At the dawn of 2016, singer Isha Bel had a feeling big things would happen

for her career. Last October, her debut EP Cost Of Living/Light Haffi Shine

was released by Addis Records out of Switzerland.
Weeks before, the Lightning And Thunder mixtape which also featured Wild

Life   came out.
Last December, Isha Bel and Wild Life embarked on the three-month

Lightning And Thunder Tour of Europe. They performed in Germany,

Switzerland, France and Italy.
It was her first time in Europe. The shows, recordings and radio appearances

provided great exposure and opened a lot of doors.

"What I found out most was that people over there love Jamaican music ska,

reggae; roots music dub. Everywhere we went, the response was great,"

she said.The tour started on December 29 in Sierre, Switzerland and ended

March 10 in Salento, Italy.

Most of the shows were club dates with 300-1,200 capacities.  Swiss singer

/composer, Jacka Youth, who also acted as co-ordinator, accompanied Isha

Bel and Wild Life on several of the gigs.
There was a particular show that stood out for Isha Bel.
"Dubquake was a major one for us... We performed with two of the biggest

sound systems in Europe ---as featured artistes  with Shanty D on  OBF

sound System  from France and Conscious Sounds from the UK and with

UK-based roots veteran  Danny Red and Donovan King Jay," she said.

Isha Bel used her time in Europe to push Cost Of Living/Light Haffi Shine,

as well as Lighting And Thunder. She also debuted the songs Red Black

And Green and Walk to Zion, from her upcoming debut album, Rockfort Heart.

Born Natalie Walsh, Isha Bel has been singing since the early 1990s.

She grew up in East Kingston, the bedrock of Jamaican music, where

luminaries like Count Ossie And The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari and The

Skatalities developed their sound.

A former member of the Fourth Street Sister harmony group, Isha Bel will

return to Europe in 2017 and 2018 by which time Rockfort Heart will be

released.