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DONNA MAKEDA International Culture Reggae Queen*Donna Makeda is definitely a musical force to be reckoned with. With her new single "Need Some Money" already tearing up the air waves, released October 2008, Donna has just unleashed yet another single rhythm courtesy of Cancer Music Productions entitled "Don't You Break My Heart" that has the airwaves on fire and the Radio Deejays begging for a copy. She also released another single off of her upcoming 3rd album entitled HOLD ON which was mixed in Kingston Jamaica by the legendary Dr. Marshall of Anchor Studio. Donna also recently received an award from the Guyana Artistic Music Awards for Top Dancehall Deejay in December 2008. She also received an award from the Toronto International Reggae Music Awards (June 2005) for Roots & Culture Album of the Year for her album Jah Ah De Rulah, making it her 11th award to date.Donna Makeda has been performing constantly throughout the years and is still a strong force and has a mesmerizing stage presence. She is constantly putting out new material and each new release is better than the previous one. She performed at the Calgary International Reggae Festival - August 2004, and created quite am impact on the 6000-strong audience with her dynamic and impressive stage show. With her very talented back up dancers The Caribbean Dance Theatre, she created quite a stir and together they had the audience mesmerized with their stage act. Her performance was referred to as a storybook and dreamlike by the viewers, who said that it was the most memorable performance they had ever seen. Donna received the Consul Generals Award at the Guyana Awards late May 2004 in appreciation for her steadfast commitment and service to the Guyanese community, she also walked away with the Female Dancehall DJ Of The Year Award at the 20th and final Canadian Reggae Music Awards held March 2004.Donna's other awards include: Top Reggae Newcomer in 1993, Top Reggae Dancehall DJ (female) in 1995, 1996 and 1999 and 2003 and Top Reggae Music Video (for her video Jah Great Woman) in 1995 from the Canadian Reggae Music Awards. An Arts & Entertainment Award for her contribution to the Arts from her home country - Guyana in 2000, and an Artistic Award of Excellence from the Inter-City Multicultural School of Excellence Reading Club in 2001.Donna released her new album entitled Jah Ah De Rulah which is a 12-track CD, which includes songs like Come Into My Life featuring Prince Everald, a slamming, conscious track, the hit single Make Love, Not War featuring Roger B, In My House featuring Negus Morris of the Heptones, the ever popular Folk Song Medley and Sweet Victory (groundation dub). Performing on stage alongside many top artists including Capleton, Coco Tea, Marcia Griffiths, Sister Carol, Culture, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Michael Rose, Cutty Ranks, Yami Bolo, Anthony B, George Nooks and Louie Culture to name a few, Donna has certainly made a name for herself. She has worked on shows such as Jamaica Day, Marcus Garvey Day, The Canadian Reggae Music Awards, The Toronto Street Festival, Irie Music Festival, Afrikadey in Calgary, To Africa With Love in Barbados.and Caribana to name a few. Donna has performed extensively in Canada in places like Toronto, Brantford, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary, also internationally in Barbados, Guyana, New York and Jamaica.Her song Sweet Victory was ..1 on the reggae charts in Miami for eight weeks while South Africa (from her CD Who Can Endure released 1998) was following closely at ..2. Jah Great Woman also enjoyed much airplay and was ..1 in Miami for six weeks. The Jah Great Woman music video, which was done with the help of Videofact, was on high rotation on Much Music and played in countries like Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados and New York ..ed programmes. Donna signed a licensing deal with Amiata Records in Italy for the remix of her song Life Story and also was involved in many stage plays where she performed as an actress, dancer and singer. She also starred in a Documentary film called Roots Daughters alongside Judy Mowatt and that film is constantly being aired on television throughout the world. She also released two other music videos Who Can Endure and Make Love Not War.Since 1993, this multi-talented, multi-award winning and indefatigable artist has released two full length CDs entitled Who Can Endure and Jah Ah De Rulah, two cassette-albums (Who Can Endure & Sweet Victory), two vinyl-singles (Sweet Victory & Jah Ah De Rulah & Wonder Weed), one vinyl-album (for Who Can Endure), two compilation CDs with Canadian Music Week and four CD singles (Just Hurry, Money Crazy, Make Love Not War and Family Medley - Part 1). Donna has appeared live numerous times on City TVs Breakfast Television, Entertainment News, Clip Trip, The Scene, Lunch Television, Rogers Cable 10, Soul In The City and Da Mix (Canada). This Guyanese born dreadlocked singjay is also a graduate of Trebas Institute where she received her diploma in Recorded Music Production and Multimedia and also is the proud owner of her own music label DONNA MAKEDA MUSIC and a quarterly music magazine called REGGAEXCLUSIVE Entertainment News.Donna started singing and performing 25 years ago, her foundation in music came from the church, which she attended when she was a little girl. Donna started out as a dancer; she was trained in Afro-Caribbean Dance, Modern Dance, Folk Dance, Kathak and Classical Ballet. At age 16, she opened her own dance & aerobics school called Burning Flame International Dance Troupe. By the time Donna got to Canada, she had already been performing extensively throughout Guyana with her dance troupe. Singing at that time was just a fun thing for her. Upon siting Ras Tafari, Donna began to take her music more seriously and began writing lyrics and practicing on sound systems, singing at various stage shows and winning many competitions. Upon migrating to Canada in early 1990 as a worker in the entertainment field, Donna did her first international stage show and captivated her audience to the point where Denise Jones of Jones & Jones Productions decided to manage Donnas musical career. From there on in, it was just upward movements for Donna. Although that contract/relationship dissolved within one year, Donna kept on promoting herself and releasing her music.Without a doubt, her voice is her wealth; her intellect a cultural strength, and her stage presence is an expression of royal heritage. For more information or to book this artist call: (416) 287-9484 or email:
[email protected]. Also you can check canadianreggaeworld.com to read or see more of this artist.
