Janine Jkuhl in Bali during the Sama Sama Residency Programme.
During the online series ‘Culture Shock’ with Canute Neil Ellis, which aired live on Facebook, Janine Jkuhl, as guest co-host of the ‘Live Flutes Jamaica and Indonesia’ show, was given a surprise virtual presentation of certification for having successfully participated in the Sama Sama Bali Residency programme.
Rosina Moder, co-founder and executive director of the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation, presented this certificate to Janine.
This residency is an Indonesian cultural-immersion programme for emerging Jamaican artists and creatives. Janine was awarded this opportunity through a collaboration with the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation, which had sent up her name as a candidate to participate. Janine had also applied for the residency with the help of Blaqmango Consultants.
Music Unites Jamaica Foundation is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation with the mission of expanding the awareness of Jamaica’s vast and long-standing musical heritage through research, music workshops, and free concerts islandwide.
As she was sourcing scholarships and instruments for talented music students in need, Moder was contacted by the host and founder of the Sama Sama Residency, Professor Michael Morrissey. The first residency was offered to Joel Moder in 2019, when he introduced Music Unites to Morrissey.
“We are very grateful to Professor Morrissey and his son, Alex, for having created Sama Sama, which is such a world-embracing opportunity of growth for Jamaican talents of many artistic forms of expressions,” Moder said. “I sincerely wish that there would be many more ‘Sama Samas’ in the world!”
LIFELONG EXPERIENCES
Jkuhl had the opportunity to create lifelong experiences in Bali and Singapore, engaging with Indonesian and Singaporean musicians and performing at several venues. She wrote songs for her second album, Sweet Sway, produced in collaboration with an Indonesian production company. Jkuhl supported the work of Alzheimer’s Indonesia by giving them the rights to two new songs from the album for use in caregiving for dementia patients.
She also performed at Bali Spirit Festival 2020 and, in the final week of the residency, recording her new song, Mystic, in the Indonesian language. Janine, in addition, enthusiastically supported the preparation of a short-film script by Danielle Russell, a 2019 Sama Sama alumna, which is due to begin shooting this year.
Moder is full of praises for Jkuhl: “We are very pleased and proud of her achievements. She recorded song after song while being integrated with the artistes of Indonesia.”
After four months, Janine returned home and released Sweet Sway at a radio premiere live on ‘Palav’ with host Gerry McDaniel on Radio Jamaica 94FM on September 20. The album can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming and download platforms.
Jkuhl is grateful to her sponsors for helping to make the journey to Indonesia possible: Esirom; Fesco Fuel Marketing Company; Music Unites Jamaica Foundation; St James Bakery; Blaqmango Consultants; the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; Whatz Up NY TV; and her supportive family, friends, and fans.
Source: The Gleaner
