BLACK ROSE MOVEMENT BY CORA REID

“BEAUTY FOR ASHES”

In the basement of her childhood home in Toronto, a young Cora Reid would sit listening to her father play his vintage vinyl reggae collection. As a pioneer of the 1980s domestic reggae movement in Canada, Jimmy Reid planted in his daughter a love for music and her heritage. This love for and lineage of musical excellence became blatantly obvious when Cora burst onto the Canadian Reggae scene in 2004. Releasing two singles, Cora found herself propelled into the center of Canada’s thriving Reggae community. Her singles “It Is Well” and “Shout to the Lord” made their way into regular rotation on several radio stations nationwide. This talented singing sensation also found herself nominated for Top Reggae Gospel Female Singer in the 2003 Canadian Reggae Music Awards alongside vocalist veteran Kay Morris and Top Female Artiste and Best Reggae/Soca recording for the 2003 Maja Awards. Most recently, Cora was the 2010 Reggae Achievement Award Winner for Best Gospel Artist/CD & the 2010 Ensound Music Award Winner for Best International Album.

Cora is currently Queen Mother of Miss Awoulaba Canada. This organization supports and celebrates women of plus size. Both Children Zoe and Shalom Russell were Awoulaba Kids alongside her in Feb 2015.

With Cora’s life overflowing in abundance as an Artist, Activist, speaker & full-time mother, and entrepreneur, she can do nothing but sing and share her experiences in song with the world. Her debut full-length CD appropriately entitled “In His Presence,” is a collection of worship songs set to a swaying reggae vibe which Russell hopes will touch everyone and anyone that listens to it. With a strong collective of producers including Jimmy Reid and Orville “Wyz” Malcolm, the album is set to change the sound of Reggae music with her signature blend of heartfelt vocals atop swaying Reggae vibes.

Her new Album entitled Audacity of a Black Woman, are songs about her experience in Surviving mental and emotional abuse racial profiling, and the growth she has experienced in great loss. Cora is currently doing a myriad of genres from house music, to funk to jazz for a new project. The idea is to come out of the box being the artist and woman of God that Cora is created to be without limitations.

Music is one of the ways in which Cora Reid feels she has a voice. Having made various attempts to speak out against her suffering, gain support comfort, and understanding, Cora has however experienced much pain and rejection since being divorced in 2012. Cora chooses however to use the pain of Surviving various challenges, Rejection, stigma, and accusations attached to being a single black woman with children and turn it into creating a platform to be heard hoping that many will relate and also be inspired to stand strong in the midst of their own adversity. The labels of Black Women as angry, black, jezebel out of control are simply not true. The bias and stigma have had an impact on Cora however she chooses to use the pain to become her platform to change lives.

Music songwriting and production, have been a strong source of healing and an avenue for Cora to express herself. Still solid in her faith in Jesus Christ, Cora chooses to take the bricks thrown at her to build and new house and reinvent herself as a better stronger woman, songwriter, producer, advocate, orator, and freedom fighter. She is now turning the painful experiences and obstacles that have been thrown in her way to write songs and encourage others. Writing songs to encourage Black Roses Women or anyone who has been profiled and also has suffered the pain of suffering Rejection, Abuse, and Stigma.

Black Rose, Now Charting number 1 in Durham was written in celebration of who Cora is as a black woman. It is an encouragement to every Black Rose male or female that has been profiled, accused, misunderstood, and classified. It is a tribute to every life lost through police brutality. It is an anthem to every student, employee who has experienced hate. It is a reminder that you are uniquely beautiful and stand strong in the midst of other roses and deserve your place at the table. The song is intended to bring awareness to Racial Profiling, encourage Black Roses to shine and stand strong in the midst of their struggle.

Cora believes that every person deserves the right to be heard and respected. The colour of one's skin, financial demographic, educational background, or past should not deny a person's right to justice respect and protection. Cora is currently working to serve her community and has various projects in the works in ending systemic and anti-black racism in Durham. She has had the opportunity to create and facilitate after-school songwriting and production workshops with students in the Catholic District School Board and has been deemed " Mama Black Rose of Durham." The Black Rose movement seeks to be a bridge, calling everyone worldwide to stand with Cora and many others in the Cause against Racial Profiling and Violence against Women. The Audacity of a Black Woman is an album to inspire women everywhere to have the Audacity to Stand be strong and flourish in the midst of adversity. It is a group of songs written from the heart.

Cora's Vision is to use her music to change the world.

Black Rose is a free track download. In addition to downloading the song please send it to all your family and friends, check out Black Rose Movement on Facebook and sign the petition to join the movement.

Look out for Audacity of a Black Woman coming soon

One Love,

Cora Reid

Black Rose Movement