Hello again, and welcome back to The Roc Journal.
Release week was full of milestones, but this one lives in my body — because this was the night I got to perform.
The night started off epic: getting glammed by Izzy and styled by Reggae Moms. By the time I looked in the mirror, I already felt like the moment. And a big up to Q Bwoy for allowing me to perform.
On Tuesday night, I took the stage at Poom Poom Tuesdays, and it was amazing. Ras Pylott opened the night with two songs, and the crowd was really feeling Puncy. Then me and Mr. Suprize kicked things off with Safe & Sound.
My choreographer Oriana had choreography for all three of my songs, and it made everything feel so alive. For the second number, Empress Truth and I performed Empress Love together — the very choreography we had rehearsed with Oriana. And for the third, I did Anticipation with Tru Saan, with even more choreo woven in.
People were feeling it, especially on Anticipation — couples started dancing with each other right there in the room. That is exactly what this music is for. To move people. To free them up.
But the standout memory of the whole night actually happened before we ever hit the stage. Empress Truth, Oriana, and I were rehearsing in the courtyard of El Cid, and someone walking by called me Joe Jackson because of how seriously I was running us through the choreography. We could not stop laughing. Sometimes liberation looks like discipline, and sometimes it looks like your friends teasing you in a courtyard right before showtime.
That is release week. Community, movement, music, and joy all at once.
You can watch the night here: https://youtu.be/Nnjj6o-AiYU
More stories still to come. Stay in the tide with me.
Signing off with much love, Jahmi Roc 🌿