Beach resident Jamillah Ross has recently launched an original Christmas single called ‘It’s All About Christmas Time’.
The R and B/pop song, which aims to capture the positive spirit of the holiday season, is available on iTunes.
"I wanted to express the love and warmth I used to feel as a child when my whole family would gather round the tree. I think this single captures that emotion," she said in a release.
The video for ‘It’s All About Christmas Time’, which was entirely filmed on the Beach boardwalk at the foot of Balsam Avenue near Hubbard Boulevard during last year’s ice storm, can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU6hBOcUktk
Ross, who has lived in the neighbourhood near Queen Street East and Balsam Avenue for two years, wrote the Christmas song last year with her husband Sean Fisher.
"We both really love the holidays," said Ross, noting they’re hoping to write two or three more original Christmas songs as well as do a few covers for a future album.
So far, Ross and Fisher have collaborated on two albums: The Very Best of Love and Death and Suga’s Last Stand.
Singing and acting for about 15 years, Ross’ career in the performing arts got its start at The Second City where she worked as a server but before long made the leap to the stage.
A few years later, she auditioned and was accepted to be a member of The Second City’s touring company.
"I just slowly worked my way up to main stage," said Ross, who has written and starred in three consecutive headlining shows on The Second City’s main stage.
More recently, she’s landed more dramatic roles including the television series The Killjoys as well as the upcoming feature film Pay the Ghost, which stars Nicolas Cage.
Ross, who is presently starring in the upcoming CBC show Fool Canada, has performed in several films and television shows including Popcultured, Mayday, Scare Tactics, Orphan Black and Picture Day.
She’s also starred in productions of Seussical, A Freudian Slip of the Jung and the Canadian Comedy Award-winning Show Stopping Number: The Improvised Musical.