Eclectic Reggae/Island-Fusion Artist Vana Liya Teams Up with Reggae Legend Half Pint for New Release “Come Away”
Vana Liya performs live
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Genre-busting vocalist, songwriter, and ukulele maverick Vana Liya made a serendipitous recent arrival on the national music scene after she posted several ukulele covers of popular reggae songs to social media, which garnered the support of top original artists and led to a 2018 record deal with L.A.-based LAW Records.
She has since been quickly earning a reputation among many of her well-established musical peers as a solid collaborator who always brings a fresh take and positive energy to the mix with her distinct yet not easily classifiable “island” vibe.
That free spirit of collaboration between major and emerging artists is nowhere better illustrated than with Vana Liya’s new single “Come Away” featuring Jamaican dancehall and reggae legend Half Pint.
Produced by multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and Stick Figure member Johnny Cosmic, “Come Away” had originally been constructed by Vana and Johnny as a reggae-pop club track before Half Pint was asked to collaborate on it.
Yet when Half Pint sent the stems with a section of the vocals back with the lyrical tagline ‘come away from the land of the sinking sands,’ Vana was so blown away by those foreboding words, almost premonitory of the racial and political strife yet to come in 2020, that she decided to scrap everything she’d written and go with the more heavy-hitting, politically relevant storyline.
“I think musicians have a really important role to speak up about what they believe in. And it’s not necessarily like you have to get super political or anything. But I definitely think that if you don’t use your platform, you’re missing out on an opportunity. The song isn’t explicitly about racism, or politics, or any one thing. But it reflects the times that we’re in and the racial violence and political injustice is just something that hit me really heavy. This was the year I woke up and I realized that the world was corrupt. I’d had a shield over my eyes where I thought everything was fine before. So I wanted to address that in the song but it in a light way. So that if you wanted to just chill out and listen to the song, you could chill out and listen. But then, if you had your thinking cap on, it also hits you a whole different way.”
– Vana Liya
The release of “Come Away” serves as a sample of what has been a consistent flow and wide range of new material Vana Liya has had in the works over the past year and foreshadows the broad stylistic eclecticism and bold subject matter that can be expected on Vana’s upcoming projects.
It is also indicative of a deeply personal renaissance Vana has been undergoing with her evolution as an artist.
Stream “Come Away”
Come Away
Listen to Come Away on Spotify. Vana Liya · Song · 2021.
Follow Vana Liya
To stay up to date with Vana Liya’s projects and her music endeavors, make sure to follow her on any of the social media platforms below.
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/vanaliyamusic
Instagram : http://instagram.com/vanaliyamusic
Twitter : http://twitter.com/vanaliyamusic
Website : https://www.vanaliyamusic.com
About Vana Liya
Nirvana Goberdhan a.k.a Vana Liya grew up outside of New York City. Being of Caribbean descent, Vana was surrounded by soca, calypso, dancehall and reggae music.
Vana’s mom gave her a ukulele for Christmas and a few years later she began covering songs by some of her favorite artists.
The combination of the ukulele and her soft voice put a unique twist on some reggae-rock staples. Artists like 311, Rebelution, Stick Figure and SOJA shared Vana’s covers across social media platforms, which was the beginning of Vana finding her audience.
After gaining traction, in early 2018 Vana Liya signed with Pepper’s LAW Records becoming their first female and first solo artist.
Subsequently she released her debut single “Show Me”. Later that year, Vana visited Stick Figure’s Great Stone Studios in Oakland, CA where she recorded “Go For It” with Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure. Cosmic signed on to produce her debut album.
She says “Working with Cosmic has helped me find my sound – there’s a new feel behind this album.” Vana has shared the stage with bands like SOJA, Pepper, The Expendables & The Movement. In late 2019 Vana moved from New York to Santa Cruz, CA to continue her career with a backing band.
Kevin James has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry in various facets. He has worked as a recording artist, songwriter, producer, on-air radio personality, background actor and film director. Kevin is a Member of the National Writer's Union.