Music is a universally powerful thing that unites communities in halls, places of worship and kitchens worldwide. As comedian Mike Robinson said at Saturday night鈥檚 African Nova Scotian Music Association聽 (ANSMA) Awards Show & Gala 鈥� the 20th annual event 鈥� hosted in Dal鈥檚 Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, 鈥渟ome of the best music in the country is from Nova Scotia.鈥�
This was the first time the awards gala had been held on campus 鈥� one of many community events making their way to campus during the university鈥檚 200th anniversary year.
In his opening remarks, Dalhousie Senate Chair Kevin Hewitt expressed awe at the talent on display, noting the important link between music and community. 鈥淒alhousie鈥檚 200th anniversary is about opening our doors to the community to connect,鈥� he said, 鈥渃elebrating diversity and creating an even more inclusive environment both on our campus and in the communities in which we work, play and live.鈥�
Senate Chair Kevin Hewitt.
The power of music to bring diverse communities together was emphasized throughout the night in pre-recorded video messages from Halifax Mayor Mike Savage and celebrated musical artists like Gary Beals, Dutch Robinson, Nelly Furtado and recent Grammy-winner Alessia Cara. In his address, Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs Tony Ince linked the event with this year鈥檚 African Heritage Month theme: educating, uniting and celebrating communities. He stressed the importance of acknowledging the giants on whose shoulders we stand.
鈥淧eople like Portia White from Truro, who was the first Black Canadian concert singer to win international acclaim and is considered one of the best classical singers in the 20th century,鈥� he said.聽
Celebrating the next generation
Michelle Patrick, the program manager of Dalhousie鈥檚 Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians initaitive, presented The Portia White Youth Award to 15-year-old Amariah Bernard-Washington and 16-year-old Zamani Bernard-Millar. The cousins are daughters of Four the Moment co-founders Delvina and Kim Bernard.
Patrick gave a long list of the duo鈥檚 performance credits, adding, 鈥淭hese young women continue to stretch themselves and their vocal style, which incorporates jazz, soul, R&B and pop.鈥�
鈥淲e are so pleased to be receiving an award named after Portia White because she was such an accomplished singer and one of the best鈥f her time,鈥� Bernard-Washington said.
Zamani Bernard-Miller and Amariah Bernard-Washington accept their award.
Both thanked the community organizations that had taught, coached and given them opportunities, including the board and staff of ANSMA. The award, Bernard-Miller said, 鈥淕ives up-and-coming musicians like us something to aspire to and lets us know that ANSMA cares about developing their own musicians.鈥�
An even younger award recipient, 14-year-old pop singer Jody Upshaw, also gave props to the elders after receiving the ANSMA Rising Star Award. Upshaw thanked Reeny Smith, who received the Artist of the Year Award, for her mentorship, and her own father, who got her into music when she was only three.
Leaving a legacy
Family connections were made as often as community ones. A particularly touching moment came when the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute presented its Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to bluegrass singer, multi-instrumentalist and master of the community jam session, Donnie Cromwell. It was accepted by his grandchildren, who stressed that music is more about joy than profit.
Donnie Cromwell's grandchildren aceept his award.
The evening鈥檚 performances brought together a remarkably diverse group of artists, beginning with a the 13-member ANSMA Youth Choir鈥檚 up-tempo hip hop-gospel funk piece, 鈥淒o You Want a Revolution?鈥� and culminating when they took the stage again with soul singer Cyndi Cain, wearing 鈥淲e Been Here鈥� t-shirts and paying tribute to civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond and African Nova Scotian history.
Other award winners included: Nigerian Afro-fusion artist Arenye for Emerging Artist; Shawn Downey of Sharp 5 Productions for the Black Business Initiative Industry Development Award; Irma Pope (a founding member of ANSMA whose singing career has spanned folk, jazz, soul, R&B and pop) for the Craig Family Heritage Award; and JoJo Bowden and Dean Jarvis for Eastlink Pioneer Awards.
