Thirty years since he scored his first ever UK #1 single with ‘Oh Carolina’ on London’s Greensleeves Records, Shaggy is returning to the streets where it all began to perform at Notting Hill Carnival.
This August bank holiday sees the return of the UK’s biggest celebration of Caribbean culture and it’s fitting that it’ll be graced by one of the islands’ most popular exports, Mr Boombastic himself, who will be appearing on the legendary Saxon and Rampage stages, performing and celebrating with British fans who have played such an integral role in his incredible career.
The news comes on the heels of the release of Shaggy’s new, soca-inspired EP In The Mood, out now on Ranch Entertainment and VP Records, which features some of Jamaica and Trinidad’s hottest artists, including Kes, Konshens, Future Fambo, Noah Powa, Bunji Garlin, Patrice Roberts and Skinny Fabulous. He recently followed it up with ‘If You Like Pina Coladas’ with DJ Cassidy and Rayvon; a unique interpretation of Rupert Holmes’ 1979 Billboard number one pop classic ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’ and a feel-good refresher course in summer celebration.
“I’m in the mood big time for this year’s Notting Hill Carnival,” says Shaggy. “It’s one of the biggest carnivals in the world and represents Caribbean culture from foundation to future…..
Thirty years after the release of ‘Oh Carolina’, I wanted to get back to my roots and celebrate in the streets where everything took off. My latest EP In The Mood is all about the party and community of our culture – people coming together to celebrate life. It’s dancehall, soca, reggae and dance music all wrapped up in one musical explosion.”
As the only diamond-selling reggae artist in music history, managed by Martin Kierszenbaum / Cherrytree Music Company, Shaggy has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. He also boasts four UK #1 singles and eight on the Billboard Hot 100, including iconic staples ‘It Wasn’t Me’, ‘Boombastic’ and ‘Angel’. His 2021 viral sensation ‘Go Down Deh’ with Spice and Sean Paul picked up to date over 20 billion streams and was used in over 42m video creations across social media, resulting in the double Grammy winner having a mega hit for four consecutive decades.