St Andrew teen Sanna Moore gains ground in music after Etana encounter

Sanna Moore, a teenage vocalist whose first name is pronounced Say-na, is shaping her early music career with backing from reggae singer Etana and other established voices in the business.

"I look up to women in music such as Etana, Rihanna, Jobi Jay, Lila Iké, and Ella Mai. I grew up hearing Etana’s music on the radio and I always noticed how uplifting and relatable her lyrics are," she said.

Moore attends St Andrew High School for Girls, where she holds the post of vice-president in the school’s Wind and String Ensemble. Violin lessons with Kamoy Gordon sit alongside her interest in reggae, R&B, neo-soul, gospel, and Nyabinghi.

"My instrument is the violin. I love music because it allows me to express how I am feeling, or even tell a story that I have not personally experienced," she said.

Her path shifted sharply during Reggae Month, when she met Etana at a show in Emancipation Park. After Moore introduced herself and spoke about her love for singing, Etana asked her to perform then and there.

"She told me she got goosebumps after I sang," the young artist recalled. "That moment really inspired me."

Moore said Etana urged her to stay upbeat, write her own material, and recognise the role Black women play in reggae and wider entertainment.

That exchange opened a door when Etana’s management later called her father, businessman Dwight Moore, to discuss working with her. Since then, Moore’s live sets have drawn growing notice across the local music scene.

At the recent To Mom With Love concert in the AC Hotel Ballroom, she held a large crowd with Andra Day’s I Rise Up, a soulful piece about endurance and hope. Moore said the night reinforced how much she values performing before an audience.

"As soon as I stepped on stage, the nerves disappeared," she said. "Seeing the crowd connect with the song really moved me."

She followed with her first major billing at the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival.

Moore is preparing for CSEC exams in June but plans to use the summer to release original music she has been working on.