Dancehall prince Shaggy will perform on the stage of the OLM Souissi on Thursday May 26th, 2016

Rabat – April, 18^th, 2016- The Maroc Cultures Association is pleased to announce the presence of Shaggy at the 15^th edition of Mawazine Festival Rhythms of the World. Unique in his kind, alongside Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Sean Paul, the singer is part of the closed Jamaican circle of artists with global recognition. Scheduled on the stage of the OLM Souissi for Thursday May 26^th, Shaggy’s concert promises festivalgoers a show of absolute madness with the performance of his greatest hits, including the wonderful “Boombastic” and “Wasn’t me.”

Thanks to his unique style, he represents the fusion of rap with dancehall; with the timbre of his voice, he is a crossover of Barry White with Shabba Ranks. In short, Shaggy is unique and the Mawazine audience is forewarned: for his first appearance in Morocco, the dancehall prince will thrill the stage of the OLM Souissi like never before!

In reggae, rare are careers as impressive as Shaggy’s. No Jamaican has ever released as many international hits in the course of the last 25 years. Since twenty years and his world hit “Boombastic,” the singer sold tens of millions of albums and won numerous Grammy Awards. However, as a child, he was not attracted by music. Born in 1968 in Kingston, the young Orville Richard Burrell’s dream was to become a fireman. At the age of 18, he left Jamaica and followed his mother to New York. After several small jobs, he joined the army, and during his leaves, he wrote a few tracks including the cover of “Oh Carolina” in 1993, which he recorded the following year, upon his return to civil life in the UK. It was an instant success: the song reached first place in a dozen countries.

Appreciated for his particular style, faithful to reggae riddims and vibes but with his undeniable pop, rock, and hip-hop side, the same year, Shaggy signs with Virgin the biggest contract ever signed by a reggae artist! After Pure Pleasure, the album Bombastic is released in 1995, definitely consecrating Shaggy’s status: the opus became a platinum disc and wins the Grammy for Best Reggae Album, while the eponym single, used by Levi’s world campaign, makes Shaggy a Puff Daddy equivalent.

Shaggy’s double Jamaican and American culture allows him to harmoniously incorporate raga to rap and RnB. His second album, Midnite Lover, endorses the singer’s incredible talent, and the release of Hot Shot in 2000 marks the birth of modern dancehall style. Ranked number one everywhere, this third album is Shaggy’s biggest success. Two singles propel the album onto the charts: “Angel” and “Wasn’t Me.” Several times platinum disc, the opus sells over 5.5 million copies! The craze is so intense that Shaggy was nominated 7 times for the 2001 Billboard and won trophies for Male Artist and Album of the year. 

The year of 2003 was remarkable: the album Lucky Day was a big sensation on the radio, led by the hit Sexy Lady. After getting some rest, Shaggy releases in 2005, Clothes Drop, followed by Intoxication two years later. The video “Church Heathen,” featuring guest vocals from Ninjaman as well as Shaggy’s collaboration with Akon on the remarkable “What’s Love,” made this album the disc of maturity. Still in the spotlight, ”Feel the Rush” released in 2008, became the theme song for the UEFA football European championship, and his tenth studio album, Summer In Kingston, released in 2012, earns Shaggy an umpteenth nomination at the Grammy Awards.

Today, at the peak of his carrier, Shaggy dedicates most of his time to charitable works and fundraisers. The singer notably created the Shaggy Foundation, which contributed to the collection of several millions of US dollars to finance a children’s hospital in Kingston, amongst other things.