Etana ready for Sting stage

The 'Strong One', Etana, is among the artistes billed to grace the Sting stage come December 26 at Grizzly's Plantation Cove in St Ann. Prepared to ensure that the event lives up to its slogan - 'The greatest one-night Reggae and Dancehall show on Earth' - Etana is not afraid to leave it all on the stage.

"We took this big, long break; and to see Sting coming back again with the fire and with the clash and the tings them, then we nuh have to go down dere guh gwaan wid weself? So, I really plan to go down there and do just that. Leave it all on the stage! Then when me come down mi can 'woosah'," she told THE STAR.

Sting returns after a seven-year hiatus. Unlike previous years, the show's line up of dancehall acts features only the newest and most popular artistes, dubbing this year's staging 'Fi The Yutes'.

Etana, who is a two-time Grammy nominee, was speaking with THE STAR following her performance at Tarrus Riley and Friends, held last Friday at the Emancipation Park in New Kingston. According to the singer, she had to come out and give back.

"Tarrus Riley has been supporting me from the beginning, when I was afraid or too shy to sing. He came to me and said, 'A wah yuh come inna music fi do? No sing? Open yuh mouth and sing.' So he has been supporting me from them time deh till now. One hand wash the other, you know. We have worked together, written songs together, and we believe in live music. Live music and reggae music start in Jamaica, and though we participate in live music all over the world, we want to see it at we yard, too," she said.

As she prepares for Sting, Etana is also looking forward to what the new year has in store for her.

"[My fans can look forward to] more music, tours, and I think I am going to do 2023 bigger than I did before. Every year I always try to outdo the previous year, and that is my task for 2023. For 2022, the festivals reopened and I toured and performed like I never did before, because I waited two years to do that, and I gave it my all. I did more than 50 shows for 2022, so for 2023 mi a look fi do more," Etana shared.

Popular tracks from her over the years include People Talk, Roots, Blessing, Wrong Address, My Man, Free and I Rise.