Nyanda Janelle Thorbourne, better known by her stage name/mononym Nyanda, is a Jamaican-American singer and songwriter from Kingston, Jamaica. Nyanda is a member of the R&B/reggae duo Brick & Lace whose debut album, Love Is Wicked, was released through Geffen / Kon Live in 2007 and featured the chart-topping single "Love Is Wicked".
In February 2013, Nyanda released her first promotional single, "Trouble",[2] after announcing that she would be pursuing a solo career in music.[3] Her first official single, "Slippery When Wet", was released in September 2013.
Early life
Nyanda Thorbourne was born to an African-American mother and a Jamaican father in Kingston, Jamaica.[4] She has 3 sisters, Tasha, Nailah and Candace Thorbourne.[5] Nyanda went to Campion College High School during which time her group Brick & Lace was formed. After graduating High School Nyanda studied Marketing at Miami Dade College and then Advertising & Theater at the University of Miami.[4] The name "Nyanda" is a Swahili word which means "plains".
Career
Brick and Lace (2006–2012)
Nyanda's career in music started as a member of the pop/reggae group Brick & Lace. In 2006 Akon signed the group to Konvict Muzik[6] / Geffen Records and released their debut album, Love Is Wicked in 2007. The album spawned four charting singles – "Never Never", "Get That Clear", "Bad to di Bone" and their biggest hit, "Love Is Wicked", which was listed for 97 weeks in 7 different charts.[7]
Solo career (2013–present)
February 2013 marked the launch of Nyanda's career as a solo artist with the release of her promotional single, "Trouble".[2][3] Produced by Black Lion, "Trouble" is a remix of Taylor Swift's multi-platinum single "I Knew You Were Trouble" which fuses reggae, dancehall and pop music.[8] "Trouble" entered UK Music Week's Top 30 UrbanClubCharts in Week 7 (2013)[9] and remained in the charts for 7 Weeks,[10][11] peaking at No. 15.[12]
Nyanda's first official single, "Slippery When Wet", was initially released as a free download through SoundCloud on March 8, 2013.[13] "Slippery When Wet" entered UK Music Week's Urban Club Charts in Week 27 (2013)[14] and remained in the Top 30 for 5 weeks,[15] peaking at No. 13.[16] It was licensed and officially released later in the year by Cloud 9 (Benelux), Magic Records (Poland & Bulgaria) and Tropic Electric / InGrooves (Rest of the World). "Slippery When Wet" Won the Award for Best Reggae Song at the 2014 Lipstick Radio's Indie Music Awards.[17]
In August 2013, Nyanda released the electro fueled house track,[18] "Cool & Deadly"[19] with South African DJs Euphonik and Fresh. "Cool & Deadly" was considered a South African Summer Anthem in 2013[20] as it climbed to No. 28 on South Africa Airplay Charts and reached No. 1 on 5FM's Top 40. The music video for "Cool & Deadly"[21] was done documentary style, with all footage being taken from Split Seconds, a 5-part TV series on Channel O showcasing the fast-paced look at Fresh and Euphonik in Miami during 2013's Winter Music Conference.[22][23]
