1. Lila Iké
Lila Ike was born and raised in Jamaica’s parish of Manchester. Born Alecia Tameka Grey, she adopted the name Lila Iké when she moved to Kingston to pursue her dream of music. Iké is short for Ikéchuckwu, a Nigerian Igbo name meaning “power of God”. The late great Garnett Silk is one of Lila’s favorite artists and sources of inspiration. After releasing a number of singles, including Biggest Fan and Second Chance before releasing her first full length album The ExPerience in 2020. Lila Iké’s voice is masterful when she goes from low notes to those memorable highs, and her vocal runs are goosebump inducing. If you haven’t, you should definitely check her out. She’s making her way to the top and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
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2. Reemah
Reemah is a musical force to be reckoned with. Hailing from St. Croix, Reemah is known for her commanding presence on stage. She captivates with the messages she shares through her poignant lyrics. Her debut album, Check Your Words, was released in 2012 and has been making steady waves in the Reggae-sphere ever since. Reemah tours all across the Americas, from the Reggae on the River festival in California down to select countries in South America. She has also performed in a few festivals in Europe as her popularity grows. Breaking News came out in 2018 with tracks like Warn Dem and Give Thanks Everyday. Reemah is working on and perfecting her craft while making a name for herself in the Reggae music scene.
Reemah on The Road
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3. Mo’Kalamity
If you’re looking for sweet, rich, and smoky vocals, look no further than the voice of Mo’Kalamity. She was born on the beautiful island of Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, and moved to Paris. Mo’Kalamity – birth name Monica Tavares- taught herself music and formed The Wizards in 2004. She released Warriors of Light three years later. Mo’Kalamity found her place in France’s reggae environment. Her second album, Deeper Revolution, came out in 2011 and was nominated for 3 Cabo Verde Awards. Mo’Kalamity flew to Jamaica in 2017. She said that catching the vibration in reggae land was “necessary”. She worked with Jamaican musical and producing legends, Sly & Robbie who were a major part of her 4th album, Made in Jamaica. Step into the world of Mo’Kalamity, starting with the song below.
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4. Jalifa
Daughter of Priest Ekechi and Empress Adama, Jalifa was born with Rastafari and Reggae flowing through her veins. Kalifa Nataki Alexis was born in Trinidad & Tobago’s capital, Port of Spain. She was first introduced to music by her own family. Her father would DJ while her two older brothers would chant and sing. She and her sisters took part by putting on plays or pretend concerts or fashion shows. Jalifa and her siblings were exposed to many musical genres like Dancehall, R&B, and Hip-Hop. She says that Sister Nancy, Lauryn Hill, and Eminem are among her biggest influences. She can freestyle, and she is sure to pull you in with her hypnotic vocals. Jalifa’s older brother, Adiel Alexis aka Abba Shanty encouraged her to pursue her musical dreams. Her brother has also written and co-written Jalifa’s songs like When I Chant and Unite (featuring Reddy). Jalifa continues to teach and inspire. Definitely take a listen for yourself.
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5. Hempress Sativa
Kerida Johnson, professionally known as Hempress Sativa, is an avid storyteller and visionary with much to say. There is nothing like watching Hempress Sativa sing her truth live. You’re absolutely enthralled from the very first note. It may have something to do with the fact that her father is musician Albert “Ilawi Malawi” Johnson of the Jah Love Sound System. Sativa’s father and her mother, Doris-Day, are Rastafarian. Her spiritual beliefs have been the guide on Sativa’s musical journey. She started performing when she was 13, moving from authentic reggae beats to tunes that are influenced by R&B, Afrobeat, and Hip Hop. With songs like Jah Have Mi Back, Children of the Emperor, and Scheme, there is no doubt that Hempress Sativa is simultaneously down to Earth and aiming for the stars.
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6. Princess Kazayah
Shanelle Mitchell also known as Princess Kazayah was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois to Jamaican parents. Her introduction to singing started at a young age when she sang at her church. She has a way of using her soft, melodic vocals to bring power to uplifting lyrics. Kazayah fell in love with Roots Reggae when she connected with music producer Ras Wadadah II. She began working in D.O.V.E. Music Studio where she performed her own tracks and collabed with several prominent artists like Micah Shemiah, Mr. Williamz, Kelissa, and more. Kazayah performed for the first time in 2013 in her hometown of Evanston. Since then, she’s performed in Jamaica, Belize, Mexico, and other parts of the United States. Her first mixtape, Troddin: The Dub Tape came out in 2014. She has been making sweet music ever since, and you should definitely give her a listen.
