5 Questions with Jah9

Whoever described Jah9 as “possessing a chilling yet bewitching vibrato evoking a young Ella Fitzgerald and a rootsy coolness à la Erykah Badu” was definitely on point. And, perhaps one could add to that a spiritual aesthetics that is totally her own. Last Sunday, this Rastafarian sistren owned the stage at Lost in Time at the Hope Botanical Gardens, as she meticulously stripped away time, simultaneously layering her performance with an authenticity and a sensuality that was bold and compelling.

Born Janine Cunningham in Falmouth, Trelawny, her bio states that Jah9’s journey into music started when she linked with musician Sheldon Bernard, and her demos subsequently caught the ear of none other than Beres Hammond, who helped her to develop her recording technique. Producer Donovan Bennett of Don Corleon Records entered the frame and in 2020, she released her first two singles, Warning and Keep Holding On (also Keep Holding Down). Her debut album, New Name, produced by Rory ‘Stone Love’ Gilligan, was voted Album of the Year by AchisReggae.com. With hit singles such as Avocado, New Name and Legitimate, Jah9’s debut album stunned the musical space. Since 2013, Jah9 has performed on the main stage with her band The Dub Treatment at major European and US reggae festivals.

In tandem with her inspiring music, Jah9 is known for her community activism and has been involved in youth development, helping to create programmes for at-risk youth in Kingston, and the Healing of the Nation public awareness campaign.

Jah9, who is “empowered by her femiNINE – that which is found in the symbolism of 9, the symbol of creation and womb of the universe”, released her sophomore album 9 on September 9, 2016. It included hits such as Humble Mi, Hardcore and Natural Vibe. Her 2020 album was titled Note to Self.

1. How was your Lost in Time performance, and when was your last on-stage performance in Jamaica?

It was really good. The last time I performed in Jamaica might have been the last Lost in Time two years ago ... and it rained during the performance, so I had to manoeuvre in the rain. But this time, I really just had a wonderful theatrical experience on stage. And I wanted it to be that, because I’ve been in this storytelling vibe with the new project that’s coming out, and it gave me an opportunity to kind of set the stage in a way that made people feel like they’re in an intimate setting with me. And I could tell people were having that experience and appreciating it in that way. And I really enjoyed that. My team did a really good job putting this together.

2. You came on stage at Lost in Time in a fabulous Bridgerton-looking coat dress with gloves, over a sexy, lace dress ... very Hollywood glamour era meets Jah9 aura. Tell us about this outfit.

So this outfit ...I had an inspiration. I wanted it to feel like lace. I wanted it to have a transition. So I wanted to have something that felt royal and regal, but ancient ... and then I wanted to be able to take that off and show that more embodied, feminine, sensual side. So I hope I was able to accomplish that.

3. Last year, you released a song titled ‘Hurricane’, and shortly after, Hurricane Melissa came along. Was that intuition?

I remember when I dropped the Note to Self album ... when I was preparing that project, I didn’t know why I wanted to do it that way. It was a very introspective album ... a kind of sit inside and sit with yourself project ... and right after that, there was the COVID-19 pandemic.

And then I dropped Hurricane, and a hurricane dropped, and you think, “Oh, this is inappropriate.” But it really isn’t. It is so perfect because it really lets people sit in their relationships. A hurricane gives you the opportunity to really look at your relationship because sometimes you’re arguing over foolishness. They’re having all kind of “Oh, he doesn’t do this ... he doesn’t do that”. But when the hurricane comes and takes off the roof, now you realise, “Oh, you have a useful man.”

4. What would you say are the important things in a relationship?

You need to look at the practical things and what really matters in a relationship when things get hard. And we’re getting into that stage now with the state of the world. So, now it’s the time when we have to really look at our relationships. Yes, there’s socio-politics, but there’s very little we can control about what’s happening. But what we can control is the interpersonal relationships we’re having ... how we’re dealing with our families, how we dealing with our loved ones, our lovers, our baby mother and baby father and our children. That is where the most crime happens in Jamaica, you know, domestic violence issues between people; people dead and family and land disputes. So we have to look at those issues. And a lot of times you think ‘Rastafari’, and you can’t talk about these things ... but it’s crucial.

5. Do your Rastafarian beliefs conflict with the strong feminine activist in you?

His Majesty made it a point to ensure that Empress Menen was crowned at the same time. He made it a point to be with that one woman for his entire reign ...uninterrupted marriage. That is the legacy of His Imperial Majesty. Even if Rastafari man don’t embody that ... that is what His Imperial Majesty stood for. So, the king was for the ladies. And this is why I feel empowered to stand in my feminine, to sing these songs about loving men who treat women well and how it softens us and how it empowers us to be in a safe space. I think that is something to be celebrated and spoken about. And we need to talk about why we don’t have more of those experiences, because a time is coming when that is what is going to be crucial.

BRAWTA:

Has being a mother changed your whole perspective?

Absolutely. Absolutely. It has changed my perspective and my priorities. And both in such a powerful and profound way. It is also part of why I understand ... and being a mother, who is raising her son and looking at the kind of man I want him to become. And understanding that relationships don’t necessarily last forever, but the children that come. They are there, and they are going to need you forever. So we have to make it work. You know? My parents were married for 50 years uninterrupted, but that’s not my journey. But that doesn’t make it any less beautiful, and it doesn’t give my child a disadvantage because it is the village that is necessary. I don’t necessarily think a man and woman need to go off by themselves and have to deal with raising children [fully]. That is a stressful thing. You need a village. So it is a full community. It is about food security, community, educating the youths properly, making sure them have good water, power, [and] understand how to who is nation building. And if we are building nations and empowering children and making women feel safe and strong.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com