HERU

Music can be a lot of things: entertaining, soothing, inspiring. And, according to singer Amai Kuda Yemoja Ile, it can also be an act of resistance. She heads up Amai Kuda et Les Bois, an Afro-soul group (or, as they call it, a “movement”), alongside her 18-year-old son, Kudakwashe “Kuda” Imoja Mutamba. Raised in Oakwood Village, she has toured four continents and opened for vaunted Canadian acts like Sarah Slean and Joel Plaskett. Her gourp also recently reached one million streams on Spotify.

The title of their new album, “EmUrgency!”, is fitting for someone so fired up about changing the world for the better. “‘EmUrgency!’ addresses issues such as colonization, police brutality, environmental protection and reclaiming African spirituality,” Ile says of the collection of prayer songs, war chants, lullabies and ballads.

Building Black community is important to Ile. To that end, she’s been helping to raise funds for Sankofa Maroon Village, Canada’s first intentional Black community on a 14-acre property in the Owen Sound area. Members have the option of full-time residence or part-time access for retreats and drop-in programs, like nature-based meditation and gardening workshops.

“Discrimination and the resultant economic consequences mean more Black folks also suffer from mental health illnesses and, we wait two times as long for care,” she says. “For all these reasons, it is vital that we create more spaces that are healing, affirming and sustaining for people of African descent from Toronto.”

Ile’s own neighbourhood has a strong Black community. “The fact that there are a lot of people of African descent means that the energy is particularly vibrant,” she says. “I love Oakwood Village because it’s real. It’s a neighbourhood made up of very diverse people simply living their lives without pretensions. There’s a great mix of income levels, races and cultures, and that makes it both interesting and beautiful.”

Want to experience the lovely vibes of Oakwood Village? Here, Ile shares a stroll through the neighbourhood and its surroundings, perfect for families, folks in search of green space, or anyone looking to learn a little more about the area’s history.

Winona Street and St. Clair Avenue West

“I start here because you’ll find a commemorative sign in the pavement for Garrison Creek on this corner. I think that honouring water is a good way to start things, and it’s also an acknowledgement of buried histories, be they the Indigenous histories forgotten by so many who now call the area home, or the stories of formerly enslaved Africans who also found refuge here. There’s also a little Amai Kuda et Les Bois history here, as many years ago we used to busk on this corner, outside the LCBO, and it’s still a hot spot for buskers or under-housed folks to generate some revenue.”

Roseneath Parkette

“Head north through the parking lot and you’ll find yourself in a tucked-away little playground and green space called Roseneath Parkette that boasts very cool bowl swings and a great climbing structure. It’s a fun place to take the kids or to give a little room to your own inner child to play.”

Caribbean Queen Jerk

“Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, you might want to head north about three blocks and stop by Caribbean Queen Jerk for a bite to eat. This eatery is completely unpretentious and authentic in its presentation and cuisine. I would recommend the ackee and saltfish, as it’s Jamaica’s national dish, and one of my personal favourite Caribbean dishes. But don’t tell my Trini family that!”

Oakwood Village Library

“While you’re on the same stretch of Oakwood, stop by the Oakwood Village Library. My son Kuda is a library aficionado, and he highly recommends this one as a place where young folks can enjoy books without the pressure to be silent all the time. After school, it has a community-centre vibe, because many of the local kids will hang out here and there are a lot of great programs, so you might be able to catch one if you time your tour well. Take note of the lovely artistic door handles as you enter and exit. As a youth, I was on a committee that helped select these, which speaks to the great work being done to include all community voices in creating the space.”

Oakwood Baptist Church

“Walk north again to Jesmond Avenue and you’ll find yourself outside the Oakwood Baptist Church, which is said to have been a terminal on the underground railroad. This area has been a place of refuge and community-building for African-descended folks for a long time.”

Cedarvale Park

“Now head east along Jesmond to Vaughan Road. You’ll pass the north section of Robina Avenue. It is said that three local streets — Robina Avenue, Winona Street and Alberta Avenue — are named after the three daughters of a Black man named Mr. Coates who owned some land in the area in the 1800s. Walk southeast on Vaughan to Arlington Avenue, where you’ll head north again to enter Cedarvale Park. This is the most significant green space in this part of Toronto and it’s a beautiful place to walk, bike, picnic or play sports. Thanks to local activists, this park was not turned into an expressway, as some in power would have had it. There’s a creek that runs through this land as well, so you will have come full circle from buried waterways to living ones.”

SHARE: