Jamaican dancehall icon making music from the heart
“If the little girl I was, could see me now, she would be very impressed.”
A genuine smile followed that open declaration from Jamaican dancehall legend Tanya Stephens during a reflection of her near three decades in music with the Express on Wednesday evening.
Stephens, born Vivienne Tanya Stephenson, ruled the regional dance floor in the late 90s into the 2000s with the hits “Yuh Nuh Ready fi Dis Yet” on Dave Kelly’s iconic genre defining Joyride Riddim, “Draw fi Mi Finger”, “Big Ninja Bike” and “It’s A Pity” among others.
Stephens, a 2019 Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) honouree, also notably wrote the hit single “Spread Love” off Jamaica reggae star Etana’s (Shauna McKenzie) 2019 Grammy nominated album Reggae Forever.
“I doh think about myself like that (as a legend), I just make music. The audience gives me that title and I doh wanna say it means something to me or not, because the truth is it doesn’t. What’s important is that they gravitate to the music. I don’t think about longevity, I think about making music,” Stephens started during a heart-to-heart Zoom call.
The “These Streets” singer, who turns 49 on July 2, says she is a different kind of artiste; guided by an internal voice as opposed to what the market demands.
“Making music in the early days was a job. Of course, it was a job I loved very much, but it was mostly about getting a pay cheque.
“Now, it is no longer just a job, it became my life. I don’t have to focus on earning anymore. I could be happy and so I could sing from the heart and not from my head. This truly makes me happy; fulfills me and who I am. Right now, I’m closer than I’ve ever been to my music being an expression of self. I really don’t care what the audience thinks,” she added.
True to that self-aware approach, Stephens will celebrate her birthday with the release of her tenth studio album Some Kind of Madness. The Junior Tad (Tad Dawkins) produced project, her first release in just under a decade, is a commentary on a post-pandemic world, Stephens said.
“I’m looking at the world now and I’m thinking all this is just madness. Things that used to look like a mystery to me is no longer a mystery. Definitely, the album, a large part of it was made during lockdowns and curfews. It was really therapeutic. Bringing that creative aspect out of me for me was a good thing,” she said.
Post-pandemic survival
Stephens revealed the restriction on physical movement was a personally depressing time during the months of lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I was in a depression. I couldn’t understand this new world and way of living. I’m used to being outside, why am I under house arrest? Why when I go to the studio I can’t leave until morning? It’s an embarrassing phase of our history,” she lamented.
Stephens said she was also hesitant to take the Covid-19 vaccine and to date remains unvaccinated. Her vax status means she is unable to travel to a number of countries with vaccination mandates, including Trinidad and Tobago.
“I’m not vaxxed, so I only going to places I hope the audience understands and respects that choice. I respect choice, vaxxed or un-vaxxed, but nobody should try to force me to do it. But I still look forward to connecting with my Trinidadian family in the future. We’re doing a lot of remote stuff for the album, so I will be in contact for the upcoming summer,” she said.
Embracing Trinibad music
Stephens admitted to paying close attention to the rise of T&T’s dancehall hybrid: Trinibad music.
“Mi welcome it. Any new version of dancehall that comes out I welcome. The fact that I make music doesn’t give me any grand charge over the music. If I make music and I distribute that music I want people to be inspired, if they not inspired, I have to stop making music. Once they inspired, they will make music from my inspiration and I feel in turn that music they make will inspire us,”
Stephens admitted to taking a liking to one young Trinibad music maker in particular, the enigmatic Yung Bredda (Akhenaton Lewis). The Sea Lots-born entertainer is trending across the region with his machine-gun vocal delivery style on the hits “Trampoline/Rocking Chair”, “Knock It” and “Shake”.
“Yung Bredda, I love him. He’s like a little robot, he doh stop for breath. He is really clever and so funny, he has me laughing all the time. He is a true entertainer for real; every fibre of him is entertaining,” Stephens said through a wide smile.
So is a Tanya Stephens/Yung Bredda collaborations in the making? Stephens says while she is open to it, it must “happen organically”.
“I like when things happen organically. No need to force anything. When music happens organically its most genuine,” she winked.
As for her parting words for dancehall fans in T&T, Stephens urged all to care for their mental health as the region attempts to recover from the economic fall out of the global pandemic.
“Take care of your mental health and don’t take anything for granted. It has been a tough time for all of us, we have all lost, so be gentle on yourself. If you lost your job don’t feel too depressed because so many other people have lost their jobs as well. If you find it hard to keep afoot reach out to people, put all the pride aside and do what is practical,” she advised.
Stephens, who is also an advocate for survivors of sexual trauma and domestic violence, invited all those in need to reach out to her network by sending an e-mail to endtrauma@gmail.com.
“It doesn’t matter where you are in the world you can reach out and the sessions are free. Also, It is not gender specific so anyone can reach out. This is something that has been plaguing the world and its not a dem problem it is an our problem,” Stephens concluded.
