Tanya Stephens celebrates her ‘out-ness’ with Sting 40
Published:Thursday | November 30, 2023 | 12:08 AMShanel Lemmie/Staff Reporter
Continuing her whirlwind year of local stages, Tanya Stephens is returning to the Sting stage after her 18-year hiatus. With only the highest praise for the show, Stephens told The Gleaner at the launch of the event on Tuesday, that her favourite platforms have always been those based in her island home.
“I am a Jamaican and a Jamaican artiste,” Stephens explained. “A Jamaica build me and hone me in the sense that, a Jamaica all of mi inspiration come from weh me use fi write mi music. My life live a Jamaica so of course me want fi be a part of everything weh a gwaan a Jamaica and me wah deh pon di show dem. Mi wah perform fi my people who are of course here. So me always happy fi perform a Jamaica, mi always happy.”
Though she vacated the show’s line-up for nearly two decades she says the respect she has for what Sting founder Isaiah Laing and his team have built in unflinching. As for her approach to the show, she says she will be channelling the same dancehall diva attitude from her hits, like ‘Boom Wuk’ to create and enhance the excited on Boxing Day.
“For me its just fun man. We a guh enjoy we self cause a that Sting bout. It’s about dancehall, it’s the epitome of dancehall. There has never been another festival or show of this magnitude that actually represents dancehall. Whether you wah like it or lump it, Sting is dancehall and dancehall is Sting,” Stephens added.
“Mi a come deh fi be dancehall. When me come a Sting me a come out with me dancehall self. Worst me just turn 50 and Sting a turn 40 and me find myself outta door. It loud. A the best Sting this fi celebrate my out-ness.”
Continuing her ‘out-ness’ into the New Year Stephens says come February she will be unveiling a special project for her fans like her who like her are “rough but loving”.
“Me have a project a come out next year ... I teamed up with two brands that represent me. ... we are coming with it in time for the love season because it’s a love affair between me and my two brand dem. I want to make that period of time more inclusive because it usually exclude people like me. You know, we likkle bit more rough, we likkle bit less stereotypical as far as the hallmark romance goes. We thing likkle different and nobody nuh usually cater fi we so we have.”
Though keeping a lid on both the brands associated and whether the project is musically inclined, Stephens cheekily added, “As soon as we get closer to it we will unveil what we have coming but it’s gonna be fun and I cant wait.”