Often hailed as “The Empress of Reggae” and “Canadian Reggae Royalty”, Donna Makeda is an international sensation and multi-award winning “Singjay” based in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Guyana, Makeda’s musical journey is deeply rooted in her upbringing in the church and her diverse training in the performing arts. Before dominating the reggae charts, she was a professional dancer and choreographer trained in Afro-Caribbean, Modern, Kathak, and Classical Ballet. At just 16 years old, she founded her own dance troupe, “Burning Flame International”, a background that still delivers her famously high-energy stage performance today.

Makeda transitioned into the recording industry during the early 1990s, making an immediate impact with her debut single “Gunshot”. This soon began a historic streak in which she has racked up over 30 reggae music awards, including multiple years as “Top Reggae Dancehall DJ” (Female). Her discography is headlined by her 1998 debut album, Who Can Endure, which featured the hit single “Sweet Victory”, a track that spent eight weeks at #1 on the Miami reggae charts. Throughout her career, she has shared the stage with various reggae icons such as Culture, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Marcia Griffiths, and Luciano. Additionally, she has performed at major festivals including Jamaica Sunsplash and the Calgary International Reggae Festival.

Beyond her performance career, Makeda is a media entrepreneur and a graduate of the Trebas Institute in Recorded Music Production and Multimedia. She is the founder and owner of ReggaeXclusive Entertainment News, a multi-award-winning magazine that champions Caribbean culture in Canada. Known for her positive lyrics and conscious themes, Makeda continues to release influential music, such as her 2023 single “Vegan Dinna”, further cementing her legacy as a pillar of the global reggae community.