Jamaican-Canadian artist, music educator and facilitator Joni NehRita writes songs about unity, hope and social justice, currently calling Waterloo, Ontario home. Joni's recent project, Love & Protest is a concept album that explores the juxtaposition between love being "The Answer" and anger being the fuel to fight for change. It is an electro-acoustic fusion of finely crafted songs sun-drenched in rich vocal textures & Afro-Caribbean/Brazilian rhythms.
A seasoned performer, NehRita known for her ability to touch an audience and leave them feeling changed. Raji Sohal from CBC 3 Montreal may have put it best, “I can attest that in live performance her voice and stage presence are stellar and come off as endearingly natural. Joni had me hollering and cheering like I haven’t at an R&B show in a while.”

This year NehRita releases her 4th full length album, “Love & Protest” which is a marked step further toward global roots/world music but keeps her distinctive gift for writing accessible songs that groove in tact. Love & Protest explores the juxtaposition between love being “the answer” and fire/anger being the fuel to protest, to question, to be the change. The new album finds NehRita switching from keys to guitar as her main instrument and has relies heavily on percussion rhythms found in Caribbean & Brazilian music.

Joni is also a music educator & facilitator who has taught workshops in improvisation, performance & vocal technique at Wilfrid Laurier University, Seneca College, Folk Alliance International, The Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival as well as at countless other schools & community events. In February of 2020 she added TEDxED speaker to her list of professional accomplishments. Joni is also regularly called on to participate on panels about music, race & social justice, for adjudication at music festivals/competitions as well as to host and/or moderate events.

Kejo Kameke Buchanan is a Librarian at the Toronto Reference Library Arts Department that curates folk acoustic sound through Jali Journey on a community radio station, CJRU 1280AM. Also Executive Producer of FolkRecovery.org an oral history project celebrating and archiving BIPOC Canadian folk storytellers available in various accessible formats.

As an Afro-Canadian knowledge sharer and creative of Jamaican heritage her credentials include over 6 years experience in non-profit database management, BA in Humanities, Library Tech diploma and MLIS degree. Travelling between areas of community, creativity, information and nature. Her consistent goal is to merge her information skills and artistry within collectives of community builders, seed planters and those honouring and benefiting from collective healing and change.