These are the opening lyrics to Etana's classic tune, 'Don't Forget' and serves as my introduction to her music. I remember the first time I heard the music of Etana. A friend of mine knew I listened to a lot of roots reggae music but the artists were usually men. She felt it was time for me to listen to some of the women who also sang roots reggae music. Sure I listened to Marcia Griffith, Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Sister Carol but did not listen to any updated roots reggae artists that were women. I have been a fan of Etana since that faithful day in 2009 my friend introduced me to her beautiful voice filled with inspirational messages.
Shauna McKenzie (Etana) was born in 1983 in the Jamaican parish of St. Andrew within Kingston, Jamaica. St. Andrew was also the home of Studio One which launched some of the greatest reggae musicians and artists of all time including The Skalalites, The Wailers (Bob, Peter, and Bunny), Marcia Griffiths, Burning Spear, Alton Ellis, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Dennis Brown among others. Etana attended school in Jamaica until her family moved to Florida in 1992. Her singing career began as a member of the girl group GIFT, an act signed that was signed to Universal Records. However, Etana did not feel comfortable presenting herself wearing revealing clothing while pursuing the creative direction the group was headed. She instinctively quit the group and returned to Jamaica to pursue entrepreneurship. Etana displayed for Universal that she was a woman only wishing to stay focused on who she was; not willing to sell her soul in the interest of fame or money. That path to her destiny was not for her.
Music still kept singing a sweet melody in her ear. In 2005 Etana became the backup s...
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Etana's gift for songwriting has blessed me in so many ways. With Etana's music you will inevitably be enraptured by the magnificence of her lyrics and her powerful voice. You will have no choice but to sing along to insightful lyrics filled with nothing but positivity and love. The album 'Better Tomorrow' resonates with the audience long after you hear it. The song 'Reggae' drew me to reflect on why I love reggae music as much as I do. I believe reggae music is a life force that has the capability to lift souls and save lives. I play this music every day of my life to stir inspiration and to fill me with the songs of a better tomorrow.
I recently got a chance to speak with Etana about her daughter inspiring a song on the album, her first performance in Gambia and her balancing motherhood with her career. Here is our conversation with The Strong One.
Post 2. Bodonyi, Tiina. “This was something to make me see the world in a new way. Born and raised in Finland, Europe, this album that I got from a friend woke me up. I think it should be mandatory for all the people in Europe to listen to this album. This album is revolutionary, just like all the best art has always been: revealing the truth.” Facebook. N.p. 31 Mar 2010. Web. 5 Nov 2013
... artistic renderings of the enthusiastic songs of her time. More than anything, it is this love of performing that won her the hearts of millions throughout the world.
Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre.
Lili Boulanger was born on August 21, 1983 to Raissa Mysheskaya, Russian princess, and Ernest Boulanger, French conservatoire teacher. She came from a musical background from her parents and grandparents. Lili’s mother was a professional singer, her father was a composer, grandfather was a musician, played the cello, and also her grandmother was professional singer. Her musical abilities were seen at age two and were encouraged to continue her musical education by her parents. Boulanger’s family was very involved with music once her father died when her was seventy-seven years old. Lili’s and her sister first lessons were from her mother then went on to study with eminent musicians. Lili could play many instruments including the harp, violin, cello, and piano.
Reggae The Story Of Jamaican Music BBC Documentary. vols., 2012. Online. Internet. 22 Mar. 2014. . Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv1Iy26qlLk&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
...hy I chose to do my case study on Lila Downs is because she is a strong indigenous woman who has come to realize and appreciate her culture and her people. She doubted her blood once, but know she is proud of who she is. I admire her music; she keeps it traditional as her ancestors would once, and adds her own spice to it. The way that her music is, contributes to her listeners such in Oaxaca and other Latin American countries who listens to her. She is the voice for the indigenous people, as she writes song that advocate for their mistreatment. Also Lila Downs doesn’t compose songs as any other singer/composer would, she tries to make a connection with the diverse audiences. I appreciate the fact that Downs writes song about political and social justice and immigration not only that but I like how she implies her own dialects into her music and cultural background.
