Tanya Trotter

Tanya Trotter, born Tanya Blount, is an American musician, actress, and author. She first rose to public attention as a teenage actress and vocalist, and she later established a recording career spanning R&B, gospel, and country genres. Trotter is widely recognized as one half of the country music duo the War and Treaty, performing alongside her husband, Michael Trotter Jr.

Trotter was raised by an Afro-Panamanian mother and an African-American father. During her youth, she attended Baptist services on Sundays while receiving an education at a Catholic school, participating in choirs within both settings. She later attended Morgan State University, where she majored in psychology and sang in the university choir.

Her early career breakthrough occurred in 1993 when she appeared in the feature film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, playing the character named Tanya. In the film, she performed a duet of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" alongside Lauryn Hill, a performance that brought her notable recognition and inclusion on the movie's original soundtrack album.

Following her film appearance, Trotter signed with Polydor Records in late 1993 and released her debut solo album, Natural Thing, in 1994. The album reached number 58 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and yielded several charting singles, including "I'm Gonna Make You Mine," "Hold On," and "Through the Rain," the latter of which peaked at number 90 on the US Hot 100 chart. In 1994, she also released the holiday single "Remember Love," and in 1995, she received a nomination for Best New Artist at the Soul Train Awards.

In 1996, Trotter signed with Sean Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment to record a second solo album and write songs for herself and other label artists. Although the project stalled and was never fully released, two tracks titled "I Love Him" and "The Last Time We Made Love" were issued, and she was involved in a proposed label gospel compilation before seeking a contract release in 2000. Alongside her studio recording work, Trotter built a career in musical theatre, appearing in productions such as What Every Woman Wants, Sneaky, Preacher's Kids, Born to Sing!, and Christmas in Washington. Her song "Right Here" was later featured in the 2008 Tyler Perry film The Family That Preys.

Trotter later transitioned into collaborative music projects with her husband. In 2016, the couple released the duet album Love Affair under the name Trotter & Blount, as well as the single "Hi Ho" under the band name the War and Treaty. The duo released the EP Down to the River in 2017, followed by their debut album, Healing Tide, in August 2018. On September 25, 2020, the War and Treaty released their sophomore album, Hearts Town, through Rounder Records.

In her personal life, Trotter is married to her bandmate, Michael Trotter, and the couple has a son named Antonio.