Etana

Born Shauna McKenzie in Kingston, Jamaica, and settled in Florida as a child, Etana developed a reggae style blending soul and R&B across the United States and the Caribbean, with a focus on social, spiritual and intimate themes. After spending the early 2000s in the female group Gift, signed to Universal, she left the band, returned to Jamaica, joined the Fifth Element collective and notably backed Richie Spice before launching a solo career. Her early singles, including 'Wrong Address' and 'Roots', placed her on Kingston’s roots reggae scene, where she distinguished herself with a warm vocal delivery, lyrics rooted in everyday Jamaican life and a particular attention to women’s experiences. Her debut album 'The Strong One' was released in 2008, followed by 'Free Expressions' (2011), 'Better Tomorrow' (2013) and 'I Rise' (2014), which continued to blend roots rhythms, lovers rock influences and more soul-inflected ballads. With 'Reggae Forever' (2018) and the EP 'Dimensions' (2019), Etana consolidated a style that combines socially conscious songs, more romantic tracks and collaborations with various artists from the contemporary reggae scene, while maintaining a steady touring presence across Europe, North America and the Caribbean.