Donna Marie

Donna Marie
Donna Marie has been the UK’s leading female lover’s rock singer for well over a decade. Jamaican by birth, she was raised in Santa Cruz in the parish of St. Elizabeth, and started singing in her local choir from the age of nine. Had she stayed on the island, there’s little doubt she would be more widely celebrated by now. Instead, she came to England, where she was soon starring on the reggae/gospel circuit. Sydney Crooks of the Pioneers produced her debut single in 1989. A cover of the theme tune from the television series Prisoner Cell Block H, it was a useful introduction to the music industry. Success came a little later, after she’d joined forces with Jeff Peart of Londisc Records. The later produced her hit versions of Whitney Houston’s Your Love Is My Love and Celine Dion’s Think Twice, both of which were big sellers during the late nineties.
Around the time of the millennium, Donna signed with Jet Star. Her arrival gifted the Jet Star camp a singer blessed with clear, melodious vocals, and who’d prove marvellously versatile after recording in a variety of different musical settings, including reggae, pop, r&b, ballads, gospel, and lovers rock. It was her two songs on Jet Star’s Pop Hits Inna Reggae Vol. 1 (What Can I Do and All I Have) and her debut Charm set, Can’t Stop Loving You, that got the ball rolling for Jet Star, and the effect on mainstream reggae audiences was immediate. These songs, together with Master Plan from her gospel album Now Is the Time, were the ones that really made things happen for Donna. Here was a singer who could breathe fresh life into familiar material, even whilst writing memorable songs of her own. By now, she was beginning to connect with audiences from around the world, including the Caribbean, the US, and also South and Central America.
The reception from crowds in Brazil, where she sang in front of tens of thousands of people, was an especial milestone. So too, her appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where she sang lead with 1,100 strong voices in support during a live recording of I Gospel. That was in 2006, since when she’s recorded for the Joe Fraser label in Florida, and added to the tally of well-known reggae stars she’s performed with, including Bunny Wailer, ken booth, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, Luciano, and the Mighty Diamonds. Tarrus Riley,and screw driver. Restlessly creative as ever, she’s also completed her latest album New Chapter, produced by fellow UK reggae star Lloyd Brown. It’s this new set that best underlines her stature as British reggae’s leading female artist, and also her qualities as a songwriter. Songs like Love Triangle, I Wish, In Case You Didn’t Know, and Just One Night tell of the intricacies of love, and describe situations that other people will immediately relate to. That’s the hallmark of any great lyricist, but the two cover versions are superb too. I’ll Be Around is an Otis Gayle standard and beautifully reinterpreted by Donna and Peter Spence, whilst Stick Wit U is a female piece de resistance, first recorded by the Pussycat Dolls. The lady has taste, that much is clear, but it’s her own material that stands out, and transforms this album into another uniquely musical journey. Two tracks, Love To Last, and I Wanna Thank You, have a funky, dancehall feel, whilst Let The Children Sing is an anthem of a different kind, and fully deserving of a wider audience. Lastly, and in a nod to her Jamaican roots, Many Miles Away and Hold You Close are both cuts to popular rocksteady hits. Neither are alone in illustrating how Donna can effortlessly take her place among the classics, even whilst contributing a few of her own.
Bless The Lord (Live)
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