Although she started to do music professionally at the age of 16, Omega Mighty says the biggest highlight of her career to date is the JUNO nomination that she received earlier this year.

Mighty, whose father is Jamaican and her mother Barbadian, earned a nomination in the category Reggae Recording of the Year for her song ‘Rush Dem’. The song was produced by 4Korners and it also features her sister, hip-hop artiste Haviah Mighty.

“I was in disbelief and shock. I know I make good music but my approach to the reggae genre is truly unique, and I wasn’t sure how that might be received. It’s certainly reassuring to know that reggae music is celebrated around the world in its many different approaches,” Mighty disclosed in an interview with Observer Online earlier this week.

She added, “The nomination signifies a change in the Canadian music landscape, and a shift for black musicians. It means breaking the status quo and highlighting the underdog. The unsigned, independent black musicians making music they love.”

Also nominated in the Reggae Recording of the Year category are ‘Stir This Thing’ by multi-JUNO nominee Ammoye featuring reggae artiste Turbulence, ‘Dread’ by former JUNO winner Kirk Diamond featuring Finn, ‘Roots Girl’ by Jah’Mila and ‘Feel Like Home’ by multi-JUNO winner Exco Levi.

Mighty shared what inspired ‘Rush Dem’.

“I took a trip to West Africa with my family in 2022, visiting my husband’s family in Ghana. During this trip, we explored the country and visited Elmina and Cape Coast castles. Walking through the dungeons where my ancestors were once held captive as slaves, setting my eyes on the door of no return and the canons that looked over the water where the boats used to dock, was such an emotional experience for me,” she said.

“Growing up in a Rastafarian household means there’s a heavy emphasis on discovering and cultivating black history, and although we read about this history, setting my eyes on the location in real life really did something to me. I could smell the remnants of my ancestors. When I got back to Toronto, it compelled me to write,” she continued. “Rush Dem really signifies the ways in which we as black people are required to fight the systems that oppress us out of need for survival. It can be in the form of overcoming barriers, starting collective movements, simply being a voice for the community – but it can also look and feel like the natural response to violence that we all witnessed in 2020 with the murder of George Floyd. To “rush” someone in Toronto lingo, is to “jump” or “fight”. Rush Dem refers to all of the possible ways in which we as a community fight these systems.”

Mighty continued, “The song was co-produced by 4Korners, official DJ for the Toronto Raptors and myself. 4K came up with the drum loop and core melody and when I heard it, I knew it was fitting for me. It was genius. Once I got to writing, I knew it needed some additional elements. I really wanted to incorporate some horns, and an acoustic outro. I can’t 100% explain why, but it’s just the feeling I had once I figured out how I would ride the rhythm. Once we met up and got to talking, 4K really heard me and married those ideas with sound. And the song came to life.”

Mighty took a break from music to focus on attending college, then she resumed releasing music three years ago. Born in Toronto, she relocated to the city of Brampton at age 11.

“My journey has been anything but linear, but it started in my tender years under classical development. I was performing on stage in recitals and competitions at four years old, so music creation and performance is second nature to me. In my teenage years, I was making some headway with my releases and performances, but the people I had around me at that time wanted to mold me into what they deemed to be “marketable”. It didn’t include my locs, and it didn’t include any amount of patois. At that time, I was writing reggae fusion music but I wasn’t comfortable putting it out. I didn’t trust that the world would listen, so the music I released sounded different back then. Today, I feel free to be me, to include all of the multi-faceted parts of me and create from my heart,” said Mighty.

The 2024 JUNO Awards, Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys, are scheduled to take place this Saturday March 23 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

-Kevin Jackson