Etana goes live on Pamoja
ON Saturday when she hits the stage at Big Ship Music Fest in Port Charlotte, Florida, Etana plans to introduce songs from her new album Pamoja. Released June 25, it coincides with the return of live shows in the United States.
The coronavirus not only forced mass cancellations on the reggae calendar last year, it also prevented the singer-songwriter from promoting Gemini, her previous album.
The Freddie McGregor-promoted Big Ship Music Fest is her second major show since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in states like Florida. She appeared at the Spread Love Reggae Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina, in late May.
“Being on stage is everything. I also know that people are anxious for live shows again and there are some who are still uncomfortable in crowded spaces. I performed in North Carolina and it was awesome,” Etana told the Jamaica Observer.
Pamoja (Swahili for togetherness) has 16 songs, including 11 collaborations. Following a year of grief caused by the novel coronavirus and racial turmoil in the United States, she felt the need to reach out to artistes from Africa, Belgium, Fiji and Jamaica.
One of the songs, Malaika, is done in Swahili and leans on Dennis Brown’s Inseparable. Etana plays the fed-up lover on Walking Away and gives a nod to sound system culture on Turn up di Sound, which features Damian “Junior Gong” Marley.
She also shares the mic with Ghanaian Afrobeats star Stonebwoy, Italian singer Alborosie and Vybz Kartel. There is a reason for the multiple collaborations.
“The message is; we are one, no matter where we are from. So, no matter where we are from we share pieces of the same culture, dance to the same rhythm and sing some of the same songs,” Etana explained. “It really isn’t about a market. Though Jamaicans are from Jamaica, I can’t think of a place in the world where there isn’t one Jamaican. We can say the same for many other people of different nationalities. In all, we share the same world and we are one.”
Following the Big Ship Music Festival — which also features Michael Rose, Cocoa Tea, and Freddie McGregor — Etana is scheduled to do four shows in Texas next week as well as Louisiana.
