Princess Adana has already made a name for herself in her native Trinidad and Tobago, but now she’s attempting stateside success. Her arresting blend of reggae-infused R&B and natural dance moves won her the talent showcase at Billboard’s eighth annual R&B/Hip-Hop Conference last November.
Adana, who turns 20 in April, is no stranger to winning competitions. She dominated her first at age 15, a local talent contest while attending the Tobago Academy of Performing Arts on a dancing scholarship. Deciding to focus on music, she met manager Andre Thorne of BWV Entertainment (Brothers With a Vision). Since then, she’s become a staple on radio and in dance clubs in the region, thanks to soca hits “Out of Control” and “Uncertain.” Adana, who is a contracted performer at six major hotels in the islands, came to the attention of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Fontaine Music Agency (which repped Bad Boy group Dream) after performing at an international talent competition in August 2006.
“Adana has a sultry alto a la Lauryn Hill,” Debbie Fontaine says. “She doesn’t have the typical soprano that everyone else seems to be doing.”
Influenced by Anita Baker and Eddie Levert, among others, Adana (last name Roberts) has since opened the 2007 Tobago Jazz Festival, which featured Elton John, Mary J. Blige and Al Green. Having already released one indie album, Adana and Thorne are hard at work on another set melding her love of soca, reggae and R&B/soul. “I’m a singer from the heart,” Adana says. “I just want to sing, dance and be what I am on the big stage.”
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