In this chapter Reyna is reunited with her father, however she is disappointed of their detachment. Even though, she has complicated relationships with both of her parents with the inclusion of this scene the reader learns of the relationship between her and Mago. To Reyna this sisterhood bond is valuable and fundamental to Reyna’s growth. Due to the emotional distance between Reyna and her parents the siblings foster a stronger bond as an act of resilience against their complex relationships with their parents. Taking in consideration the achievements of Reyna Grande as an author, aside of growing up in poverty and the difficult relationship with her parents is an act of personal resilience. By sharing her story Grande can foster community resilience for those that find representation in her work. Also, due to her vulnerability and act of letting the reader into her healing process, her narrative creates a sense of empathy in the reader and for those with similar experiences solidarity and
As I sat down with Jordan Fisher, on April 30th, we looked out the window to a gloomy, rainy day. It was wet and nasty day, but Jordan agreed to sit down with me to discuss his position as an HR officer. Jordan started with the Federal Government, 30 years ago at the age of 20. Now 50 Jordan is looking forward to retiring with his wife, stating “I enjoy it here, I really do—but I can’t wait to retire.” While Jordan plans to work for one more year before retiring, the knowledge and experience that he has gained from the position will never leave him. Jordan has been a very successful H.R. official because he has integrity, used effective communication and proper documentation.
To inspire and influence others, a leader must possess many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Peter Northouse, states, “a leader should be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant” (Northouse, 2013) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a singular goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, one will feel like they are trying to herd cats rather than leading.
Shirley is an older adult who is sixty years old. Shirley is a family friend who I’ve known since I was about eight years old. She is very good friends with my grandma. I’ve gotten to know her quite a bit growing up. As she has aged she’s always made sure she eats right and stays heathy all around. Shirley is a very active person and loves being around family.
“Although the dancehall scene is a male dominated one, it is the female, like a queen, who reigns supreme” (www.ppreggae.com) Covering reggae history, respectively, “Reggae Songbirds” and “Dancehall Queens” offer a fairly comprehensive overview of the contributions of women in reggae. The dancehall has become a form of a message center for Jamaican people, no matter where they are within the social structure of the island.
Shivers, Kaia “This is Reggae Music” Los Angeles Sentinel” V. 66; N. 32 p. B5 11/8/2000
... situation, Christina Aguilera has been really motivated by music. Music is what has made her really strong. This shows that music has been a great influence for her. Her music has also influenced many young teens going through depressing situations. Becoming very passionate about music was special for Christina Aguilera; it helped her become the singer she is now. Even though she had a tough time with her father music brought her up again. Now, Christina is very talented because of all the things that made her very strong. Christina Aguilera’s life in a domestic surrounding was very difficult for her. Even though she struggled at times listening to music helped so much. Music for her was comforting. Maybe teen girls do not have someone to talk to and feel very sad, Christina’s music can help them be stronger and not think about the situations they are experiencing.
Israel Vibration is one of the greatest triumphs to come out of the Jamaican reggae scene. Those familiar with the band feel the warmth of recognition and appreciation when the name comes up in a discussion of reggae music. That warmth and feeling is amplified for anyone who has heard or seen this special trio of singers perform their unique and powerful act in a live performance. For two decades the positive vibrations have been keeping us dancing and feeling the emotions of their spiritual message. Like many other reggae stars of Jamaica, Israel Vibration feel that God has given them the gift of song for the purpose of conveying the message of Rastafari to the people. These three men make musical magic that blends together traditional roots reggae with raw human emotion and a strong spiritual message. I am especially found of the music and story of Israel Vibration. I plan to discuss a biography and discography of Israel Vibes. Then I will try to describe what Israel Vibrations music means to me, both live and recorded.
Many listeners of reggae music classify it as island music. However, reggae music means a lot to the Jamaican community back home and abroad. Reggae music in particular has influenced the Jamaican expat community in the United States. Non-Jamaicans hear the tunes of Bob Marley and quickly relate the Jamaicans to people who say “No problem Mon” but as outsiders, we truly don’t understand the lyrics. The purpose of this paper is to examine how reggae music has affected the understanding of expat Jamaicans. Jamaicans that have migrated to the United States are sometimes categorized by non-Jamaicans as people who are Barbarians that practice hatred towards homosexuals. Because of hearing lyrics produced by certain dancehall artists such as Vybez Kartel and Buju Banton. However expat Jamaicans believe reggae music has glorified the Jamaican expat community through unification of culture, people, and language.