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Jah'Mila
Birth nameJhamiela Smith
BornKingston, Jamaica
GenresReggae
Websitewww.jahmilamusic.com

Jhamiela Smith Dunn[1] is a Jamaican-born Canadian reggae musician, better known by her stage name, Jah'Mila.

Career

[edit]

Jah'Mila has been singing professionally since she was 17 years old. She performed background vocals for the band Dub Kartel[1] and sang harmonies for The Wailers, Black Uhuru, Cherine Anderson, and The Congos. She made her solo debut in 2016 with the song, "Reggae Soul."[2] Jah'Mila performed at the 2019 Halifax Urban Folk Festival.[3] In 2020, she released her song, "Chant Their Names", which critiqued police brutality.[4][5] In 2022, Jah'Mila performed a tribute to Nina Simone with Symphony Nova Scotia.[6] Jah'Mila was described by The Coast as "arguably the biggest name in Halifax reggae."[5]

In 2022, Jah'Mila released her debut LP, Roots Girl.[7] Her father, guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith, played on the album,[2] which was recorded in Jamaica.[8] The Coast named Roots Girl one of their top ten albums of 2022.[9] Roots Girl was nominated for Reggae Recording of the Year at the 2024 JUNO Awards.[10]

In February 2023, she performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa as part of a series of performances tracing the history of reggae.[11] She performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in April 2023.[12]

In 2024, she released her sophomore album Woman of the Sun.[10]

Personal life

[edit]

Jhamiela Smith was born in Kingston, Jamaica.[1] Her father is guitarist, Earl "Chinna" Smith. After visiting her mother in Halifax, Nova Scotia over a decade, she relocated there.[13] While in Halifax, she met her former partner, musician Adrian Dunn.[1]

Discography

[edit]
  • Roots Girl (2022)
  • Woman of the Sun (2024)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2023 East Coast Music Awards Global Music Recording of the Year Roots Girl Won [14]
African Canadian Artist of the Year n/a Nominated
2024 Juno Awards Reggae Recording of the Year Roots Girl Nominated [15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Briggins, Jonathan (2019-07-29). "Halifax, meet Jah'Mila". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  2. ^ a b Campbell, Howard (2023-02-21). "Jah'Mila shows reggae's roots". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  3. ^ Mullin, Morgan (2021-02-24). "Follow along as Halifax's reggae-roots royalty Jah'Mila takes over The Coast's Instagram". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  4. ^ Bobkin, Matt (2020-06-11). "Halifax Reggae Artist Jah'Mila Asks Listeners to "Chant Their Names" in Powerful New Video". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  5. ^ a b Martin, Alec (2020-06-18). "Jah'Mila releases reggae rallying call to end police brutality". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  6. ^ "Celebrated N.S. reggae performer to pay tribute to High Priestess of Soul". CBC. 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  7. ^ Gordon, Holly (2022-11-09). "Jah'Mila's achingly personal track, and 5 more songs you need to hear this week". CBC. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  8. ^ Mullin, Morgan (2022-12-01). "Jah'Mila moved from Jamaica to Halifax to make the perfect reggae album". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  9. ^ Mullin, Morgan (2022-12-23). "The best albums of 2022: Jah'Mila's Roots Girl". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  10. ^ a b Creamer, Brendyn. "Jah'Mila proves reggae is going strong on new record, 'Woman of the Sun'". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  11. ^ "Halifax musician celebrates reggae roots at National Arts Centre". CBC. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  12. ^ Richard, Timothy (2023-03-31). "Jah'Mila brings the vibes to the TSO". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  13. ^ "Reggae Royalty Jah'Mila delivers uplifting appeal to Rise". CBC News. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  14. ^ Slingerland, Calum (2023-05-08). "Here's the Full List of 2023 East Coast Music Awards Winners". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  15. ^ "Here are all the 2024 Juno nominees". CBC. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
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