Ryerson graduate Naomi Cowan is in her sweet spot
November 28, 2019
Dubbed ‘The Biggest Party in Sport’, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty/20 cricket tournament is a rivetting platform showcasing some of the world top players providing unbridled excitement.
Born into entertainment, the stage seemed perfect for Ryerson University graduate Naomi Cowan who is the daughter of Jamaican reggae and gospel singer Carlene Davis who lived in Toronto for eight years and has a doctorate in Pastoral Counselling and Tommy Cowan who is a producer/songwriter and ordained pastor.
Yet, she wasn’t sure she would fit the bill as a sideline reporter when the call came to consider being a broadcaster for this year’s competition.
Cowan was exposed to the CPL in 2018, having travelled to Miami, Trinidad & Tobago (T & T) and Guyana as a co-host of Digicel Fan View, an online content series that provides a cultural taste of the host countries.
The multi-disciplinary artist’s dynamic personality and easy interaction with fans resonated with CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe and Chief Operating Officer Pete Russell.
“When they told me I would be great for the broadcast, I reminded them that I am a full-time musician,” said Cowan who is a dual citizen of Jamaica and Canada. “They said they knew and it would be really cool to get another person from the Caribbean to join the bevy of international broadcasters. I was open to the challenge even though I am not a cricket expert. I, however, have a huge interest in the cultural aspect of things.”
Based on feedback, Cowan passed the test with flying colours.
“She was a great catch for the CPL,” said Nasser Khan who is a T & T freelance writer. “She has a sense of excitement and her interaction with the fans is something to behold. The other thing about her that stood out for me was the manner in which she fitted in with the different forms of cultural expressions in the various countries.”
Naomi Cowan was part of this year’s CPL Twenty/20 broadcast panel (Photo supplied)
The experience, said Cowan, was awesome and humbling.
“Even though I worked in television before I went to university, I learnt that doing sport live is a whole different ball game,” the 2004 Miss Teen Jamaica and second runner-up in the 2004 Miss Caribbean Talented Teen and the 2005 Miss Teen World pageants in St. Kitts & T & T respectively said. “You have to be watching the game and picking up things to say that are relevant to what’s happening on the field. I was in a space where I wasn’t an expert, so I had to be asking questions and be open to being corrected.”
The commentary and reporting team comprised several experienced broadcasters, including former international players Ian Bishop, Danny Morrison, Darren Ganga and Mark Butcher.
Cowan said the support helped her navigate the fast-paced five-week tournament.
“I never felt ostracized, devalued or being at the point where the thought would pop up in my head, ‘Bwoy, dem think I fool-fool’,” the youngest of seven children pointed out. “Most of these people, who are former cricketers who have been on TV for quite some time, supported me and give me tips and advice along the way. I felt so blessed.”
Naomi Cowan worked in TV before enrolling in university (Photo supplied)
Unavailable for the second semi-final and final in T & T because of a scheduled video shoot in Jamaica, Cowan has been invited to return next year.
“The CPL was very enjoyable and the fans embraced me,” she said.
As a full-time musician, her availability is based on scheduling. She opened for Jamaican reggae singer Jesse Royal who was in Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland this month.
Filled with an insatiable passion for storytelling, music – she feels – is the most powerful way to convey a story.
“I describe myself as ‘multi-potentialite’,” Cowan, who is a strong believer in multi-disciplinary artistry, said. “I am the person with multiple gifts, talents and pursuits. What I wasn’t doing was exercising all of my gifts to their fullest potential. I was trying to force myself to be just one thing. I realized I was suffocating the musical part of me which is very important because it’s part of my genetics. It is such a big part of who I am. It wasn’t until some mental health challenges arose that I realized I was suppressing my talent and I was not being the best version of me. You are constantly evolving and you are able to serve people better when you are fulfilling your promise. I am very comfortable in my skin and unashamed. There’s still so much for me to do, but the path I am on is one that I am extremely happy with. I am in my sweet spot.”
Ryerson was the only university that Cowan applied to after graduating 14 years ago from Campion College.
“I knew I wanted to study abroad and being Canadian, it made sense for me to go to that country,” she said. “I was also interested in pursuing Television & Media studies and I was aware that Ryerson had the best program in Canada. Why not go to the best?”
It didn’t take long for Cowan to make her mark and attract the attention of the university’s heaviest hitter.
Former President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sheldon Levy was very impressed with her astute leadership as the Student’s Union Director, the United Black Students Vice-President of Finance, the West Indian Students Association Vice-President of Public Relations and the Radio & Television Arts Course Union Events Vice-President.
Naomi Cowan graduated from Ryerson with two degrees (Photo supplied)
She also spearheaded Ryerson’s referendum campaign that resulted in nearly 3,500 of the 4,754 student body giving the university the green light to increase tuition to support the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) which opened in 2012.
