Although ‘Late Night Fights’, Empress Adara’s first song, was released in early September, the Toronto native has been writing since she was a pre-teen. The lovers rock reggae ballad is produced and arranged by Leroy Sibbles, her grandfather.
The horn-hooked single is driven by live instruments including bass by Sibbles, whose Bright Beam Music label released ‘Late Night Fights’.
Empress Adara & Leroy Sibbles
“I’ve only been recording for a couple of years, but I’ve been writing since I was seven. One of my biggest influences is of course my grandfather but I have so many more, I can’t even count them. Some are Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Ashley Cole, Stevie Wonder…the list goes on,” she said.
Empress Adara is the second of Sibbles’ grandchildren to follow his path into music. Kid Kwazii, a rapper and Empress Adara’s older brother, kicked off his recording career in 2016.
She is aware of her grandfather’s lofty legacy as a singer/songwriter with The Heptones, bass player on some of reggae’s biggest hits at the legendary Studio One label, and a driving force of Canadian reggae. Yet, Empress Adara does not intend to limit her music to one genre. “I love music, I love all music. It really just depends on what the song moves me toward,” she said.
