Artiste of the Day: Etana

Shauna McKenzie (born 22 May 1983, Kingston, Jamaica), known commonly as Etana, is a reggae singer from Jamaica. Her debut album The Strong One was released in June 2008. Following her decision to prematurely exit college in 2000, Etana joined a female vocal group named Gift. At the time Universal Records 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 and focused on making music that reflected 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 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's single "Earth A Run Red" and his album Spice In Your Life. Etana successfully auditioned to become one of Spice's vocalists on his tour of Europe and North America.