Orchestrated Neighbours is something of a Nova Scotian supergroup, a project aimed at improving the outreach, collaborative partnerships and representation of the provinces African Nova Scotian and Indigenous music communities. It’s like an exercise in name-dropping, a challenge to see how many cooks could be fit into that kitchen. Now, one year after the release of the Orchestrated Neighbours album, Music Nova Scotia and Leaf Music are marking the occasion with a new lyric video for the lead track, “Together We Can”.
Orchestrated Neighbours was a massive undertaking, bringing together 16 African Nova Scotian and Indigenous youth artists, aged 16-28 from across Nova Scotia, to compose original music. Working as four songwriting teams, and further collaborating with professional arrangers, performance artists and session musicians to record the songs, this was no small feat.
The project combined writing efforts of Todd Googoo, Jah’Mila, Zamani Millar, Edwin Hull, Mitchell Paquette, Chudi Harris, Shay Pitts, Wolf Castle, Paollo13, Jody Upshaw, Jerico States, and Jade Bennett; along with the Bela String Quartet.
A “mash-up” of various Urban contemporary (hip-hop, R&B, soul, etc) and Classical genres, the project covered a lot of ground in a quick four tracks.
“Together We Can” in particular, featured Todd Googoo (SHiFT FROM THA 902), Jah’Mila, Zanami Millar and the Bela String Quartet.
“I think a song like ‘Together We Can’ can help to break down some of these imaginary lines of separation that exist between us as human beings. It reminds us of the great possibilities that can result if we would only respect each other and join efforts toward positive change,” says Jhamiela Smith Dunn, who performs under the name Jah’Mila.
“Together We Can” is, at its heart, a piano track, with an anthem built-in. While that message is far more grandiose in nature, it’s a great opener for the album, given the many hands and voices involved in the project.