In 1783, at the end of the American War of Independence, over 3000 people of African descent boarded 81 ships and sailed out of New York. They were called Black Loyalists. Some of them were free people, but many were still enslaved. They are the people whose names you’ll find in The Book of Negroes (yes it’s a real thing).

The Black Loyalists fought for the British in exchange for the promise of land and freedom, but when they arrived in Nova Scotia, they were given no housing, little food, and few supplies. They faced incredible hardship, but they survived and went on to found Black settlements across the province of Nova Scotia. Many of those settlements are gone now, but the people keep going. We are still here.

I am a direct descendant of Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons, and Black Refugees. I came up in Uniacke Square, but my roots are in Africville, East Preston, Weymouth Falls, Liverpool, and Delaps Cove. The songs of 1783 are deeply rooted in my own family lore, reflecting our unique culture, our challenges and our triumphs, through nearly 250 years of history.

I am proud to be Scotian. This album is a love letter to our people.