Tweet
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Tanya Stephens starts her 'Rebelution'</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Observer Reporter
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=350 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Tanya Stephens in performance at the recent Reggae Sunsplash festival in St Ann (Photo: Karl McLarty) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaican singer and songwriter Tanya Stephens has just released her latest album, entitled Rebelution.
Stephens follows up her previous VP Records set, the acclaimed Gangsta Blues, with more social and political observations.
The straight-talking Stephens could well be considered something of a reggae rebel, is equally known for a bracing brand of social commentary(What A Day) as for a learned yet no-holds barred approach to writing about sexual liaisons and situations (Morning Ride, Blow), a combination which has set her apart from her fellow female deejays, many of whom fortuitously make sex and scandal the focus of their music. Stephens feels that this project marks a phase of definitve growth for her as an artiste.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I think my growth on this album is obvious in every way," she says.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Gangsta Blues was somewhat of a testing of the waters - it wasn't the typical album you'd expect from a reggae artist. It was a little bit revolutionary. But having received such a wonderful response to it, I realised that people do appreciate something that's a little bit different. I myself am the same - I don't want to hear something that I've heard 60 times already. So I figured that I should deliver - as an artist - what I myself would want to hear, as a consumer. So this album is somewhat of a continuation of the last, but the growth is definitely evident."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Stevens says she's not impressed by those who choose to judge female artists by their physical attributes rather than by their music.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I find that really stupid because singing is a sound and not a look. And I don't believe that it's the public who are crying out for sex symbols in the music industry. I've never heard of any consumer going into a record shop and asking for a record by the sexiest girl the record shop has. It's the industry who seems to have decided that that's what people want. But there are many female artists who have enjoyed success through positive lyrics and without taking their clothes off.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Tracy Chapman did it, Alanis Morisette did it and there are others just like them. I'm not a prude and I'm not intimidated by sex or nakedness. In fact, I find some of it appealing. But I don't feel that a marketing company needs to use sex to sell me a pack of flour! It's not relevant,' cuz I'm not making any sexy dumplings!"<P class=StoryText align=justify>Still, Stephens explains that she's never felt at any disadvantage in her career because she chose not to sell sex.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"My struggles never had anything to do with that. My main struggle has been that I never seem to be taken as seriously as my male counterparts. I've had many of the males in the industry telling me that my music is brilliant. But I just don't get taken as seriously as a man would if he produced some of the music that I have. I get the respect from the people on the street, but not from the industry and I don't think that's right. I think I've got more balls than a lot of the men in this industry, but I just don't get the same recognition."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Something else that Stephens would perhaps like to see changed is t
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Observer Reporter
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=350 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Tanya Stephens in performance at the recent Reggae Sunsplash festival in St Ann (Photo: Karl McLarty) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaican singer and songwriter Tanya Stephens has just released her latest album, entitled Rebelution. Stephens follows up her previous VP Records set, the acclaimed Gangsta Blues, with more social and political observations.
The straight-talking Stephens could well be considered something of a reggae rebel, is equally known for a bracing brand of social commentary(What A Day) as for a learned yet no-holds barred approach to writing about sexual liaisons and situations (Morning Ride, Blow), a combination which has set her apart from her fellow female deejays, many of whom fortuitously make sex and scandal the focus of their music. Stephens feels that this project marks a phase of definitve growth for her as an artiste.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I think my growth on this album is obvious in every way," she says.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Gangsta Blues was somewhat of a testing of the waters - it wasn't the typical album you'd expect from a reggae artist. It was a little bit revolutionary. But having received such a wonderful response to it, I realised that people do appreciate something that's a little bit different. I myself am the same - I don't want to hear something that I've heard 60 times already. So I figured that I should deliver - as an artist - what I myself would want to hear, as a consumer. So this album is somewhat of a continuation of the last, but the growth is definitely evident."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Stevens says she's not impressed by those who choose to judge female artists by their physical attributes rather than by their music.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I find that really stupid because singing is a sound and not a look. And I don't believe that it's the public who are crying out for sex symbols in the music industry. I've never heard of any consumer going into a record shop and asking for a record by the sexiest girl the record shop has. It's the industry who seems to have decided that that's what people want. But there are many female artists who have enjoyed success through positive lyrics and without taking their clothes off.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Tracy Chapman did it, Alanis Morisette did it and there are others just like them. I'm not a prude and I'm not intimidated by sex or nakedness. In fact, I find some of it appealing. But I don't feel that a marketing company needs to use sex to sell me a pack of flour! It's not relevant,' cuz I'm not making any sexy dumplings!"<P class=StoryText align=justify>Still, Stephens explains that she's never felt at any disadvantage in her career because she chose not to sell sex.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"My struggles never had anything to do with that. My main struggle has been that I never seem to be taken as seriously as my male counterparts. I've had many of the males in the industry telling me that my music is brilliant. But I just don't get taken as seriously as a man would if he produced some of the music that I have. I get the respect from the people on the street, but not from the industry and I don't think that's right. I think I've got more balls than a lot of the men in this industry, but I just don't get the same recognition."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Something else that Stephens would perhaps like to see changed is t
Comment