"It's a pity..." that's a line from a Tanya Stephens tune that has become almost a national chorus heard on every corner, in every bar-room, and in some boardrooms, and maybe even the Cabinet room, as in; "it's a pity Jeff Prosser never paid that money," or maybe, "it's a pity the Social Security scandal broke." True enough, Tanya Stephens has given all of us an opening line that's good for all purposes, but the veteran reggae singer is good for much more than that she's got a body of work that is rootsical, sometimes just rude and always real.
On Saturday night, she'll put that catalogue on the stage at the City Center for a one night only engagement that promises to be one of the biggest shows of the past two years. Keith met her at the airport to find out what she's got in store for Belize.
Keith SwiftReporting,
She is the voice behind the most popular even anthemic song in Belize over the past year and now Tanya Stephens has brought her 'Gangsta Blues' to Belize.
Tanya Stephens, Reggae Artist
"I've never been here before so it's an introduction to the people and its an introduction to me as well, to the place so I'm looking forward to enjoying myself."
Her first stop was the VIP lounge at the Airport where the Jamaican songstress gave media interviews, signed autographs, and even posed long enough for me to take a picture with my camera phone. She told us why she believes she is so immensely popular with Belizeans.
Tanya Stephens,
"I'm just somebody who prefers reality as opposed to, I know a lot of peers do songs which they call reality but in fact nothing in that song every happened in my lifetime or anybody else I know lifetime so I'm more into reality."
And it is apparent that reality has been embraced by the Belizean music listener because she speaks about common experiences from cheating on your partner on "It's a pity"; hating on your cheating partner on "Can't breathe" to dissing the Prime Minister on "Turn the other cheek." Tanya says her lyrics are drawn from personal experiences.
Tanya Stephens,
"Its stuff that all of us do all the time. It doesn't make sense you sweep something under the carpet and act like it never happened, it did and everybody is the same. I am not different from anybody else I know, I go through the same things so I won't pretend I'm this paragon of virtue; I do crazy stuff too."
Keith Swift,
You've right now tapped into our anger at our Prime Minister with 'Turn the other cheek.'
Tanya Stephens,
"I really am so sorry about that."
Keith Swift,
No, that is a good thing.
Tanya Stephens,
[Laughing.] "I'm sorry about the anger, I hope it doesn't become something that breeds violence as does Jamaican anger, I really hope that you find a way to work it out. Even if the Prime Minister does something wrong don't take our route like Jamaican artists have with disrespecting the Prime Minister. He still is an authority figure, he still is the head of the country, and we still want our children to be raised properly which includes respecting authority, so we don't disrespect the Prime Minister. I would hope the people will get to a state of awareness where they realize they actually can change, shape, their own future. The Prime Minister didn't just drop out of the sky, he came from within the people so whatever you are breeding now is going to be the Prime Minister later so if you can find a away to stem the growth of people like your Prime Minister and mine then we'll have a better place in the future."
Keith Swift,
Have you actually experienced what you sing about?
Tanya Stephens,
"Most of them are my experiences. Some of them are other people around me experiences but I call it all my experience anyway because if my friend goes through something, I automatically go through it. I have to listen to it and help come up with solutions so its my life too."
Keith Swift,
How hard is it surviving in a male dominated genre?
Tanya Stephens,
"Easy, the males are not hard to dominate."
And though she commentates on political issues, the 30 year old who was all smiles in the VIP lounge says don't expect to hear a sermon Saturday night.
Tanya Stephens,
"I don't want anybody to come out and be preached to 'cause really if they wanted to be preached to, they would have go to church. The fact that they came out and saw me means they want to lighten up and forget stuff for a while and if I can work in an amount of serious within the fun and laughter, its all good."
[Sings First Verse of 'Turn the other cheek.']
Tanya Stephens will be signing autographs tonight at the Eden nightclub. Tomorrow afternoon at 3 she will be at the City Center for an AIDS Forum. On Friday night, her autograph session moves to Honeybeez Nightclub. Her concert is Saturday night at the City Center.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift
