Reggae Roots at Sistema Toronto – Jane Finch
Jah’Mila presenting at the Jane Finch Centre. Photo: Sistema Toronto.
Working in this field has shown us how a diverse, inclusive curriculum can activate a student’s passion and sense of self. At Sistema Toronto, our goal is to have repertoires that represent our students and the communities they live in. With that in mind, Sistema Toronto invited Juno-nominated reggae artist Jah’Mila to work with students at our Jane Finch Centre this March as part of a months-long exploration of reggae music titled Reggae Roots. Our students spent January and February preparing for three days of workshops led by Jah’Mila and a culminating concert.
We knew Jah’Mila would be an exciting partner. A reggae singer from Kingston, Jamaica, Jah’Mila now lives in Nova Scotia. Her music blends the spirit of traditional Jamaican roots reggae music with elements of jazz and soul—not only honoring her cultural roots but promoting a more diverse, accepting society and more support for the arts. We also knew Jah’Mila had experience working with orchestral instruments and students. She had previously developed and performed a full symphonic program of reggae music with Symphony Nova Scotia and a series of educational workshops with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (Barrett Principal Education Conductor, Toronto Symphony Orchestra) during his time with Canada’s National Arts Centre. We needed to figure out how to bring her artistry, experience, and energy to bear in a way that would inspire and empower our students and their community.
One key element was a genuine cultural connection between our guest artist and the community she was visiting. A large portion of the Sistema Toronto – Jane Finch community is Jamaican, and Jah’Mila approached her work with a sense of pride that uplifted the young participants and encouraged them to stand firmly in their roots as they develop as artists and citizens.
Another point of emphasis was to get our students as excited about Jah’Mila and reggae music as we could. We started in January by showing them videos of Jah’Mila and her music, and some preparatory materials about what to expect on concert day. By the time she arrived in March, our students were thrilled to meet her, and she was able to build on their excitement with three days of in-depth workshops on reggae music and culture. Students learned about the innovative musical culture in Jamaica that led to the creation of reggae, including technology-driven practices like sound clashes, subgenres like lovers rock, and reggae icons like Sister Nancy.
The final piece of the puzzle was to plan a concert program that would show off the talents of both junior and senior students, and to set them up for success as performers. We started rehearsing in January and worked through February and early March. We wanted our students to be well prepared and excited about the music—ready to give a confident, expressive performance.
At the core of the program were reggae tunes that our students would sing and play with Jah’Mila and her band. Our junior and intermediate choirs prepared two of Jah’Mila’s own songs—Sugar and Spice and Rise, respectively—and our honours ensemble prepared three orchestral arrangements of reggae tunes—Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, Beres Hammond’s Feel Good, and Sister Nancy’s Bam Bam. Jah’Mila and the band would also host and play a short set, and our senior and honors students would round out the program with three instrumental selections from our own repertoire—La Pencarosa and Crystal Stair, by Sean Mayes and HAUI, and Race Car by Aaron Manswell.
“Our students loved learning these songs—so many of them connected the music to what they hear at home,” said Veronica Xavier, one of the key teaching artists involved in the project. “I remember them lighting up in class, saying this music reminded them of what their grandparents played at home. They were drawing connections between their personal histories and what they were learning in the music room. These are the moments that turn into core memories.”
Abimbola, a participating student, put it directly: “Reggae is more emotional and it feels more meaningful to me. I’m more connected to it.”
Our final concert represented the students’ first time performing in a traditional theater setting. The York Woods Library Theatre is a 260-seat space with a proscenium stage and in-house sound and lighting; it was important for students to associate this atmosphere with the reggae music they had been learning about and celebrating for months. The show drew 120 guests who listened as students sang, danced, and played along with Jah’Mila and her band. The concert ended on an energetic note as Jah’Mila sang Runkus’s Move Yuh Feet, inviting the students to dance with her as audience members swayed, hummed, and sang along. Many later remarked on the energy and excitement of the evening.
Since the workshops, many students have maintained an interest in reggae. Even those who had been unfamiliar with it now name their favorite reggae artists and songs, including some they’ve discovered on their own since Reggae Roots. Jah’Mila, too, left a lasting impression with her warmth, patience, and love of the genre. “I could tell that many saw Jah’Mila as a role model and were now seeing new possibilities for themselves and imagining dreams they hadn’t before,” noted Veronica.
Said Yolanda Tapia, another teaching artist: “Seeing how their approach to learning and preparing music shifted after this experience was incredibly powerful. I feel very lucky to have witnessed their growing confidence, curiosity, and sense of community.”
This project was made possible with funding from SOCAN Foundation and the City of Toronto with funding from Toronto Arts Council. Watch Sistema Toronto’s junior ensemble perform Sugar & Spice on YouTube.
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