Marching to the beat

of steel drums

Community Organizer, DJ, Singer

Born in Mississauga, Ontario and raised in Edmonton, Karella Cummings is proud of her Caribbean heritage and culture. The vibrant 29-year old has immersed herself in strengthening and uniting her community.

In 2007, Karella founded the West Indian Canadian Culture Association, a non-profit organization to achieve her vision.

“I started it because, in the Caribbean community, there are so many little organizations and none of them seemed to be working together. The older generation is all Jamaican or Trinidadian… but, my generation, we’re just Canadians. I started WI Culture because I wanted there to be a bridge, something that can help to represent all of the second generation Caribbean people.”

The core group began by helping other organizations with event planning, encouraging them to put a younger twist on activities. Karella, who serves as a member of the boards of CariWest and the Calypso Association, influenced the participation of youth in the annual summer extravaganza. “Every year there’s a party called Island Fest which takes place during Caribbean Festival. It’s for adults, and so we decided we wanted to have a party that anyone and everyone could attend.”

Concerned about escalating violence within the community and astonished that people who share their heritage would harm one another, Karella and seven other WI Culture board members launched The Black Ribbon Ball on New Year’s Eve. She met with the Edmonton Police Service and representatives of other groups to ensure that the goals of peace and unity would prevail at the event.

Another facet of WI Culture is its commitment to promoting physical fitness. It offers socaerobics, an invigorating exercise program based on dancing to soca music. The class runs once a week for a six-week period. “The teacher that we have is a dancer, and she did amazing last year. Everybody that comes to the class is sweating and in pain when they leave.” That, according to the former NAIT student, is a measure of the program’s success.

Beyond her duties as president of WI Culture, Karella has a passion for music. She’s been a DJ since 2003, and often volunteers her services to individuals and events that can’t afford her. She is an accomplished singer, performing with Sweetness, and with local choirs. She recently competed in Undiscovered, a local talent search.

Karella not only feels the pulse of her community, but she’s got the beat as well.

- Written by Lauren Henrie, Edmontonians Sept 2009