No-Maddz

No-Maddz
Origin Kingston, Jamaica
Genres Dub poetry, Reggae, Reggae fusion[1]
Years active 2010–present[2]
Website nomaddzja.com
Members Christopher Downer
Christopher Gordon
Oneil Peart
Sheldon Shepherd

No-Maddz are a Jamaican art collective and reggae group from Kingston, founded in 2000, and comprising Sheldon Shepherd, Christopher Downer, Everaldo "Evie" Creary, Christopher "Birdheye" Gordon, and Oneil Peart.[3][4]

History

The members are alumni of Kingston College, Jamaica and are recipients of the Jamaican Prime Minister's Youth Award for excellence, received in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009, the highest state award for youths in the country.[3][5]

In 2010, the group commenced their signature concert series 'The Trod Live' around Kingston and St. Andrew and recorded the first Jamaican produced live album of the new millenenium.

The group signed an endorsement deal with Puma in 2011. The record-breaking Puma FAAS campaign with Usain Bolt became the highest sales for a second quarter in the company's history. The series of adverts were aired on MTV, VH1, TBS, CW (in the United States of America) amongst others worldwide. Also, the adverts played in every Footlocker and Puma store worldwide.

They received a perfect score in the annual Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's performance arts festival.[3][5]

Shepherd and Creary featured in the film Better Mus' Come, for which Shepherd won a Best Actor award at the American Black Film Festival.[5][6]

In June 2012 they launched their single "Sort out You Life Jamaica", commemorating 50 years of Jamaican independence.[5]

The group have performed at several of Jamaica's major festivals, including Rebel Salute, Reggae Sumfest and The National Grand Gala. In an April 2013 Rolling Stone magazine article Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, stated "There's a band called the No-Maddz who are more like theater than a group. They're actors. It's this whole audio-visual kind of thing. It's different. But they're really good, really talented and really smart."

In Summer 2013, they launched the production Breadfruit is the New Bread, Baby, a theatrical expression of the No-Maddz "Bongo Music" that ran for five nights per week for two months; It was later selected by the government as an official representation of Jamaica's performing arts and new popular culture at Carifesta XI in South America.

The Trod Live series was revamped for the re-opening of the historic CountrySide Club in Kingston. The special series saw the band playing every last Saturday for four months.

In 2014, No-Maddz teamed up with producers Sly and Robbie to record their first studio album entitled Sly and Robbie presents No-Maddz. The album was released on January 27th, 2015.[7] Saxon Baird of MTV Iggy described the album as "a first-rate debut from a band that seems poised to offer great things to come." [8] In a review, Eric Magni of United Reggae wrote that it the album was "a joy from start to finish."[9]

In April 2015 In The Morning Yah, a book of Shepherd's poetry, was published.[10]

In 2016 the band released 3 new singles, Promises, Unite us & Breadfruit and Banana. In winter 2016 they went to Japan and did a succesfull European clubtour.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Videos

References

  1. ↑ https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Reggae-Fusion-connects
  2. ↑ http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101014/ent/ent1.html
  3. 1 2 3 4 "No-Maddz records live album". Jamaica Observer. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  4. ↑ Walker, Paul-Andre (2012) "No-Maddz Take Behind The Screen To New Level", Jamaica Gleaner, 6 September 2012, retrieved 7 September 2012
  5. 1 2 3 4 Morgan, Simone (2012) "No Maddz celebrates Ja 50", Jamaica Observer, 29 June 2012, retrieved 2012-06-30
  6. ↑ "Jamaica Produces Record Profit For Puma". Jamaica Gleaner. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  7. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-maddz-sly-robbie-presents/id958001116
  8. ↑ Baird, Saxon. No-Maddz: the Poets Are Poised for a Reggaw Take Over. MTV Iggy. Retrieved on July 12 , 2015.
  9. ↑ http://unitedreggae.com/articles/n1746/012915/sly-and-robbie-presents-no-maddz
  10. ↑ "Shepherd upbeat about new book", Jamaica Observer, 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015
  11. ↑ Campbell, Howard (8 January 2015). "No-Maddz goes mainstream". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 2 May 2015.


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