Etana: Why I cancelled my show on December 7

Jamaican reggae singer Shauna Mckenzie alias Etana in action during the Vybez Radio Pamoja concert at Waterfront, Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Jamaican reggae singer Shauna Mckenzie alias Etana visited Kenya and was forced to cancel her show on Saturday, December 7. Reason being that her widely anticipated show had collided with Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz’s performance. In her statement, the ‘I rise’ sensation claimed that her concert had been planned well in advance, only for a last-minute conflict to arise in the end.

Speaking to Persil Telewa in the Globe Traktion Show, Etana shared about her journey and experience in Kenya.

Tell us about your journey to Kenya.

We came to Kenya from Brazil where we had another festival.

Which countries do you tour the most?

I have mostly toured Jamaica and Miami in the United States of America. I love Miami because the people their love music so much. They call Florida ‘the melting pot ’because of the many shows we have had there too.

What happened during the event?

We intended to put up a great show as usual because in 2021, the show was massive. Unfortunately, a group of people decided to sabotage our show. Even when I started my music, I encountered such situations but this time I am grown. The people around me are skilled enough to manage whenever anything happens. Besides, am in Kenya and very comfortable in my skin. This is my fourth time in Kenya and am looking forward to visiting again.

Where will you perform in Kenya?

I will perform in Nairobi on December 14. Then go to Mombasa, Eldoret and Nanyuki. The new event has been prepared accordingly to ensure attendees have a great time. For those who purchased tickets, I hope you will have a spectacular experience.

How did you start your music career?

I started in a Girl group where we created RnB Rock Pop Music. It was different from what I am doing now, Reggae music. We didn’t have to write our songs and everything was provided for including the outfits. However, I was not comfortable when we had to do the video shoots and the cameraman went down low. In the choreography, we had to move around and the camera was just there. I felt violated and uncomfortable and I quit music and opened up an internet café. That is when I met Richie Spice who was looking for a background vocalist in his show and we started working together. Then he suggested we should write a song and I had to think about it because I had really quiet music. What really triggered me to be done with music was how you needed to be sexual and behave in a certain way. I care about how I feel and am very comfortable in my skin. I do what I want and I need no one to force me to do something on the contrary. After working with Richie Spice and other men and seeing how they treated me like a sister or daughter, I became more comfortable and in control. If I wanted to wear my natural nappy hair instead of braids, I would just do it. Soon after the company collapsed since the managers were incarcerated and I was left alone. So, we recorded songs on CDs and distributed them to people around Jamaica. Since I had a hit song (Wrong Address) before their incarceration, I decided to get back to music and create my label. That is when I received a phone call from VP (a record label that signed me at the time.) As I worked with them, I still had creative rights control and I got to learn a lot until the far that I have come.

Etana has a lot of hit songs including, “I rise, Richest Girl, The Strong One, Love Song, Weakest in Me, I am Not Afraid and Trigger”, just to mention a few. She is a reggae singer who was nominated for the 61^st and 64^th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. Her fans and reggae enthusiasts are looking forward to her shows and more to come from the 40-year-old reggae sensation.