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7. MC Soom T
Sumati Bhardwaj aka Soom T aka “The Ragamuffin Queen” has made quite a name for herself in the underground Reggae scene. Hailing from Glasgow, Soom T has over 100 song titles to her credit. Her first official album, Free As A Bird, was released in 2015. Soom T is proud of her Indian lineage, and she uses religious and spiritual philosophy to help inspire her work. She also says that she is influenced by the music of Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy. Her 2022 studio album Good was entirely self-produced. The album brings together reggae, dub, and jazz sounds while the lyrics condemn current political and social issues.
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8. Queen Omega
Jeneile Osbourne was born on the glorious island of Trinidad & Tobago. She got her musical start singing in calypso and soca bands. When she adopted the Rastafari faith, she began to sing roots reggae and chose the name Queen Omega for herself. She later relocated to England to continue her passion. Queen Omega started recording her self-titled debut album in 2000, and it was released the following year. By 2004, following the release of her second album Pure Love (2003) and third album Away From Babylon (2004), she had established herself as Trinidad’s next “British Reggae sensation”. And with good reason. Her style, her words, her presence, and her vocals are certainly sensational. When she sings, you want to listen. And you should.
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9. Jah9
Conscious revolutionary lioness, Janine Cunningham, was born in Montego Bay to a Baptist Minister father and a social worker and teacher mother. More widely known by her moniker, Jah9, she moved to Kingston during her childhood and fell in love with music while she attended university. Jah9’s style moves seamlessly between traditional reggae sounds and a blues-y jazz like tone that transcends genres. Her voice has a depth to it that evokes a powerful spirit, shining through with her lyrics and stage presence. She released her first album New Name in 2013, and that sealed her place in the up and coming Reggae hall of fame. Her most recent album, Note To Self (released in 2020) features tracks like Could It Be, Love Has Found I, and Note To Self. Not only is she a singer/songwriter, she is also a well respected yogi and yoga teacher.
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10. Yeza
Yeza the Rebel came onto the music scene in 2017 with her first single Everyting Is Irie. She’s been making a name for herself and claiming her spot on a list of formidable female Reggae artists and shows no signs of slowing down. Yeza was born on a street called Star of the East which feels like a sign that she was destined for great things. Her introduction to music was through her parents and the sound system culture of her community while she was growing up. She says, “I always felt that music was a part of me that wouldn’t go away. So I had to take the stance to give music a chance.” She is far from ordinary and has no problem stepping over the barriers of expected genres with unique beats and lyrics. Yeza is short for Yezambique. It’s a Swahili word that means strength and resilience. The strength and resilience shows in her aesthetic which is equal parts roots and rude girl, and can also be heard in her sound.
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11. Nattali Rize
Natalie Magdalena Chilcote, known professionally as Nattali Rize, is an Australian born Jamaica based musician. Nattali is certainly not new to the music scene, nor is she new to social justice/social activism. As Natalie Pa’apa’a, she was the lead singer and lead guitarist of the urban roots ensemble Blue King Brown. She moved to Jamaica in 2014 and officially changed her stage name to Nattali Rize in 2015. Nattali has also loaned her talents to the Playing For Change music project that features artists from all around the world. Some of Nattali’s songs like Warriors, One People, and Believers show Nattali’s prowess as a storyteller and they showcase her wondrous vocal abilities.
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12. Aza Lineage
Born in Kingston in the late 1980s, powerful “singjay” Aza Lineage (born Dana Bernard) has become a vocal leader in the Jamaican Reggae scene. From a young age, Aza familiarized herself with reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, and sound system culture through her cousins’ studio Serious Gold. She moved to Trelawney for work, but after connecting with her spiritual self, she moved back to Kingston and linked up with The Lineage Family. She became the Lineage Family’s first active female member. Of her music, Aza says that she’s “honoring and continuing the works and the legacy of Reggae and Dancehall’s movers and shakers, is about reaching out and making heartical connections”. In songs like Sound System and Roots Radics she pays her respects to the culture that moves her. Her voice has a distinct and beautiful depth to it, and it doesn’t hurt that she is a genius lyricist. Aza has attended Kingston Dub Club, Inner City Dub, Sankofa Sessions, and Vinyl Thursdays; performing, honing her skills as a songwriter, and gaining a following.
