Etana

Etana initially gravitated toward roots reggae's socially aware tradition not as a deliberate counterpoint to dancehall's frequent emphasis on sex and violence, but rather as a response to the more hedonistic currents she encountered in R&B. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she was still using her given name Shauna McKenzie and residing in Florida when she abandoned a college nursing program to become a member of the R&B outfit Gift. After the group landed a deal with a major label and began production on its first lavishly funded video, Etana grew uncomfortable with the revealing lingerie costumes required of the performers and chose to leave, intending to return home and launch an Internet café. Once back in Jamaica, however, her attachment to music prevailed, and she soon signed on as a backup singer with Richie Spice's ensemble. In 2007 she cut the song "Wrong Address" alongside other members of that circle, and the track quickly climbed to number one on the Jamaican charts. It later appeared on her debut album, the 2008 VP Records release The Strong One, which also contained the hits "I Am Not Afraid" and "Roots." Etana reemerged in 2011 with the single "People Talk" and the accompanying album Free Expressions. Her third full-length effort, Better Tomorrow, arrived in 2013 following sessions at Kingston's historic Tuff Gong studios.