Etana (musician)
Encyclopedia
Shauna McKenzie (born May 22, 1983, Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
) known commonly as Etana is a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. Her debut album "The Strong One" was released in June 2008.
Biography
Born Shauna McKenzie, the only girl in a family of boys, Etana grew up in the eastern Saint Andrew community of August Town where she currently resides. Her vocal talent was discovered when she was six years old and was overheard singing along to a 1991 hit by the group Air SupplyAir Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
.
Etana migrated to the U.S in 1992. She went on to attend Broward Community College
Broward Community College
Broward College, previously known as "Broward Community College", is a state college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year community college system...
with the intention of becoming a registered nurse.
Beginnings (2000-2005)
Following her decision to prematurely exit college in 2000, Etana joined a female vocal group named Gift. At the time Universal RecordsUniversal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
was interested in their music so Etana reluctantly agreed to wear the skimpy outfits dictated by the music industry’s pervasive stereotyping of female artists; then one day, she could no longer conform.
Etana returned to her Kingston birthplace; music still beckoned but this time, it had to be done on her terms. Etana wanted to deliver dignified, emboldening words shaped by her embracement of Rastafarian principles, which include a royal representation of women, adhering to a natural lifestyle, and an acknowledgment of the teachings of Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
and Emperor Haile Selassie I. That opportunity arrived in 2005 when a friend brought her to Kingston’s Fifth Element Records, who were then enjoying success with Richie Spice
Richie Spice
Richie Spice is a Jamaican reggae artist. He is a member of the Rastafari movement. Some of his most famous songs include, "Youth Dem Cold", "Groovin' My Girl", "Earth A Run Red", "Marijuana" and "The Plane Land"...
’s single “Earth A Run Red” and his album “Spice In Your Life”. Spice was heavily booked for American and European tours; Etana auditioned to become one of his backup vocalists and so impressed Spice’s management team, she was immediately asked to accompany the Rastafarian singer on his tour dates. Etana gained invaluable experience as a member of Spice’s entourage performing throughout Europe and North America.
The Strong One (2007-2009)
While in the studio with the guitarist and percussionist from Spice's band, Etana put together the song that heralded her arrival Wrong Address. Audaciously fusing acoustic folk with roots reggae rhythms and strains of neo soul influences Wrong Address was based on the experience of Etana’s aunt being told to lie about where she lived in order to gain employment.The compelling single, which resonated with many hard working Jamaicans who live in poor communities that are further stigmatized because of gang related violence, was duly rewarded with heavy radio rotation, reaching the number 1 position on several Jamaican charts. Etana’s second major hit Roots was inspired by her travels to Africa (her very first solo performance was in the West African nation of Ghana where she was showered with overwhelming adulation).
The remainder of songs on The Strong One presents an eclectic mix of Etana’s ideas and influences, which include veteran soft-rock duo Air Supply, the queen of country-kitsch Dolly Parton, the king of reggae Bob Marley and the cultural efforts of Sizzla Kalongi.
Etana was nominated for the 2008 MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
, to be held in October 2008.
Discography
- The Strong One (2008)
- Free Expressions (2011 Feb)