ETANA

ETANA

REGGAE`S YOUNG EMPRESS ON HER MUSIC, SUCCESS & THE INDUSTRY

With a pleasant smile and a humble spirit she walks into the offices of her base camp Solid Agency to discuss details of her December schedule, the Christmas now in full swing Etana wants to be prepared as she’s committed to finishing the year the way she started it, with a strong surge that will ultimately setup her eagerly anticipated 2008 debut album. Running through rehearsal dates with her Road Manager for a number of upcoming performances she hastily pops out her Apple Macbook immediately signing into yahoo to glance at a few photos from a recently completed shoot in New York. Turning to a PR Agent seated at a desk she rather faintly asks her opinion on a particular picture that features the young songstress dressed up to resemble a Black Panther revolutionist. “I like it but I don’t want people to be confused you know” she jokingly hints as she turns the laptop to the agent. Enthralled by the image she too chuckles “it’s nice though, something for your personal catalog”. “Yea I think so too” she replies as the room door pitches open.

These days Etana can’t help but glow, things have been on the up and up ever since her breakout hit single Wrong Address appeased reggae fans in 2006 showing a more eclectic mainstream form of the genre. The blunt context of the song also found empathy amongst the masses locally many of whom had personal experiences of discrimination based solely on the community they called home. Telling the story of what really inspired Wrong Address Etana reminisced on a particular day while living in the states. “Well I was sitting in Miami one day and my aunt called and she said she didn’t get the job and I said why and she replied when she was walking up the front desk of the office the lady said to her next time don’t use the August Town address, use a more uptown address that will be more accepted, it was shocking to me I just couldn’t understand”. Embracing the startling truth of the story Etana set out to empower others that had endured a similar fate, encouraging them to stay focus despite their many obstacles. “I remember I went into the studio with the guitarist and percussionist from Richie Spice band and I said to them lets just make a song, I had the idea in my head and they started playing and we recorded it when we were finished and that was it, Wrong Address was born it wasn’t even mixed it was just raw yet it still connected”. Several months later she’s had more than 22 weeks on local Top Ten charts with the follow up single to Wrong Address dubbed Roots not to mention a Best Cultural Artiste Award for her strong presence in Reggae this year.

Equally passionate about her responsibility to inspire as is to create Etana feels Reggae needs to maintain its value. “I think it is the responsibility of artists to build and not destroy the younger generation, once you become an artist whether you like it or not you become a role model, they look up to you and music is a great influence it can kill or cure and that’s what reggae should be about, the upliftment of people, its imperative we create a better future”.

Streaming positive values to the youths, encouraging freedom of thought, upholding her views on equality and most importantly denouncing the injustice passed on by systematic authorities the talented vocalist / songwriter has become a household name. Now a VP Recording Artist she is already being styled a Grammy nominee for 2009 but the empress is not fazed. “A lot of people will change when they reach a certain level of success but I’m not one of those types”.