Jamaican poet and singer songwriter Janine “Jah9” Cunningham has taken her unique vision of contemporary roots reggae from the open mic jam sessions in Kingston to the world stage. The daughter of a preacher who embraced Rastafari consciousness as she came of age, Jah9 has been at the vanguard of both Jamaica’s reggae resurgence and the growing female energy in wider popular music. Using a jazz singer’s sense of melody to convey lyrics that are both fiercely militant and playful, this yoga practicing, unashamedly intellectual artist returns to Rototom, touring her as yet unnamed third album on VP Records.