Also called “Canada’s Reggae Queen,” Nana McLean was born in Linstead, St Catherine, Jamaica. She started her music career at a young age and won several local singing competitions. She released her debut single “Till I Kiss You” in 1977, with Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at the famous Studio One label in Jamaica. This fated introduction was made following a performance at the Donkey Carnival in Linstead Market with the Soul Defenders.

In 1979, she recorded her next hit album, Dream of Life. She then released “Single Girl” with producer King Jammy and “Take Me Higher.” Some of her most successful hits include “Let Me Cover You”, “Nana’s Medley” and “I Will Follow You”. By this time, Nana had relocated to Canada and received the JUNO award for Best Reggae Recording in 1997. She has been nominated for a JUNO Award four times so far throughout her career. After living in Canada for decades, she has become a staple in the reggae genre, and worked with countless other icons including, Leroy Sibbles, Johnney Osbourne, and more.

Jones and Jones Productions managed her music career for many years, and she performed at a large number of shows in Toronto as well as on television shows on television channels such as CBC, CTV, Perk Pit and Bambo.

In 2024, she was a part of the five-part NFB docuseries Sounds and Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land, alongside other artists on their musical journey from the Caribbean to the North, including Sibbles and Osbourne.

She credits her longevity in the music industry to her ability to adapt and surround herself with good people. Her hardworking and positive approach has allowed her to tour extensively throughout her career, leaving loving fans in her wake. She continues to perform and moves between Canada and Jamaica, still bringing her love and passion to the industry.