While visiting family members in Texas, the university called Cowan to notify her that Levy had requested she host a televised press conference in December 2009 to announce the refurbishment and transformation of Maple Leaf Gardens to the MAC.
Levy also chose her to represent the university in the Vancouver Olympics Torch Relay in Port Colborne in early 2010.
“Those little things made a huge difference in my life,” Cowan, who started playing the piano at age five and is a self-taught guitarist, said. “The experience of working with my peers, who are now friends, on something so significant as the referendum that impacted our university is something that I treasure. Ryerson really empowered me to be the leader and creative person that I am today. It offered me the opportunity to be myself and to exercise the strength that I had that I didn’t get the chance to express in a more traditional high school setting. The school I went to in Jamaica was very traditional and sometimes students like me, especially with my personality and as someone who has always had a lot of energy, get overlooked and people kind of classify you as a troublemaker.
Naomi Cowan describes herself as ‘multi-potentialite’ (Photo supplied)
“But really and truly, I knew I wanted to lead and was looking for that opportunity. If it wasn’t for Ryerson, I don’t know who I would really be today. I felt so much love at that place and I grew so much and was able to accomplish a lot. The university allowed me, as a young adult, to understand there is only one me and that if I continued to hone in on my strengths, I would continue to become the best version of myself.”
After completing her undergraduate degree and receiving the Dennis Mock Student Leadership Award in her final year, she returned to Jamaica in 2011 and started a digital marketing company, worked with challenged young people, made a few appearances on CEEN TV as a news presenter and was a TV Jamaica Wealth Magazine ‘Business Access’ anchor.
Interested in exploring how digital media and interdisciplinary collaboration change the way people work, Cowan returned to Ryerson in 2014 to pursue a Master’s in Digital Media (MDM) .
With Rogers Television recognizing that the use of mobile technology was presenting a challenge in maintaining viewer engagement leading to the seven largest providers losing almost 24,000 subscribers between 2013 and 2014, Cowan’s major research project was aimed at providing solutions through the development of a mobile application that reconnected audiences with the Rogers Television cable channel.
She managed the project in the business management and creative development areas from inception to the minimum viable product stage. In January 2015, her team made the winning pitch for a mobile app prototype in the Rogers TV hackathon.
Naomi Cowan is in a good place, excelling in a music career (Photo supplied)
Dr. William Carter, the Director of the MDM program, said Cowan stood out in the cohort as a natural leader and collaborator.
“Naomi was intentional about being present and consistent throughout the program by fostering community within her cohort while attending industry events to expand her network,” he said. “Throughout the program, she focused on customizing her pre-existing skills and work experiences to suit the digital media industry. She has developed herself into a unique brand that offers significant value to multiple industries and organizations.”
Naomi Cowan was among the finalists in the Much Music VJ search (Photo supplied)
While pursuing graduate studies, she was the recipient of the Phyllis Switzer/CTV Broadcast Management $2,500 award.
In addition to being active in several student organizations in her five years at Ryerson, Cowan hosted the 2009 Caribana video series, ‘Feel De Vibe’, made the final 13 of the university’s first ever ‘Got Talent’ competition and was one of three finalists in the Much Music VJ search in 2014.
At the end of her Ryerson journey, she spent 13 months as the Operations and Creative Lead with a Toronto-based Fintech start-up before returning to Jamaica in May 2017 to pursue a music career.
Cowan marked the return with the re-release of the 1967 original, ‘Things You Say You Love’, which was the first hit song by ‘The Jamaicans’ that included her father who co-wrote the song. Cowan collaborated with Canadian Juno-Award winning artist Mark ‘Pelli” Pellizzer on the project.
Naomi Cowan & Mark ‘Pelli’ Pellizzer (Photo contributed)
Last year, she released ‘Paradise Plum’ that topped The Foundation Radio Network (New York) Reggae Chart for several weeks, made an appearance on ‘Good Day New York’ and performed at Reggae Sumfest.
VIDEO: “Reggae Star Naomi Cowan Appears on Good Day New York” https://youtu.be/fMRTTQts-AY
For the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association Breakthrough Artiste of the Year, 2019 ends on a high note with her first major European tour accompanying Jesse Royal and the release later this month of ‘Climbing’.
“This is a song I wrote for anyone that’s pursuing a bigger dream,” said Cowan who earlier this year performed at the Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden.
While home is where the heart is, she has a deep affection for Toronto.
“That is a city that offers the fast pace hustle like New York, but there is a home feeling to it,” said Cowan who is a recording artist and creative director with Glory Music & Fun in the Son Festival. “There’s something very genuine about the people that makes it feel like some place you can call home. It’s the best place to be in the spring and summer.”
