Jamaican artist Tanya Stephens has been working with other passionate and iconic entertainers to release “Diamonds in the Sun,” a captivating new single, to serenade her fans and lovers of good music with great vocals and meaningful lyrics. The talented songstress collaborated with Cedella Marley and Diana King to create the masterpiece, which has already started to enjoy massive airplay, as they come together to highlight the experiences of far too many women throughout human history.
“It is a conglomeration of all our individual activism. We are three separate and different voices, but it was a comfortable and easy fit,” said Tanya in a press release.
“The advancement of women talking about trauma and gender-based violence comes naturally to me. The intention is to foster the dialogue and keep the conversation going until we are comfortable enough discussing the problem to focus on finding solutions.”
Music continues to transcend boundaries and if there is anyone that has mastered the art of leveraging the universality of the art to reach millions of people worldwide, it is Tanya Stephens. Over the years, Tanya has used her gift as a channel to communicate to the world, touching on several real-life issues with the goal of provoking conversations that could lead to the desired changes in society. She again looked to continue in this tradition in “Diamonds in the Sun,” appreciating the strength of a woman and highlighting the position of gender in today’s world.
Produced by Tad ‘Jr. Tads’ Dawkins and Tad’s Record, “Diamonds in the Sun” aims to emphasize the power of tears symbolized as diamonds, as the artists captivate listeners to evoke their innate power, precious nature, and strength to persevere.
“Diamonds in the Sun” further reiterates the commitment of Tanya to the cause of advocating for women’s empowerment and the fight against child and sexual abuse, especially since she is also a survivor.
We spoke to Tanya upon the release of the single, which you can hear below, to ask her more about the meaning behind the track, why it is important to have uncomfortable and difficult conversations in public, and what she hopes other survivors and women will take from listening to “Diamonds in the Sun”.
Can you tell us how the idea for ‘Diamonds in the Sun’ initially came about? What inspired you to write this song?
The song was inspired by my own experiences as a survivor of gender based and particularly sexual violence. I wanted to expand on the conversation while centering the healing process.
Why is it important to you to talk about themes such as gender equality, women’s rights, and gender violence?
If everybody waits for somebody else to have every important conversation none would ever be had.
We love that you aren’t afraid to have uncomfortable conversations about issues such as trauma and violence. How are you hoping to normalize this more in society?
I can only keep pushing. I add my voice to those who came before me knowing every step brings us closer to a sustainable solution.
How did the collaboration with Cedella Marley and Diana King happen? And can you tell us what it meant to work with two iconic artists?
Having Cedella and Diana feature on the song is beyond anything I could have imagined. It’s one thing to talk about doing something of this nature, but quite another to actually pull it off especially when we never went into studio together. This isn’t artwork… it’s heart work, and I get goosebumps every single time I listen to it.
We’d love to learn more about your activism, and how music is part of this?
To effect real change we have to first begin with inclusive conversation, and music is the easiest vehicle to bring across any message. I use my music to advance discussions as well as to plant seeds for future reference.
Can you break down the meaning behind the title ‘Diamonds in the Sun’?
Although the Diamond is used to represent great beauty and material value it is the toughest naturally occurring substance on the planet, pure carbon under extreme pressure. I feel like that’s what trauma makes of most of us.
How has the song been received so far by fans and audiences worldwide?
We have been getting nothing but positive engagement. Everybody comes back expressing being greatly moved, saying the transparency of the emotions resonates deep within them. They get it, and we are grateful.
We love seeing the collaboration of 3 powerhouse Jamaican artists on this track. How do you hope Jamaican audiences specifically will respond to the message about women’s empowerment and working to stop gender violence?
This is work which began before us. Many Jamaican women have fought to get us to this point, and we stand on the shoulders of giants. Change is inevitable and I do not see two more generations of women succumbing to this evil.
Something that we love to ask our interviewees: what makes you a powerful woman?
Acknowledgment. Every woman is powerful. We only need to claim it.
You can download ‘Diamonds in the Sun’ by clicking HERE.
