Reggae music has birthed yet another rarity- a spirited and soulful singer/songwriter in the eloquent and enchanting empress Etana!
In just one short year, Etana has been hailed as one of the burgeoning new and sensational sound in the roots Reggae era. This young woman, a small one at that, in a largely male-dominated industry makes her presence even more powerful.
Her debut single, Wrong Address, co-written with Sean Element and released in the spring of 2006 has created waves throughout the music scene. The recognition is attributable to her unique and expressive vocals which envelope the song, as well as the song’s lyrical content. To catch her in performance is to experience an intriguing mix of the sultry and meditative – her body sways and dances as her voice soars and her musical testimonies are as edifying as they are captivating.
Etana’s beginnings are humble, but influence greatly her intense passion for music and the sense of maturity and respect with which she approaches her art.
With her roots sunk deep in August Town, Jamaica, the home base of Reggae icon Sizzla, but her feet physically planted in Miami, Florida after migrating there with her family at 9 years old, Etana tried to succeed in the music business as a member of the all girl pop group Gift.
It was not until she returned to the source, uncannily to start up an internet café with a friend in the busy Kingston metropolis that her lifelong dream began to be realized. She scored an audition with Fifth Element Records, the management company largely responsible for launching the careers of Richie Spice and Chuck Fender.
Floored by her powerful and sometimes raspy alto voice, the Fifth Element management team immediately asked her to join Richie Spice’s touring party as a backing vocalist. The ensuing fifteen months would see Etana stepping up and out to soak up some of the stage lights, gracing stages in Europe and North America and independently in Africa.
Wrong Address struck a resounding chord with Reggae enthusiasts and still receives heavy radio rotation. Her most recent single Money released in the summer of summer 2006 has proved to be a radio friendly hit.
From reggae and pop to rock and jazz, her musical influences are varied and though she is not one to subscribe to labels, Etana describes her brand of music as reggae soul – “It is straight from the heart, straight from the soul, straight from the people and everyday life” .
Operating now from both Solid Agency, the leading Caribbean entertainment events / artiste management company and Etana’s very own, Freemind Music “the B.E.S” Records, expect sheer greatness. Etana’s debut album, which is still untitled, will be released early next year (2008). In the mean time her third single, Roots, released may 2007, has already begun to enjoy popularity as evidenced from the air waves and her live performances. Prepare yourself for the Etana Experience!
