OutAroad.com - Break Out Artiste For The Month of March
By: The Spokesman
Continuing the March Break Out Artist of the Month Feature on Reggae singer / songwriter Etana, OutAroad.com felt it was time to see what the self styled "Strong One" was like, live and direct in the streets on an average day. So on Friday March 7th we travelled with the empress singer as she made several scheduled appearances in and out of town.
The first stop was at the Digicel Call Center in the business district of New Kingston where Etana accompanied by her Road Manager Lerone Chutkan payed a surprise visit to the staff of mostly telephone customer service representatives who after a prior choice survey select her from a poll of Dancehall & Reggae artists. Warmly embraced by the staff Etana shared in a few laughter and smiles, before she began signing autographs and taking pictures with fans and well wishers. After spending some down time with the workers as a show of gratitude Etana was presented with a LG CHOCOLATE slide cell phone and off she went to the next stop miles away in the southern parish of Clarendon.
Making her way to the town of May Pen Etana was this time a specially invited guest of the Ministry of Health Peace Day Concert. Extending a warm and comfortable welcome May Pen citizens both young and old came out in their numbers to see Etana and a few other artists perform for Peace and Prosperity as many of their communities are experiencing extreme cases of violence since the start of 2008. The organizers who obviously wanted to end the concert with a bang allowed Etana to close out the proceedings and that she did, causing a harmonious sounding sing along from the hundreds who crammed to the front of the stage to see the singer in all her beauty.
Performing the singles "Roots", "Warrior Love" and the most recently release "I Am Not Afraid" Etana gave a great showing and at the end of her set spent about 20 minutes meeting, greeting and signing autographs again for her young and adult fan-base the most exuberant of whom was a Motor Bike Police Officer whom once everything was said and done provided a diplomatic like escort out of town to the nearest highway on route back to Kingston.
The day was well spent and at the end of the day Etana though exhausted had words of encouragement for the Parish.
Etana - Statement
"Respect goes out to Sup. of Clarendon Police Mr. Radcliffe Lewis and all the Peace Day Volunteers who made my rest tent comfortable, I hope that the Communities in and around May Pen Clarendon can begin to live good amongst one another and help build our country. You don't have to love everyone as you would your mother or brother but we can all agree that we must unite to become a stronger nation. Jamaica is such a wonderful place, very small on the world map but has a great influence on all the world. Can you just imagine if we could all agree on peace starting here and now. There would be no stopping us on the highway to greatness".
