Grammy award-winner Shaggy has teamed up with Rwandan artist Bruce Melodie for a new feel-good song that’s making the rounds this holiday season.
The duo stopped by DailyMail.com in New York City to chat about the music collab, their Jingle Ball performances and Shaggy’s three-decade career 23 years after the release of his classic hit ‘It Wasn’t Me’.
Bruce, who is visiting the US for the first time ever, told DailyMail.com that having a song with Shaggy is a ‘full circle moment.’
‘Performing with Shaggy is a dream come true. He came to perform in Rwanda in 2008. I was young and I went to the show, but at the time I didn’t have money to buy the ticket, so I snuck in!’ Bruce, 31, said.
Fifteen years later and the pair are performing their new song ‘When She’s Around’ at IHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball in Dallas and Miami.
Grammy award-winner Shaggy has teamed up with Rwandan artist Bruce Melodie for a new feel-good song that’s making the rounds this holiday season
Shaggy and Bruce Melodie stopped by DailyMail.com in New York City to chat about their music collab and Jingle Ball performances
Bruce said Shaggy has acted as a mentor to him while promoting their new track, which was originally Bruce’s own song sung in his language Kinyarwanda
Shaggy, 55, has been busy performing around the world since exploding on the music scene with the 2000 hit ‘It Wasn’t Me.’
He reflected on his 30-year career and called it a ‘blessing’ to still be doing what he loves.
‘Listen, if you could have a career like mine, then to me you’ve made it,’ Shaggy said. ‘To still be doing this over 30 years, it is a force to be reckoned with and to still be relevant in the game, especially in my genre, is a blessing.’
Just this month Shaggy took the stage at Jingle Ball Dallas where he and Bruce made their live debut of their song. The pair then traveled to Jingle Ball Miami to wow the crowd.
Bruce said it was a dream come true to get Shaggy his song, which was originally Bruce’s own track sung in his language Kinyarwanda.
Shaggy said he heard the song and knew immediately that he wanted to be on it – adding his own twist.
‘The original song had more of a traditional kind of African beat and we reproduced the track and gave it more of that Afrobeat kind of swing to it,’ Shaggy said. ‘And then I came with a little bit of dancehall flavor to it.
‘It was kind of a match made in heaven at that point!’
Shaggy also has a new title to add to performer, reggae artist and Grammy-winner: DJ.
The singer launched his own radio channel on Sirius XM called ‘Shaggy’s Mr. Boombastic Radio’ where he curates the entire listening experience.
‘It’s a channel of reggae and dancehall – between the 90s and 2000 era when dancehall was at its peak. There’s some Afrobeat, a couple of classics and some new music – that kind of vibe,’ Shaggy said.
Just this month Shaggy took the stage at Jingle Ball Dallas where he and Bruce made their live debut of the new song. The pair then traveled to Jingle Ball Miami
‘Listen, if you could have a career like mine, then to me you’ve made it,’ Shaggy said. ‘To still be doing this over 30 years, it is a force to be reckoned with and to still be relevant in the game, especially in my genre, is a blessing’
The reggae singer launched his own radio channel on Sirius XM called ‘Shaggy’s Mr. Boombastic Radio’ where he curates the entire listening experience
While Bruce Melodie is one of the most popular artists back home in Rwanda, it’s his first time visiting the US and Bruce said Shaggy acted as a mentor to him.
‘I’m learning,’ Bruce said. ‘I learned from Shaggy’s that when he’s doing something he does it until he’s finished.
‘I used to wish that one day I can perform in front of a lot of people like this. I didn’t even wish to perform with Shaggy because that’s way too far out. And right here we are doing it now – I thank God. It’s full circle.’
Shaggy said, ‘One thing I really admire about him – he’s a pretty big star in East Africa and plays stadiums and all of that – but his humility is so great and it’s very admirable.
‘I think you’ll go very, very far with that attitude. He’s always willing to learn a lot of things.’
Shaggy, who came out with his own holiday album in 2020 called ‘Christmas in the Islands’, said he’s absolutely in the Christmas spirit this year and gushed over the holiday in his native Jamaica.
‘You know what I like about Christmas?’ Shaggy said. ‘Christmas in Jamaica is not about mistletoe and snow. It’s really about the parties, the family and food.
‘Christmas dinner is a real big thing for us as Caribbean people. So I’m really ramped up. I’m going to go home in a few and really just get into the vibe of it.’
Bruce said that in Rwanda, ‘It’s all about New Year!’
DailyMail.com last spoke with Shaggy when he paired up with The Police icon Sting for one-night-only show of songs from their collaboration album Com Fly Wid Me
Asked if there’s another collaboration with Sting down the line, Shaggy said, ‘There’s always something in the works with Sting’
DailyMail.com last spoke with Shaggy when he paired up with The Police icon Sting for a one-night-only show celebrating the release of their collaboration album Com Fly Wid Me.
The album was produced by Sting and features Shaggy singing legendary Frank Sinatra’s songbook – but with a reggae twist.
It was their second team-up after winning the Grammy for best reggae album in 2018 for their album 44/876.
Asked if there’s another collaboration with Sting down the line, Shaggy said, ‘There’s always something in the works with Sting.
‘It all depends on how much glass of wine we have that night and whatever idea that pops up in our head, we might say, ”Oh, my God, here we go again!”’
The pair are more than music partners but good friends as well.
Shaggy said the bromance is still strong and the pair chat at least twice a week.
