting was the origins of rap, which is such a huge music genre. So DJ Kool Herc, this guy in the Bronx came from Jamaica and this history of toasting, was this part of the dance hall culture?
Jah’Mila:
Yes, sound system culture specifically. So you remember reggae music wasn't really being played on the radios. It was the trending music, the North American soul music that kind of dominated the airwaves of Jamaica. And so if you weren't making the music, they weren't really being played. Sound system culture became a big thing. My grandfather actually had a sound system. My father's dad, Noel had a sound system. And there are other iconic sound systems in Jamaica King Jammys. And these were the persons and the systems where the distribution systems for reggae music at the time where they would set up stacks of speakers in the streets, and those were the parties where people could hear this kind of music. So DJ Kool Herc brought this toasting. So the toasting would be the music is playing and they would say something like, yeah, let's dance in the party.
And they're doing all these kinds of encouraging words around the music or telling you who the artist is or telling you what you might do, how to dance. And so this whole practice became known as toasting. And we have some incredible toasters. We're talking about legends like U Roy, master Toasters, and they would go around and toast for all the sound systems because they're so well-liked that they are an art by themselves. DJ Kool Herc brought that practice to New York and that act of toasting became what became like the DJ for rap and toasting the actual speaking became the rap. And so that's kind of the birth of hip hop right there. And of course there are several other factors which must have contributed to the evolution of rap and hip hop, but certainly that part was one of the seeds that birth did for sure.
Leah Roseman:
So when you said your grandfather was a sound system owner, I'm kind of curious, where would people store all these speakers and just the logistics, how did that even work? You know what I mean?
Jah’Mila:
Yeah. So I wish you would come to Jamaica one day, if anyone listening here has ever been to the dub club in Jamaica or they have so many sound system Sundays, they're just all these places in Jamaica where you can go and you'll see a man's whole livelihood is his sound system speakers. He'll spend all the time tuning it. It will live in his home. And then every Sunday evening or so, he'll set it up in the corner of the streets and blast it down the street. And then he'll have a section of it called the early dance where they're playing more lovers rock, and then the vibes picks up as the night progresses. But it's a lifestyle Leah and people their entire lives center their entire lives around this kind of thing. So yeah. Where do they store it in their homes? Most of the Times Dub club, a party that happens even today, my friend Gabriel SSI has a speaker set up permanently in his yard and every Sunday night, hundreds of people, he opens his gates and hundreds of people go there to see this show and to listen to the music from the big stacks of speakers from all over the world.
Leah Roseman:
Wow. It's really unique to Jamaica, isn't it?
Jah’Mila:
It is. However, I have to mention how the Japanese and the Chinese have taken it up. They love it too. I think right now in this time, the second biggest sound system culture comes out of Japan and China. They love it so much. Yeah, my dad had a record shop and he sold to so many Japanese, all the records for their sound systems.
Leah Roseman:
Oh, that's really interesting. And in terms of promoting music, and I was just thinking what you're saying, that you wanted to stick to the reggae roots and sort of more less sexualized lyrics and presentation. As a woman performer, do you feel pressure from the industry to do things a certain way or are you just able to do your thing?
Jah’Mila:
Such a great question. I used to feel pressure. I used to feel pressure. And to be honest, even sometimes now I do too because the question is, okay, if I'm going to be a full-time artist, you want to sell records. And so you look at the trends of what's popular and the music that I do is not what is popular. But what I've noticed, Leah, is that I've cornered a niche market of people that I think are underrepresented listeners and consumers of music. And whereas the mushy middle is what I call them, they all love the, , not all, but I find that a large cross section of the population loves pop music and popular soul dancehall, hip hop, country pop music that are on the airwaves, on the radio. I appeal through reggae roots to the younger demographics of people who don't have a place that doesn't sell beer to go and consume music.
And so that is what qualifies me to do a project like Reggae Roots. And I see 8,000 kids in three days because those kids don't have a place consistently where they can consume live music in this way. And so I'm really grateful for that audience and I want to continue to strategize for a way to keep their attention so I can give to them and that they can give to me as well. Another corner of the market that I think benefits from the type of music that I'm sharing and the way I'm sharing it is the older demographic. And I want to say 45 and above who a lot of them, especially the much older folk, are not always comfortable with late night shows going out to a bar where it's super loud. And so my matinee shows my orchestral presentations appeal to them more. They understand the music they like the live music they love to hear. It's not just programmed beats and rhythms. They like real music. So I'm going to continue working with those demographics. I would love to have all people listen to my music, but if I were left with this demographic of listeners, I would still be very content and happy. I think they're underrepresented when people are planning parties. I feel like these demographics are often left behind.
Leah Roseman:
Yeah, really interesting. And I'm curious, you have settled in Halifax for personal reasons, but it's interesting being in a smaller center as a creative artist, do you think, as opposed to being in Toronto or New York or a much bigger city, do you have any thoughts about that?
Jah’Mila:
I do. Thank you for that question. I have never lived in a bigger city center, so I don't have much to compare it to. Kingston is really small, but it has a lot of influence and outreach as it relates to reggae music. And I found that in Kingston for several reasons. I was a little fish in a big pond. I find here in Halifax, there's not a lot of reggae music here. And so I get to share my culture in the way that I want without feeling like I need to compete with the acts that are already there. And so you get a little bit more of my own authenticity. I love Halifax because when I came here, as I have described in my answers, the art scene specifically opened their arms to me, giving me opportunities like I've described to you, working with the orchestras, singing on all the stages. And I just opened for Shaggy at the Halifax Jazz Festival. Someone around a table decided, Hey, why not give Jah'Mila that slot? You know what I mean? And so I'm grateful for that. And as much as I represent Jamaica in the music that I'm putting out, I'm also representing the care and support that I receive here in Halifax too. I do consider this a propelling place to be, for me at least.
Leah Roseman:
Okay. And when you were singing, enjoying singing growing up, did you aspire to be a performer?
Jah’Mila:
No, I did not. I wanted to become an actuary.
Leah Roseman:
I don't even know what that is.
Jah’Mila:
It's like a math person who works with statistics. They usually support insurance companies calculating the risk factors of different probabilities, like it's a math related field. And so it tells a lot about me that I love a good spreadsheet. I love working with numbers. As much as I love to sing, what I know that growing up, I know that I love to sing. And every opportunity I get to sing, I sing. I joined the Nova Scotia Mass choir for the opportunity to sing because I found that as my project and my team and my band we're growing, I'm actually singing less informally. It's almost like every time I sing there's a big, there's a big to-do. And so the simple joys of just harmonizing with a group of people for fun, I wasn't getting a lot of that. And so I joined the Nova Scotia Mass choir and I told the director, I said, I'm not interested in any lead parts and I may not be able to make all of your engagements, especially if they clash with my own, but would you permit me to sit in the back and sing? And so I go there not every Wednesday, but I do go and they all love me there and I just sing harmonies with them and it's wonderful. So I share that story with you Leah and your listeners to show that it's not... I love the music. All the other things are extra and I'm grateful for them all. But if I only had the opportunity to sing, I would just be singing nonetheless.
Leah Roseman:
Beautiful. Well, thanks so much for this today and for sharing your music as well.
Jah’Mila:
Thank you so much, Leah. I had a great time chatting with you.
Leah Roseman:
I hope you enjoyed this week's episode. Thanks for following the series on your favorite podcast player and sharing your favorite episodes with your friends, all of which help find new listeners. I have lots more episodes coming in this season. Three, with a fascinating diversity of musicians and their stories and music. Have a great week. Please consider buying me a copy. The link to my Ko-fi page is in the description.
