Leeanna Allen set to rock the rooftops with new song ‘Don’t Let Go’

Though the music industry in Guyana is not so promising, given the absence of copyright laws among others, several people across the country find comfort in writing and singing their own music and have been committed to doing so.

Leeanna Allen

31-year-old Leeanna Naomi Allen is one such person who uses music as her escape from life’s turmoil. In fact, she has been able dodging, swerving, and conquering all that life has been throwing at her.

Leeanna was born on the 9th April 1989 at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital to Oswald Dey and Michelle Charles. She resided in Roxanne Burnham Gardens during her young years. However, her family moved to Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD) when she was about 10-year-old. 

I grew up surrounded by family; first, my mother’s, then my father’s. Though I felt loved in most instances, I was very insecure as a child. I never felt pretty – my hair wasn’t nice enough. My skin colour was a few shades too dark, etc. At one point, I resided that I was just ugly, so my ‘advantage’ in life would come from my academic abilities. To survive high school, I created a persona of a ‘tough girl’ just to hide how truly fragile I was. My creative abilities were always encouraged, though. My first love was dance, which I did at every presented opportunity. I started writing poetry at 9 years old to help process my emotions and singing at 16.

Leeanna attended the New Guyana Primary School and then the Bishops’ High School. After completing her secondary education, Leeanna ventured off to the University of Guyana, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. 

Not satisfied there, Leeanna read for her Masters in Business Administration (Distinction) from the Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies. Besides, she is the holder of a Project Management Associate International Certificate through the Inter-American Institute for Economic and Social Development. 

The singer said that she started writing her own music when she was 25-year-old. She noted that it helped her cope during a short period when she was unemployed. 

Prior to that, I only sang covers in church, which I eventually got bored of doing. My first song led to my first CD titled Labeled Loved. A number of the songs were good, but guidance was very limited, and the experience was lacking, but I have no regrets. For some time after that, I focused largely on writing and performing spoken word poetry.

On Sunday last, Leeanna launched her new song, ‘Don’t Let Go.’ This is her first of many new songs being launched under an initiative named “Mixed Essence.” According to the songwriter, the inspiration for the song came from one night when she was contemplating marriage and relationships. 

Next year, April will make 10 years since I am married to my husband and best friend, Colin Allen. Even with that being the case, there have been times when we both felt like throwing in the towel, but – as in many marriages – there is beauty, growth, and a deeper connection beyond the hardships if both persons are committed to fighting for the marriage. In today’s culture, it is so easy to give up and get divorced without putting in the work it takes to be successfully married, so this song is written as an encouragement to fight for your spouse, not against them; to appreciate the value they bring to the relationship, etc.  

The Mixed Essence initiative will be formally launched in February 2021. It is essentially an initiative for musical collaboration. The initiative aims to help create a musical platform for artists that can potentially serve as a launching pad. 

I write some about love and relationships, both with God and close human relations. In relation to genre, it can sound like any genre, but the content and lyrics typically revolve around those two themes. I have been inspired to share songs that I have written with a number of other artists who are extremely talented, but may not have the ability to write songs and do not have the resources available to start building their musical careers.

Leeanna explained that the populace has been more responsive to her poetry over the past few years since this has been her focus for some time. She noted that it is often dubbed as an inspiration. In fact, she said that she heard many testimonies of how her pieces helped persons overcome personal challenges. 

The 31-year-old woman credits her success to God, whom she said inspires her every day. In addition to God, Leeanna noted that her husband has been supporting and putting up with her over the nine years of marriage. 

As a teenager, aspiring to such lofty goals while living in Guyana felt foolish, but with time I have seen that the world is slowly becoming smaller and the interconnectivity and opportunities for collaboration are expanding. I am excited about the future as these projects unfold.

Her single is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and iTunes. A search for Leeanna Allen would lead you right to her. Feel free to check her up on Facebook as well. 

Leeanna hopes that her work, whether a song, poetry or books, would positively impact millions of lives. She aspires to become a renowned singer/songwriter, poet, author, and motivational speaker.