The singer who's making change

I realized I want my legacy to be that Jully Black stands on truth'

- ABHIRAJ LAMBA

For Juno Award-winning singer Jully Black, headlining this year’s Kuumba festival is both inspiring and hopeful.

“There aren’t enough stages for Black music in Canada and in Toronto, so I’m excited that this festival is still around,” Black said of the month-long celebration of Black culture, diversity and creativity, now in its 29th year.

“I’m 46 years old and some people in my age group that have been singing, performing, doing art, dancing, they gave up on their dream. So to know Kuumba is around and they’re kind of building a bridge between the past, the present into the future, it’s really inspiring and it gives me a lot of hope.

“We don’t see the roots of a tree that’s spread wide underneath the earth but, you know, it started off as one little seed,” she added, likening Kuumba to a seed for artists.

Ahead of her Kuumba performance on Feb. 17, Black talked about highlights of her life and career.

The festival runs until Feb. 29 at Harbourfront Centre. See harbourfrontcentre.com for more information.

Discovering her love of music 

Black realized that singing was her favourite thing to do early on.

In elementary school, when other children were bringing toys and dolls to Friday show-and-tell sessions, Black chose to bring her voice.

“I would sing Whitney Houston songs on Fridays every time and I sounded good,” said Black, adding she became “a little bit of a celebrity in second grade class.”

She credits her then teacher, Miss Simon, for allowing her and her classmates to express their individuality and creativity through those sessions.