Halifax’s Pier 21 hosting concert to honour African Heritage Month

Musician Jah'Mila shares details on the upcoming Celebrations and Revelations concert at Pier 21 in Halifax.

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is hosting a concert featuring Nova Scotian-Jamaican artist Jah’Mila and Toronto’s Julian Taylor on Feb. 6 to celebrate African Heritage Month.

“This Black History Month we decided to make sure we are engaging with a bunch of different audiences. So this show is engaging with our culturally tuned-in people who love music, said Rebecca MacKenzie-Hopkins, public programs and community engagement manager at the museum in Halifax.

“We are really excited to have both Julian and Jah’Mila for the show. It is really meaningful to have both of them.”

Jah’Mila said Feb. 6 is a special day for her and she is excited to perform at the show.

“Let’s start off with, it’s Bob Marley’s birthday. February is Reggae Month, as well as Black History Month, and on Feb. 6 of 2024 I got my Juno nomination. I consider it a special day,” she said.

“I haven’t done a show with the band since Harvest Festival in September of last year so I am planning to make this show a celebration for me,” said Jah’Mila. “We are going to be inviting the audience to dance. We are going to be throwing in some little knowledge nuggets in there and it’s possible that there could be a collaboration with Julian as well.”

MacKenzie-Hopkins said Pier 21 will also be screening films throughout the day later in the month and hosting a Black History Day during March Break.

African Heritage Month runs through February, but it kicked off with an official proclamation at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Cherry Brook on Tuesday. The theme of this year’s event is “Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power and Progress.”

According to the province, the first Black History Month in Nova Scotia was observed in 1988. It was renamed African Heritage Month in 1996.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Sean Mott

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