With a father like musician Earl \u201cChinna\u201d Smith \u2014 renowned for his work with the Soul Syndicate band as well as being guitarist for Bob Marley and the Wailers among others \u2014 it was bound to rub off.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad taught me about the importance of practice and preparation. He leads by example, as someone who is constantly playing his guitar and honing is craft. Whenever we perform together, he always emphasises the value of rehearsal, and he insists that we always approach the music with the respect it deserves,\u201d Jah\u2019Mila (real name Jhamiela Smith) shared in a recent interview recently.<\/p>\n
Jah\u2019Mila, who migrated to Halifax, Canada, almost seven years ago, resided in Brown\u2019s Town in St Ann before moving to Kingston.<\/p>\n
More than a week ago, the JUNO award nominations (Canada\u2019s equivalent to the Grammys) were announced and Jah\u2019Mila is among the nominees in the Reggae Recording of the Year category. She is nominated for the album \u2018Roots Girl\u2019<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n She is quite upbeat about the accolade.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing JUNO-nominated is truly humbling and an immense honour. It\u2019s a testament to the support and love from my team, fans, and peers \u2014 especially in the East Coast! I feel incredibly grateful for this recognition. Additionally, seeing the representation of women in the line-up of nominees is both inspiring and empowering. It sends a powerful message of inclusivity and diversity, and I hope it will serve as inspiration for young girls across Canada and around the world,\u201d said Jah\u2019Mila.<\/p>\n The Reggae Recording of the Year category, for the first time since its introduction in 1985, is dominated by females. The other nominees are \u2018Rush Dem\u2019<\/em><\/strong> by Omega Mighty featuring 4Korners and Haviah Mighty, \u2018Stir This Thing\u2019<\/em><\/strong> by Ammoye featuring Turbulence, \u2018Feel Like Home\u2019<\/em><\/strong> by Exco Levi, and Dread by Kirk Diamond and Finn.<\/p>\n Released in late 2022, Roots Girl comprises a variety of topics from relationships to social issues.<\/p>\n \u2018Roots Girl\u2019<\/em><\/strong> is a labour of love that took lots of dedication, passion, and collaboration over several years. It documents the first few years of growth for me and my band here in Canada. Nuff big ups to Richard McNeil, who produced several of these tracks in the attic of his home during the pandemic. We finally released the album in November 2022 after many delays. This album was brought to life by the incredible talents of Richard and Ben Barton Creeleman, who are not just producers but also cherished friends and invaluable collaborators,\u201d said Jah\u2019Mila.<\/p>\n She spoke about the collaborations on\u00a0\u2018Roots Girl\u2019<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some incredible collaborations on Roots Girl that I\u2019m truly excited about. My dad\u2019s drum ensemble called the Inna De Yard Binghistra Movement is featured on the album, as well as Tachichi, an incredible rapper from Halifax Nova Scotia,\u201d the artiste shared.<\/p>\n She continued: \u201cMaking this album was like sharing a piece of my soul with the listeners, inviting them to connect with the stories and feelings behind the music. It reflects my deep Jamaican roots and connection to the music. Every lyric and every melody was inspired by my experiences, and the songs explore topics like spirituality, self-empowerment, love, as well as systemic social issues like racism.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Jah\u2019Mila, the JUNO nomination acknowledges the hard work that went into creating the body of work.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, a JUNO nomination is a blessing, a validation and affirmation from the Most High that I am on the right path. It\u2019s a nod to the countless hours of hard work and dedication from my team and an encouragement to us to keep pressing on \u2014 there is so much more left to learn and to accomplish. \u2018To whom much is given much is expected.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n A former background vocalist for several artistes, Jah\u2019Mila said it was easy for her to make the transition to a solo career.<\/p>\n \u201cTransitioning from a background vocalist to stepping into the spotlight with my own music has been an empowering journey of self-discovery over the past 10 years. While I feel imposter syndrome at times, I\u2019m so immensely grateful for the opportunity to be able to express my own unique style and voice to the world. As backing vocalist I\u2019ve also learned invaluable lessons from observing and studying the great reggae artistes I\u2019ve had the privilege to support over the years. These experiences have been like precious gems, shaping my artistry and performance style. They\u2019ve certainly helped to make me a better performer and a more informed ambassador for my Jamaican culture and this reggae music that I love so much,\u201d Jah\u2019Mila explained.<\/p>\n But even though her roots were firmly established in reggae music, the journey for Jah\u2019Mila hasn\u2019t been smooth sailing.<\/p>\n \u201cMy musical journey has had plenty of ups and downs, especially as a self-managed artiste with a full-time day job. However, each challenge has been like a lesson shaping me into the artiste I am today. I get stronger every time. There have been some magical moments that have left a lasting impact on me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Jah\u2019Mila has collaborated with organisations such as the National Arts Centre of Canada, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and others to present the Reggae Roots virtual programme for youth in Halifax. She is the winner of the Black Artist Recognition Award at the 2023 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. She also won the Global Music Recording of the Year (2023) at the East Coast Music Awards, as well as the African Nova Scotian Artist of the Year and New Artiste Recording of the Year at the 2023 Nova Scotia Music Awards.<\/p>\n Said Jah\u2019Mila: \u201cI love music so very much, especially reggae music! It is my safe space and it comes as natural to me as breathing. I use music to soothe and heal myself, and I also use it to connect with others on a deeper and more profound level. I sing even when no one is listening. I think music has the power to transcend all barriers, to influence mindsets and emotions, and to unite people from all walks of life. It\u2019s a gift from the Most High to share, and I am always so grateful to be able to share in its magic.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a father like musician Earl \u201cChinna\u201d Smith \u2014 renowned for his work with the Soul Syndicate band as well as being guitarist for Bob Marley and the Wailers among others \u2014 it was bound to rub off. \u201cMy dad taught me about the importance of practice and preparation. He leads by example, as someone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":7748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[240,239],"tags":[82],"class_list":["post-7752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canadian-news","category-international-news","tag-featured"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7752"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7753,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7752\/revisions\/7753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}