Etana Releases Eighth Album ‘Nectar Of The Gods’
Reggae artist Etana is particularly proud of her latest album, Nectar of the Gods, which was released today (July 26) on all digital music platforms.
“I started working on the Nectar of the Gods in 2022. I never had the name or a particular direction in mind. I just knew that I wanted to create more music that will last forever,” she told DancehallMag.
Released under her own Freemind Music label, the album’s first single is Don’t Give Up, a salve to young women facing hardship, struggles, and enduring abuse.
“I wrote ‘Don’t Give Up’ to remind those who may consider suicide that life is worth living,” she said. “I read in the news of a teenage girl found hanging in Jamaica, and too often I hear of people taking their own lives due to different circumstances. I don’t believe all the reported female teenage suicides are true because I do know that our culture includes an elephant in the room and that is incest and child rape that is sometimes covered up by family members to avoid “family shame.””
Another single, Grateful, is a horn-happy gem of a reggae song that preaches gratitude.
On Mr. Jones, Etana’s breathy vocals blend marvelously over mellow piano and guitar strings, enticing him to “come over”.
Standout collaborations on the album include Jah Never Fail with Big Youth, Set Up Yourself with Shatta Wale and Inna de Ghetto with Bugle. The Strong One’s unique inflections and intonations are on full display on Train featuring JonFX.
She also included another swoon-worthy song with More.
As she cranks up promotion of her Nectar of the Gods album, Etana will be shooting a video for the powerful second single, Grateful.
“I am truly grateful for life and the ability to write as I do and sing like I do and reach heart and souls through the music created,” she said. “Regardless of the circumstances life has infinite possibilities and life can change in an instant one just has to never forget to imagine.”
She also recorded an ‘Etana Live in Nairobi’ album at the Pamoja Festival last month in Kenya. The album includes 23 songs and over 2 hours and 4 minutes of non-stop performances.
“I just keep going,” she said. “And going. And going.”
In 2008, Etana released her debut album, The Strong One, under VP Records. It featured her breakout hits Wrong Address, I Am Not Afraid, and Blessing with Alborosie. Three more albums followed under VP, namely Free Expressions (2011), Better Tomorrow (2013), and I Rise (2014).
She then went independent and released Reggae Forever (2018) under Tads International, and Dimensions EP (2019), Gemini (2020), and Pamoja (2021) under her own Freemind Music imprint.
Reggae Forever and Pamoja earned her two Grammy Award nominations for Best Reggae Album.