Jermaine St. Omer, aka (Rajow)

Jermaine St. Omer was the former drummer for Canada’s first black Juno recipient, Liberty Silver. He is a percussionist, and the leader/artistic director of an incredible ensemble called Saint O. I will return to this musical giant later in this article, but first, let us discover the Band he formed named Saint O.

Who is the band Saint O? Saint O is a Canadian-raised, international band that crosses generational gaps and fuses musical genres, including Caribbean rhythms, Jazz, and more, to give any audience a touch of class, and most of all, their versatile sound known as Afro-Caribbean Jazz.

The band has traveled the world from Asia to Europe and the Middle East, entertaining audiences of various backgrounds. Saint O has just released their pop video, “The Party,” written by Jermaine St O, which is now streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and LinkedIn.

In addition, they released a 10-song CD last year of Afro-Caribbean Jazz/World music, which can be accessed again on all major streaming platforms including: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, and distributed by Distrokid.

The name of the CD is “One Life to Live’‘ and their live concerts can be viewed on their YouTube page or on their website: www.saintomusic.com/epk.

I was privileged to speak with Mr. Jermaine St. Omer about how all this came about, and he shared many valuable insights, together with some solid advice for musicians in need.

Jermaine St. Omer is no ordinary musician; he was a banker before forming his band, which explains the discipline and stern work ethic he carried over into music. This Saint Lucian-born drummer has been in Toronto since the days of Cutty’s Hideaway. 1974 to be precise. “What makes us tick is our love for music. Taking it to different levels, because I have always had my eyes on the prize,” St. Omer said.

The former banker is no stranger to taking chances. “We left Toronto in 1996 for Korea. This was our first international tour. In 1997, a hotel in Hong Kong heard about us through our travels in Korea. They invited us over for the handing-over ceremony, and that was a huge event.”

“There we had the opportunity to hang out with people like Jean Claude Van Damme and the group, “All for One.” I secured a 10-year contract with the Grand Hayet five-star Hotels in all of Asia,” Omer said with excitement.

Omer spoke of Asia very fondly, and said he and the band were well received. Once they performed in one region of Asia, the rest came calling, and he accepted the invitation.

His tours did not stop in Asia; Europe also came calling, and Russia needed a piece of the musical action, and so off the maestro and his band went. Over the span of fifteen years, Saint O were touring the globe.

I asked what St. Ömer learned from this relentless touring, “When we first went out there, we did not recognize the enormity of our undertaking. There were lots of American bands on the scene, so we had to up our game just to compete. Yet, we became one of the most sought-after bands on the international circuit.”

St. Omer has been recognized for his dedication and hard work over the years. An example of this was his selection as a voting judge for the 2025 Junos here in Canada. This took him to Vancouver, where he had to dabble in 15 categories of music and preside over musical greats such as the “Weekend.”

I asked St. Omer how he and the band were received in Asia, as this is not a mainly English-speaking country. “You might be pleasantly surprised,” he said. “What I discovered is that there is a huge expat community in almost every Asian country.”

Omer explained how they were hired to entertain expats who, in turn, attracted the locals, so it is a win-win situation for all. “We went to, Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam, on a one-month contract, which turned into seven years.”

This musician wears many hats. Imagine going to Vietnam to play music while teaching English as a second language as well. Remember, I said Omer loved taking chances. Here is the proof, as stated in his own words.

“We were hired by the Hyatt agency in Kurdistan, Russia, but what we did not realize was that we were walking into a revolution. They were trying to overthrow the government, and we were innocent bystanders,” Omer laughed.

I could not close our conversation without asking this maestro for his advice, which he was happy to give younger musicians who would like to emulate him and his band, “Take chances,” Omer replied. “Go ahead, the sky is the limit as far as music is concerned. We learned a great deal and gained a wealth of experience meeting all kinds of people from all walks of life. The music comes first; if the music isn’t happening, you are not going to get the opportunities that are available.”

Omer, in some ways, reminded me of Jay Douglas. He puts a lot of emphasis on not doing music half-ass, as he said. You’ve got to be eyeballs deep in or get out.

I asked St. Omer why the band was named Saint O, “When I started the band, I knew I had a winning formula, so what I did was put my stamp on it. I let people join me to support me, but it had to be my vision.”

“I still make all the decisions,” St. Omer told me. “I am the artistic director, the band leader, and manager.”

Jermaine St. Omer has always reinvented himself and his band. After he moved back to Canada to care for his ailing sister, he found the musical landscape had changed enormously. Many of the clubs and spots he once filled had closed, but that did not stop this maestro. He rearranged some of the styles of music the band played and re-entered the Canadian music scene with ease. Taking command of the jazz festivals in a big way.

Presently, this musical magician still commands a 10-piece band, and as I looked at their videos and listened to the vibe, it is pure magic. Of all the hats Jermaine St. Omer has worn, this musical maestro now has one more, Classic Man.