Connecting the notes

How musicians in St. John’s share their culture and experiences through art

Gema Pazmino
Kicker

Music, laughter, exotic smells and sights filled the St. John’s Farmers’ Market on Friday as The Tombolo Multicultural Heritage Festival took over the market.

The event festival travels the province so residents can learn and experience different cultures.

The dozens in attendance enjoyed food from different parts of the world such as Mexico, Chile and Nigeria while experiencing time-honoured music and admiring traditional clothing.

“We are all connecting to our cultures and understanding each other,” said Persio Dominguez, a percussionist and singer from Dominican Republic.

He moved to St. John’s three years ago and in just a couple of years started playing with the NL Latin Band. One of the main purposes of the band, he says, is sharing and representing Latin American music in the province.

The band started playing salsa and merengue first, and decided to expand their repertoire with bossa nova, bachata and cumbia as well.

Through music, Dominguez says, people connect and form a community, even if the music genres differ widely.

The opportunity to play jazz and francophone music in St. John’s, he says, made him feel more connected to the community.

Valmy Assam is a singer-songwriter based in St. John’s, who previously lived in Ontario. She released her debut album The In Between in September 2023. Assam, who goes by the name as Valmy, describes her music as folkish.

“It is important for people to know that there is community and that they are not alone,” said Assam, who won the 2024 Solo Artist of the Year award from MusicNL.

With her calming voice accompanied by the sound of her acoustic guitar, Assam has played in the Tombolo a couple of times before and says each time she sees more culture being represented.

“It’s inspiring,” said Assam, describing the feeling she has every time she participates in the multicultural heritage event.

Dominguez has also played in the festival before. He says sharing these different types of music helps him realize how different forms of music influence each other.

“We are always learning,” he says.