REGGAE act Tanya Stephens will continue what is now the Studio 38 tradition of top reggae acts in live performance, when she hits the stage this Friday night, February 4.

The event, which is a mix of live music, fashion, great party music, drink specials, giveaways and surprises, is a must-do for both young and mature audiences. This Friday’s event, in addition to Tanya Stephens, will also feature Studio 38’s mix master DJ Jordan, the Pulse Fashion Fix, 2 for 1 Smirnoff mixes between 5 and 8pm, BlackBerry giveaways from Digicel and much more.

Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens, is one of Jamaica’s most influential reggae artistes. She emerged in the late 1990s. Stephens is best known for her hit Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet — the single was later featured on the Reggae Gold album and It’s a Pity, which gained her significant international recognition.

Stephens was born in 1973 and grew up in St Mary and St Ann, attending Zion Hill and Ocho Rios primary schools and St Mary High. Her album Rebelution was released in August 2006, and the first single These Streets was a number one hit in the Caribbean staying on Tempo’s Chart at number one for more than four weeks.

Tanya’s early material was lyrically typical of dancehall and drew comparisons with Lady Saw, along with whom she was proclaimed “the top female artistes in Jamaica” in 1998 by the Washington Post, but later developed beyond what she called “the same old four topics” to ‘reality’ themes. Her latest album Infallible, was released in 2010.

On Friday, Tanya joins a long list of reggae greats to have performed at Studio 38. Among them are Tarrus Riley, Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Beenie Man, John Holt, Ken Booth, Gregory Isaacs (who performed his last local concert at Studio 38), Toots Hibbert, George Nooks, Lloyd Parks, U-Roy, Ernie Smith, Pluto Shervington, Pinchers, Admiral Bailey, Yellowman and several others.