BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ‘FREE EXPRESSIONS’, the second album of Jamaican reggae singer Etana, has been riding high on the Billboard chart for the past four weeks since its release in February 2011.
Etana always sends messages of being strong and unconfined, and ‘Free Expressions’ also reflects those messages as she adamantly refuses to be constrained by approach or lyrical content.
“This album was produced a little differently from the first. Most of the sessions were less planned, so there is more of a free vibe. I just wanted to express myself freely, write just what I want without thinking too hard about what anyone’s opinion would be…just doing music as I feel to do it,” a release from VP records quoted Etana as saying.
Currently, Etana is the only female listed on the reggae album chart dubbed ‘The Strong One’, which indicates that she firmly stands among her male counterparts. On Sunday (Mar. 27), she will be celebrating her new album at an official launch in Florida.
The ‘Hold Yuh’ artiste, Gyptian, will also lend support to Etana’s album by performing as guest artiste at the event.
Some of the hits on the album include ‘August Town’, ‘Free’, ‘Happy Heart’ and ‘Heartbroken’.
The album’s first official single, ‘Free’, was produced by Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor and offers a somber reflection of a prolonged period of struggle endured by the artiste. And the second one, ‘Heartbroken’, is said to be equally as heartfelt as ‘Free’, with London-based producers Curtis Lynch Jr. and Gussie Clarke at the helm.
The release from VP Records also states that Etana’s unabashed romanticism shines on the lovers’ rock tunes ‘I Know You Love Me’ and ‘Happy Heart’ which were produced by Flava.
‘Move On’, also produced by Lynch, adapts a neo-soul reggae fusion that laments a break-up tale that embraces life’s new possibilities, as does the upbeat reggae track ‘My Name Is’ which was produced by Stephen Stanley.
She also targets those erroneous character assessments and the cut-throat competitiveness that dwells throughout the music industry on the roots rocking ‘Mockingbird’ produced by Flava, and the hip-hop tinged ‘Venting’ produced by Lynch.
‘Free Expressions’ also furthers Etana’s reputation as a skillful songwriter as she penned 12 of the album’s 14 tracks.
The album is now available in stores.
In July 2009, Etana performed in St. Kitts and also participated in a community talent tent organised by the Labour Party candidate for Constituency Five, Dr. Norgen Wilson, under the theme ‘Talent not violence’.
