Shelley Hamilton Speaks on Music, History and Identity

A Nova Scotia native, Shelley is an acclaimed singer, actor, writer and host who has performed internationally and in award-winning musical acts. She is a featured vocalist on the 2003 Juno Award-winning album Allegro by Robert Michael, and she released her first CD in 2004 at CBC’s Glenn Gould Theatre. Shelley co-wrote with singer/actor Janet McEwen Feeling Good, a one-woman cabaret show that debuted at the 2004 Atlantic Fringe Festival. Her play A New Hope presents the stories of the first African-American communities in Canada and is based on the historical accounts of Black Loyalists who made the journey to Nova Scotia in hopes of a better life on a new land.

Shelley’s presentation focused on the power of music to resonate culturally and politically and to give voice to groups of people who experience marginalization. She spoke of the importance of being educated about not only our own cultural heritage and history but also the history of other communities, so that we may create a more inclusive and equal society.

Drawing on her experiences as a Black woman in Nova Scotia, she emphasized how she did not learn much of her own history until she was exposed to these stories through her explorations of music. She emphasized the historical continuity of music and the ways that music can link generations through homage and reference, as well as speaking to the power of music to give marginalized people a voice to tell their stories. Using the example of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” Shelley discussed how that song made clear the violence suffered by Black people in the South to a Northern audience that was largely unaware of such injustices.

“Music is a way to see your past and your present, and it shapes who you are,” she said. “I want you to think about the history you’re in touch with through your music. Be mindful of what your music is telling you, and how it resonates.”

Shelley’s presentation was part of a series of events happening at Greenwood for Black History Month. Next week, the Diversity Committee will host a selection of seminars on topics ranging from racism in athletics, to color discrimination, to key figures in Black history.