For many years Ornella Smith was a runway model, appearing on numerous shows while working with Pulse. However, during her fashion career, she longed to make it as a singer.

She got that opportunity last month as Ornella, with the release of Peace of Mind, her first song. The single is produced by veteran songwriter Sangie Davis for Issachar Muzik.

“I feel excited, I always had a passion for music. This is a good opportunity to showcase my talent,” she said.

Ornella recorded Peace of Mind after a period of working as a harmony singer with Italee Watson and Binghistra, the Rastafarian drum troupe led by session guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith (no relation). The song is written by Davis, whose songwriting credits include Wake Up And Live by Bob Marley, Starvation on The Land by Nadine Sutherland, and Girlie Girlie by Sophia George.

She had a lot of guidance on her debut solo run in the recording booth, but got over the “stage fright” with the guidance of Davis and Smith.

“At first I was a little nervous, but I got the hang of it,” said Ornella, who is in her early 30s.

Born in Kingston, she attended Hampton High School in St Elizabeth before returning to the capital to pursue modelling as a career.

Peace of Mind is distributed by Tuff Gong International.