As she forges a phenomenal legacy fuelled by purpose and passion, founder of Honey Jam, Ebonnie Rowe, has earned a reputation as a strong and determined leader committed to making a difference. In fact, her social empowerment efforts over the years have greatly exceeded the scope and impact she initially envisioned. This unceasing, tireless dedication to uplifting others, particularly through youth mentorship and development, has been recognised with a number of awards, including the prestigious 2020 Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition and the 2021 Trailblazer Award from the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA). But of course, her motivation has never been rooted in procuring applause, but rather, a search for deeper meaning and fulfilment in her life and a desire to spark social change.
Like many other trailblazing entrepreneurs, the heights of Ebonnie’s success can be traced back to humbler origins. However, unlike some, these beginnings involved tragic loss, which she said was a major catalyst to her call to action; The Montreal native, who was born to Barbadian parents, remembers being deeply distressed by news of her friend’s passing. Struck by grief, Ebonnie became introspective, questioning what her contribution to the world would be had she passed suddenly. She began to focus on how she could be of service, lead a purpose-driven life and be sure to leave a legacy. After suspending her studies at the University of Toronto where she was enrolled in English Literature, she started a mentorship programme for at-risk Black youth named “Each One. Teach One.” During this time, her female mentees shared their experiences of being called derogatory names by their little brothers, who were influenced by hip-hop lyrics. Again, Ebonnie felt called to act.
Ebonnie’s proactive mindset was inspired by the teachings of Malcolm X, who encouraged citizens to not merely complain about issues, but to be part of the solution. “I believe that when all is said and done, more should be done than said, and so rather than just talk the talk, we need to put words into action,” she said. With this philosophical outlook, she made a bold move to contact and share her women-focused, societal concerns with a popular hip hop dj in Canada, Adrien “DJX” King, who then invited her to appear on his three-hour Powermove radio show. The platform allowed Ebonnie to turn her outrage over the demeaning portrayal of women in rap music into an eye-opening, constructive discussion on the impact of these lyrics on society. As fate would have it, the editor of Mic Check entertainment magazine was tuned into her segment, and contacted her to coordinate an all-female edition of their magazine. Little did she know, this proposed one-off project, would elicit another breakthrough.
In May of 1995, the publication team celebrated the issue with a wrap party called “Honey Jam,” fusing a term women were often called in hip hop, “Honies,” with “jam,” which connotes celebration. The overwhelmingly positive reception to the event made one thing clear; Honey Jam could not be hosted just once. So, what was meant to be a one time celebration left the audience clamouring for more — finally, there was a safe and welcoming platform for female artists to showcase their talent. This avid feedback prompted Ebonnie, who at the time had a full time job as a legal assistant while heading the mentorship program, to agree to organise the event for one more year and “see how it goes”. The showcase event morphed into a non-profit artist development programme for emerging female artists, which is now celebrating its 28th year.
A Passion to Empower
Ebonnie’s inherent skills, unique qualities and life experiences were instrumental in her gradual progress, and subsequent string of successes. Her nurtured gifts also contributed to her accomplishments; Her introduction to the music world occurred at a tender age, studying piano at age six and singing in the school choir. Later, her love for arts and culture was formalised with the creation of Honey Jam. Her creative ability still serves her today, as she uses her “imagination, creative ideas that go into all aspects of the programme – the production of the show, coordinating photoshoots, working with graphic designers, promotional ideas, etc.” The ebb and flow of her life’s journey has certainly poised her to become the founder and executive director of PhemPhat Entertainment Group, which produces “the Honey Jam Artist Development youth program for female artists of all cultures and musical genres across Canada.” This incredible feat evolved from an idea to combat social issues, which included women being underrepresented, undervalued and subject to misogyny and sexual harassment. Her vision, sense of direction, thorough organisation, and skilled execution brought about change.
“We organise impactful experiences for the artists such as songwriting camps, music industry workshops, mentor cafe’s, tickets to major artist concerts, opportunities to attend industry conferences, networking sessions, award shows, etc., paid performance opportunities and interactive sessions to learn from major artists such as Erykah Badu, Melanie Fiona, Jessie Reyez, Deborah Cox and many more,” she enthused, while mentioning a few extra special opportunities offered by the programme such as attending Grammy Week in Los Angeles, trips to New York and Nashville.
The pillars of visionary leadership, such as innovation, courage, and forward-thinking, are exemplified by her resilient strides. By empowering and investing in herself, Ebonnie has been able to reach out and pull the youth and other women up. She is self-assured, willing to ask questions, seek mentorship, focus on her work, and press on in spite of any difficulties – actions and attitudes that she said others can assume in the pursuit of their goals.
The Honey Jam Canada program now boasts of a long list of accomplishments, and has helped nurture the skills of alums such as Nelly Furtado, Melanie Fiona, Jully Black, and Savannah Re. One of their past participants, Falana, sums up the experience this way: “Honey Jam is an amazing stepping stone in terms of the goals that I’ve set for myself as an artist. It has really built a reputation for itself so I’m very humbled and blessed to be a part of this experience, this family. The people here are very loving, very giving and supportive. I think for any female artist, Honey Jam is one of those things that, if you can get there, you know you’re moving forward. It opens a whole new network of opportunities.”
Ebonnie also produced the programme in Barbados for 10 years, where some of the highlights included artists being able to meet and learn from Alison Hinds, Shontelle, Estelle, and Beyonce’s publicist Yvette Noel Shure; perform in front of Simon Cowell; and participate in panels attended by reps from Universal Music Canada and Warner Chappell Music Publishing. She also ran her Honey Jazz festival and organised a children’s essay contest and family event called “Joy!”
Orchestrating initiatives that support women and youth empowerment has become an indelible part of Ebonnie’s life. In fact, she is always seeking ways to achieve greater community impact, and challenges herself to do more. As such, she hopes to “provide many more impactful experiences for the artists, showcases at festivals, travel to other countries, to have a documentary produced, [and] to have the show televised.” As for her advice to aspiring female artists, she said that women must be mindful of the inherent challenges posed by the music industry, such as possible rejection and lack of job security:
“Don’t get into this field unless you cannot not do it. It is not easy… You absolutely must have that passion and fire in your belly and a support system to lean on. You also have to be clear on what level of success you want and what you’re prepared to sacrifice, what your morals and standards are, and how much work you are prepared to put in to achieve your goals,” she said.
With a socially motivated to-do list, Ebonnie’s work is never done, but she is perpetually energised by its significant impact. She asserted, “I am driven by passion and purpose – that guides everything. I want to do work that means something, that helps people, and to have had a legacy to leave behind.” As her initiatives continue to evolve, we are sure to see further innovation and creation of empowerment opportunities, materialised with her outstanding leadership.
