"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
Singer - Actor - Speaker
Nerissa is an artist, actor, singer, creator, speaker and advocate for mental health and wellness.
Born and raised in Windsor ON (border city to Detroit, Michigan) Nerissa grew up in a Jamaican-Canadian household where she was constantly listening to Motown, Soul, R&B and Reggae. Her musical education began at age 10 when she began studying voice and piano until 18. Throughout her adolescence and teenage years, she performed in various musical theatre productions and choral ensembles through her church and schools. She then moved to Toronto, ON, to continue her artistic aspirations while pursuing a post-secondary education at Trinity College, University of Toronto, St.George.
For 5 years, Nerissa performed as a featured vocalist with the boutique Sheraton Cadwell Orchestra, where she entertained large crowds at public venues and festivals including Mel Lastman Square, the Taste of the Danforth and BluesFest. Her sound and tone have been compared to the likes of Alicia Keys, Andra Day and Eva Cassidy. She has best been described as a “R&B sound, with a jazz soul”. Her greatest influences include Stevie Wonder, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. In 2017, Nerissa had the privilege of performing in the Toronto production of ‘Dreamgirls’, alongside a talented cast, as her first professional musical theatre production. Since then she has worked as a commercial, Film/TV and voiceover actor being featured in commercials for brands including Cars.com, Heineken, Holiday Inn Express, Samsung, Evian, Ford and more, featured in the TV series Billions, and in the film People We Hate at the Wedding.
An award-winning speaker, Nerissa has competed in Toronto’s coveted SpeakerSlam where she won 2nd place and the Judges’ Choice Award. She has also graced stages for F.U.Nights Toronto, Taboo Talks, and gave her first TEDx talk in 2018. When she isn’t performing or recording, she spends her time writing and working on her many artistic projects to inspire, empower and uplift others through creativity.