Anna-Sharé Blake (born 1991), known professionally as Sevana, is a Jamaican singer and actress. As part of Protoje's In.Digg.Nation Collective, Sevana released her self-titled EP in 2016. She made her major label debut in 2020 with Be Somebody.
Sevana was born Anna-Sharé Blake in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica, in 1991.[1] When she was young, she was originally interested in becoming a doctor.[2] In 2008, at 16 years old, Sevana entered the local music competitionDigicel Rising Stars with two friends from her school and formed the girl group SLR. Their group advanced into the top ten of the competition and ultimately placed in third.[3][4] SLR broke up the next year in 2009, and Sevana went on a hiatus from music.[5] During her hiatus, Sevana worked several jobs as a customer service agent, social media coordinator, and waitress after graduating from Manning's School.[6]
Sevana resumed writing and performing music in 2014.[6] Later that year, she was featured on reggae singer Protoje's "Sudden Flight" on his album Ancient Future. She also began to regularly appear with his group, In.Digg.Nation, in live performances and later toured with them in July 2015.[4] In April 2015, Protoje signed Sevana under his In.Digg.Nation Collective label.[7] Sevana released her eponymous EP in 2016, and embarked on a European tour.[4] After the release, in 2016, she played the lead role in the Television Jamaica mini web series, Losing Patience.[6] She later collaborated with the creators of Losing Patience for the music video of her 2018 single "Justice", on the effects of climate change on the environment.[3]
Sevana halted touring plans in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9] In April 2020, In.Digg.Nation Collective entered into a record deal with RCA Records and Six Course Media Group, through which music by In.Digg.Nation musicians Protoje, Lila Iké, and Sevana would be released.[7] In May, Sevana appeared with Freddie McGregoronDigicel Unplugged, an online performance series.[10]
In July 2020, Sevana released "If You Only Knew", the first single on Be Somebody, her second EP and her major label debut.[11] Later that month, Sevana released Be Somebody,[4][12] with a DancehallMag reviewer praising her "sultry vocals and strong musical range."[13] In 2021, NPR aired Sevana's Tiny Desk Concert performance, which included songs from Be Somebody.[14][15]
Sevana performed to a virtual audience at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in March 2021.[16] Following a road accident in May, Sevana was charged with causing death by dangerous driving a month later.[17][18] She pled guilty to the charge at the trial in October and was fined $300,000 the following month.[19][20] In March 2022, Sevana announced her departure from Protoje's In.Digg.Nation Collective.[18]
Media outlets have described Sevana's music, or its influences, as reggae, soul, R&B, and dancehall.[a] In a 2020 interview, Sevana described her musical sound as "every sound but with a Jamaican filter. Like if a modern Anita Baker was Jamaican and was creating music for Jamaica."[13]
Speaking with The Jamaica Star in 2020, Sevana stated her desire to "use her artistry to teach dark-skinned young girls and women to love the skin they're in."[22] She cites Celine Dion as her biggest influence and Beres Hammond as a source of inspiration.[3]
^DancehallMag in 2020 stated that Sevana's music was influenced by soul and R&B music;[13] in 2021, NPR described her as a soul singer,[14] and The Recording Academy named her among "the women essential to reggae and dancehall".[21]
