Nailah’s Sokah birthday launch

Nailah Blackman has double reasons to celebrate today – she is launching her debut EP titled Sokah at the Sokah Origins concert tonight on San Fernando Hill, is a celebration of her 20th birthday.

Blackman plans to hold the concert every year and to use it as a platform for youth artistes.

“This concert is going to be an annual event. It will be a platform for young people to showcase their culture.

Sometimes we can get lost in the influences of other genres and cultures, but we need to respect ours,” Blackman said in a media release.

She readily admits that when she hears “culture” she immediately thinks of something boring. And so do her friends. Sokah, then, is about making culture cool again, the re

“We can be great. We can do our own thing,” she said.

Blackman credits her performance skills to mother Abby who taught Nailah everything she knows about being the consummate performer.

“Mum helped me hone my skills in guitar, gave me voice training, taught me to sew. She was very happy that I chose this path. My whole life has been leading up to this,” she said.