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

Career

Jah'Mila has been singing professionally since she was 17 years old. She performed background vocals for the band Dub Kartel 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." Jah'Mila performed at the 2019 Halifax Urban Folk Festival. In 2020, she released her song, "Chant Their Names", which critiqued police brutality. In 2022, Jah'Mila performed a tribute to Nina Simone with Symphony Nova Scotia. Jah'Mila was described by ''The Coast'' as "arguably the biggest name in Halifax reggae." In 2022, Jah'Mila released her debut LP, ''Roots Girl''. Her father, guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith, played on the album, which was recorded in Jamaica. ''The Coast'' named ''Roots Girl'' one of their top ten albums of 2022. ''Roots Girl'' was nominated for Reggae Recording of the Year at the 2024 JUNO Awards. 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. She performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in April 2023. In 2024, she released her sophomore album ''Woman of the Sun''.

Personal life

Jhamiela Smith was born in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

. Her father is guitarist, Earl "Chinna" Smith. After visiting her mother in Halifax, Nova Scotia over a decade, she relocated there. While in Halifax, she met her former partner, musician Adrian Dunn.

Discography

* ''Roots Girl'' (2022) * ''Woman of the Sun'' (2024)

Awards and nominations

References

{{Authority control Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia Black Nova Scotians Black Canadian musicians Canadian reggae musicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Singers from Nova Scotia