Italian reggae artiste MadElaine enlists Jamaicans on latest album

In 1988, while watching MTV, MadElaine saw the video for Bob Marley’s One Love. She instantly became a fan. “That was my first introduction to reggae music,” she told Observer Online on Friday. “From the first drum and bass played in my head, I became a fan of reggae. It is the culture of liberation, and I naturally joined the vibrations of the music for the freedom of the people.” Born in Venice, Italy, MadElaine, who now resides between that country and Jamaica, recently released the album From My Heart to Your Heart. She collaborated with a few Jamaican acts, whom she met during her multiple visits to the island. “One day I was deep in meditation, and I had a vision that I was in the valley of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica and I was sending love from my heart to nature and all the people of the planet. So, I decided to give the album this title because the name encodes the real intention that the album is created with,” she said of the 14-track album, which includes six dub versions. The rhythms for the songs were done at the famed Tuff Gong studio, while the vocal production parts were done at different studios in the Corporate Area including Mixing Lab, Anchor Recordings and Harry J Studios as well as Max Romeo’s home studio in Linstead. Max Romeo, Cedric Myton, founding member of the roots reggae band The Congos, Queen Ifrica, Luciano and Linval Thompson, are featured on From My Heart to Your Heart. “Working with these artistes was an absolute pleasure. All of them are great legends who are recognized for their contribution to reggae music. The project started in 2023 and was completed and mastered by the end of 2025,” MadElaine disclosed. She spoke about working on the project. “I was living in Costa Rica for 25 years when I decided to turn a new chapter and I came to Jamaica and do my next album. As the great reggae lover that I have always been I could not miss the opportunity to work with Jamaican producers and talent. Of course, everyone was telling me I was crazy to came Jamaica by myself without knowing anyone, but the love for the Jamaican culture and music, erased all my fears and now, here I am,” said MadElaine. MadElaine is the executive producer of the album, which was released in May. She also collaborated with Jamaican producer Jordan Armond. She said, “As a singer I started my unique discography in the year 2000 with collaborations alongside other producers from Perù to London where I recorded my first album - "Avanzando" - released in 2009 with legendary dub producer Mad Professor and his label Ariwa Records. This album gave me the opportunity to tour all over Europe and Central and South America from 2009 to 2011. By 2013 I started to be totally involved as the producer of my musical riddims as well.” MadElaine whose real name is Carlotta Jovino has performed extensively in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, and Costa Rica. In 2026, she performed at the Bob Marley 81st Birthday Celebration at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, further connecting her work to the heart of Jamaican culture.