Tanya Stephens gets her ‘medicine’ from performing

"This is medicine" was the sentiment shared by veteran reggae star Tanya Stephens as she tried to put into words how grateful she was to be able to reconnect with her fans in a physical setting.

Stressing the importance of mental health, the entertainer revealed that she was going crazy not being able to have face-to-face interactions with her fans. In a post-show interview, the entertainer, who was the main act billed for the return of the Usain Bolt Tracks and Records live jam session last Saturday, said entertainment plays a huge role in keeping people's sanity intact.

"This is medicine that we all need, not just me. Humans are social creatures, we can't simply just sit in a corner by ourselves. Mental health is important and we need fi maintain that. It nuh make sense all a we survive one illness and the whole a we mad and a walk a street a nyam outta rubbish pan," she said. Stephens said she called the popular venue and said "yow mi depressed" and longed to sing in front of people.

"And they were like 'sure, come'," she continued. "You could see the joy on the people's faces tonight. You could feel the happiness. People are grateful to be having this interaction once more. It's a good feeling, I tell you."

Government's policies

But Stephens, who has been vocal about the Government's policies during the pandemic, told THE STAR that she did not feel grateful to the authorities for the reopening of the entertainment sector, "because this is the freedom I have always had, they took it."

But she made perfect use of her time 'outside'. She served up a scorching two-hour set that saw her performing some of her biggest hits, performing as though the country could be plunged back into lockdown tomorrow. Swept up by every song, patrons sang along to songs such as Handle The Ride, These Streets, and Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet. Clad in a simple black blouse, a pair of white jeans pants and black, high-top sneakers, Stephens nonchalantly declared that she didn't care too much about physical appearances. Instead, she let her music do all the talking as she served up more scorchers including her megahit It's A Pity, Little White Lie and Tek Him Back.

Tackling gender stereotypes, Stephens had the men in the audience giving her side glances when she said it was high time women be allowed to do as they please especially when it comes to their sex lives. "Women can have four, five or six men a day if we want, all we need is a shower," she said soliciting huge cheers from her female fans.

Her performance was complemented by Queen Ifrica and Marcia Griffiths who gave small performances. Griffiths had the audience dancing up a storm as she sang Electric Boogie, while Queen Ifrica thrilled with a performance of Below The Waist.