Thu | Mar 28, 2024

‘Wait till mi 50,’ Tanya Stephens and Patra challenge the dancehall

New collab celebrates getting older

Published:Thursday | July 14, 2022 | 11:56 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Tanya Stephens and Patra have teamed up for a new single, ‘Fifty’, that’s dismissing ageism and sexism and celebrating getting older.
Tanya Stephens and Patra have teamed up for a new single, ‘Fifty’, that’s dismissing ageism and sexism and celebrating getting older.

Two of dancehall’s favourite female veterans, Tanya Stephens and Patra, are doing what some would call the unthinkable. Totally dismissing annoyances like ageism and sexism, they are celebrating getting older with a spate of lyrics that couldn’t be more in your face. The two ‘Goodaz’ are in full-blown walk-out mode, brimming with attitude and plenty of dancehall sass and savvy.

‘If yuh think mi bad now...wait till mi 50...’ is the theme, the challenge and the promise all at once, and one can only but imagine the smug facial expressions, the fluid finger flick, the head movements and the shoulder twist that all drive home this timeless point.

Producer for the track, Tad Dawkins Jr, gives all the credit to Tanya Stephens, who he said totally conceptualised Fifty, as the track is titled.

“We were working on an album, and Tanya came up with the idea. She had the lyrics, and she knew exactly who she wanted to collaborate with, and I fully endorsed it,” Dawkins told The Gleaner. Why? “Because nobody is celebrating age in the dancehall. We all know where Tanya is coming from, and to this day, she bad same way ... and Patra is the icing on the cake. Two legendary women making a positive and powerful statement about growing older in the dancehall is a great thing.”

For Stephens, this song represents a vital part of her journey, and one which she has always been aware of and prepared for. It is also her way of “screaming for validation” in a space where youth is seen as “goals”.

“It’s as if we live in a paedophile world that forces you to remain a child. I don’t want to be stuck in a bottle of formaldehyde forever,” she scoffed. “From I was in my 30s, I could see that things started to change, but as mi get older, I don’t feel like a handicap. As a matter of fact, I am more comfortable in this skin than in my previous skins, and I am not flinching from it...this is reason to celebrate.”

Stephens also took the time to offer kudos to Macka Diamond, a female artiste who has been bombarded with suggestions that she should retire because of her age. “To be fair, Macka has embraced her age and has been able to spin the ageism jokes and deliver with songs, such as her Big Woman vs Young Gal,” Stephens mused.

This is the first time that the 49-year-old is collaborating with Patra, and that in itself has been a treat. Full of conviction that Patra was the right fit for this song, she made every effort to find her, and when she did, it was as if the stars aligned.

“I am a fan of Patra, and she embodies the best of every world. Patra has managed to survive the music business, take a break, went into the restaurant business and is living a grateful life. For me, that is the embodiment of not minding what other people say about you. When we met, and she heard the song, she was on board immediately. We went into the studio, and she hit it straight out of the ballpark. Patra has the attitude down pat,” Tanya shared.

In fact, the studio recording was so suffused with the right energy that the two can’t wait for Patra to get a break from a hectic engagement schedule to shoot the music video. Stephens admitted with a genuine laugh that she was even a bit in awe of Patra’s flexibility.

“There is a part in the song that says, ‘Mek a bad cock-up pon di dresser,’ and Patra lifted her foot and put it over her head. I was intimidated,” she grinned.

Fifty, which Stephens described as “funny, rebellious, feminist,” is one of the lead songs from her 20-track album Some Kind of Madness, which is produced by Tads Records and set to be released in early September. Dawkins wasn’t giving away much, but he noted that the title of the album should not necessarily be taken at face value.

“This album has been a year and a half in the making, and I must say that working with Tanya was a wonderful experience...me and her gel. Some Kind of Madness is everything you expect from Tanya, and more,” Dawkins said.

Stephens expressed relief that the project is now complete. “I am tired, but in a good way. This album represents where I am in my head right now, and I love all the songs. People are comparing it to Gangsta Blues and Rebelution. Usually, comparisons infuriate me, but I like this one. It is my first major release since those albums, and it’s hard to keep up with yourself, especially when you have a self like me,” she said, laughing.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com

Editor's Note: The release date for Tanya Stephen's new album is Early September.