Although she was born and raised in Toronto, Tasha T’s accent is more Jamaican than Canadian. Her mother ensured her homeland’s culture was part of the singer’s upbringing.

The Afrocentric artiste salutes the country with Jamaica It Nice, a song recorded and released in 2023. She recently revived promotion for the single with a video filmed in Kingston.

“I was inspired to write this song after seeing a lot of discouraging news about Jamaica through my social media channels. Most of it was about the high rate of crime and violence in Jamaica, especially from the travel advisory. This, in addition to hearing my friends and family say that they would never return to Jamaica or visit, was really disturbing,” Tasha T told Observer Online.

She co-produced the song with Michael Nugent, then assembled a strong Jamaican cast to record it.
Bassist Michael Fletcher, trumpeter Okiel McIntyre, percussionist Roshane Wright and engineer Delroy “Fatta” Marshall worked on Jamaica It Nice, which presents a positive image of the country.

“I wanted to encourage the people abroad, that regardless of what you hear about Jamaica it is still nice. The culture, the people, the food, the activities, the music and most of all the vibes and energy of the Jamaican people are unique and valuable. Therefore, despite the struggles, the Jamaican people always find ways to uplift themselves in every way possible and spread joy and happiness,” said Tasha T.

Being proud of their roots is something Tasha T’s Rastafarian mother instilled in her six children. While born in Maple Leaf land, she insisted they were “Jamaicans living in Canada”.

The songs of Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt were played regularly in their home. Hearing those sounds, plus regular visits to Jamaica, inspired Tasha T to pursue a music career that started in her teens.

Jamaica It Nice’s video was shot during one of her frequent visits to the country. Tasha T hopes its message and scenes will be impactful.

“Having a music video for this song will help people to remember and understand the song and most of all the message in the music. In addition, it will help to make the outside people understand the culture of Jamaica, which brings more clarity to the song,” she noted. “Nevertheless, a music video will help to promote the single and the artiste, because people like to see the face and want to know who is singing the music.”