You have to hand it to Protoje’s In. Digg. Nation Collective whose current marquis artists are grabbing the headlines for the right reasons. Lika Ike dropped her maiden album The ExPerience, back in May 2020, and her counterpart Sevana has followed suit with Be Somebody. Fortunately, reggae fans don’t have to wait much longer for Protoje himself to drop his next instalment which has been scheduled for September 2020.
Time will tell if Sevana’s success will match Lila Ike’s fortunes. However, judging from fans reviews the songstress is punching in the same weight class as her contemporary and should do just fine. The pair have a very similar sound but their unique vocals make all the difference. Be Somebody features If Only You Knew and Mango along with 4 other tracks.
Born Anna-Sharé Blake, Sevana had her first taste of stardom in 2008, when her girl band SLR scored bronze on Jamaica’s talent show Digicel Rising Stars. As with most bands, the group did not kick onto bigger things with Sevana going solo years later. In 2016 she featured on Protoje’s Sudden Flight. The track put her on the Caribbean radar and eventually she dropped her first self-titled album. The 6 track album had mild success and enabled her to score a deal with Six Course and RCA Records riding the In. Digg. Nation wave.
Inspired and wishing to collaborate with artists like Anderson Paak, John Mayer and Chronixx. Sevana’s music is truly unique and has a fresh take on the genre. Her love song Mango is testament to that and encapsulates the Jamaican culture and its passion for mangoes. Be Somebody should definitely be on your to listen list along with Lila Ike’s The Experience. The only criticism I have for Sevana’s work is that it only has 6 tracks. Or maybe that was the gimmick she was after? Keep it short and sweet so we keep asking for more.
