The Blessed Madonna

Marea Stamper (born 1977),[2][3] better known by her stage name The Blessed Madonna (formerly The Black Madonna), is an American DJ, producer[4] and musician.[1][5] Mixmag named her the DJ of the year in 2016.[6] She founded her own record label called We Still Believe.[7]

The Blessed Madonna
The Blessed Madonna performing at All Points East Festival in Victoria Park, London on 27 May 2018.
Background information
Birth nameMarea Stamper[1]
Born1977 (age 42–43)
Kentucky, United States
GenresHouse, techno, disco
Occupation(s)DJ, remixer, producer
InstrumentsTurntables
Websitewww.theblessedmadonna.co.uk

Musical career

Born Marea Stamper, a high-school dropout who was bullied for her gender-nonconforming appearance,[8] Marea started her career in the late 1990s, selling mixtapes by underground DJs at raves.[1]

She has been called "one of the world’s most exciting turntablists."[9]

In 2018, The Black Madonna played herself as an in-residence DJ for the video game Grand Theft Auto Online, as part of the After Hours DLC.[10]

The stage name The Black Madonna references the Black Madonna paintings of the Virgin Mary, a tribute to her family's favorite Catholic saint.[11] In response to a Change.org petition that raised concerns of racial insensitivity, Stamper changed her stage name to The Blessed Madonna on July 20, 2020. She cited "controversy, confusion, pain and frustration" caused by the previous name and stated, "People who shared that devotion loved the name, but in retrospect I should have listened harder to other perspectives."[12]

On July 27, 2020, British singer Dua Lipa announced the release of a remix by Stamper of her song "Levitating", featuring American artists Madonna and Missy Elliott to serve as the fifth single of her 2020 album Future Nostalgia. The remix is set to be released on August 14, 2020.[13] On August 4, Dua Lipa announced Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album, which will be mixed by Stamper, and which will feature previously announced guests Madonna and Missy Elliott, as well as Mark Ronson, Gwen Stefani, and others to be announced.[14]

Discography

Selected remixes

References
  1. "The Black Madonna, an Activist D.J., Wants to Turn Dance Music Upside Down". The New York Times. November 30, 2017.
  2. "The Black Madonna | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. Roberts, Joe (March 8, 2018). "The Black Madonna: DJ Mag UK Cover Feature". DJ Mag.
  4. Galil, Leor (December 9, 2015). "Marea Stamper, The Black Madonna, The DJ". The Chicago Reader.
  5. "dj the black madonna shares the 6 songs that changed her life". Vice. October 12, 2018.
  6. Brailey, Louise (21 December 2016). "The Black Madonna is the DJ of the Year". Mixmag.
  7. https://www.residentadvisor.net/record-label.aspx?id=14446
  8. Kane, Peter Lawrence (April 18, 2018). "The Black Madonna and the Holy Spirit on the Dance Floor". SF Weekly.
  9. James, Lauren (14 March 2018). "DJ The Black Madonna on performing at Sónar festivals and making dance music accessible for all". South China Morning Post.
  10. Crecente, Brian (August 25, 2018). "How 'Grand Theft Auto' Is Changing the Way the World Experiences Music". Rolling Stone.
  11. Romano, Tricia (September 18, 2015). "Decibel Fest DJ Black Madonna and her rebel heart". The Seattle Times.
  12. "The Black Madonna is changing her name to The Blessed Madonna". Consequence of Sound. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  13. "Dua Lipa announces "Levitating" remix with Missy Elliott and Madonna". Consequence of Sound. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  14. "Dua Lipa announces star-studded Future Nostalgia remix album". Consequence of Sound. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
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