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13. Khalia
Khalia Million was born in the Jamaican parish of Westmoreland. She moved to London at a young age, and returned to Jamaica in 2016 to pursue music. Recording was never hard for Khalia. She had become comfortable in a studio when she started recording at 15. Music was also something that came naturally to her. In 2020, she won the Breakthrough Artiste of the Year Award at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA). She has been working closely with her producer Tony Kelly for many years. As a formidable solo artist, Khalia says that her goal is to bring positive music to the forefront of Jamaica’s dancehall scene. She has also collaborated with fellow Jamaican artists, i-Octane, Tifa, Shaggy, and Ghanaian singer Stonebwoy. Khalia is known for a number of singles such as Don’t Look Back, One Dance, and Easy. Let her voice and musical savvy lure you in.
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14. Xana Romeo
Born Azana Makeda Smith, Xana Romeo is the youngest daughter of reggae veteran Max Romeo. She grew up surrounded by music and learned about the craft and the industry from an early age. She recalls having live music shows at her house every Friday. The first Black conscious book Xana read was the autobiography of Malcolm X, and that was what inspired her to have her stage name start with the letter X. She released her first album Wake Up in 2016 and her sophomore album The Roots of X came out in 2021. “Music says things that our mouth cannot say, Music connects us emotionally. Music gives me a voice. I’m not the type of person to sit and complain about the stuff that bothers me in life, I’m the type to sing about it,” says Xana. Her beautiful voice and infectious hooks solidify Xana’s place as a great young voice of the Reggae Revivalist movement.
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15. Sevana
Two words to describe Sevana? Triple threat. She’s a singer, model, and actress who excels in all 3 fields. Sevana, born Anna-Sharé Blake, was born and raised in Westmoreland, Jamaica. She got her musical start when she was 16. She and two friends entered Digicel Rising Stars (Jamaica’s equivalent to American Idol) in 2008. They were called SLR and placed third in the competition. Even though they disbanded in 2009 and Sevana took a short hiatus from music, she came back in 2014 as a solo artist. Sevana is known for blending Reggae and R&B; both coming together with her soulful yet powerful voice. She featured on Protoje’s track Sudden Flight and began to get international recognition. She released an eponymous EP in 2016, and her second EP came out in 2020. Get to know Sevana and her music a bit more by clicking some links below.
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16. Sara Lugo
Sara Lugo is a German Reggae musician of Puerto Rican heritage. She has been surrounded by music her entire life. She started learning to play the piano from a young age and also received vocal training. Her brother Tom is the lead singer of the Reggae/Dub group Jamaram; Sara’s first musical gigs began when she sang backing vocals for the band. She followed acts like Ganjaman and Tarrus Riley and even had solo concerts of her own. In 2005, Sara recorded a track with music producer Umberto Echo. Sara and Echo worked on her eponymous EP that was released in 2009. Sara’s soulful vocals and musical and lyrical knowledge helped her gain a following in Germany, and she released a full album, What About Love? In 2011. Protoje and Jah9 were a few of the artists that were featured on Sara’s 2016 release, Sara Lugo & Friends. She’s still going strong and working on more music.
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17. Vanessa Bongo
Vanessa Bongo née Vanessa Lee was born in bright and beautiful Barbados. Though raised in the land of Calypso, she discovered her Reggae roots and moved to Jamaica when she was 19. She has said that she draws inspiration from Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, and Buju Banton. Once in Jamaica, Vanessa attended Edna Manley College and earned an Associate’s Degree in music. Her message? She wants to “spread the bongo vibez” to free spirited people all over the world. Her music focuses on self actualization and love. In 2016, Vanessa released the single Sensimilla State of Mind, and garnered a wide audience. As is her positive message, the song’s themes are focus and happiness. She released the track Great Tings in 2019 where she discusses her life as an up and coming artist who is on the way to achieving “great tings”. She released her first EP Earth To Bongo shortly after.