With his distinctive voice and commanding presence, Grammy award winning Jamaican performer Shaggy has turned out a slew of popular hits over the last decade including Oh Carolina, Boombastic, It Wasn’t Me, Mr. Lover Lover and Strength of a Woman. Born Orville Richard Burrell in the island’s capital city of Kingston, Shaggy has also become a champion for the Bustamante Children’s Hospital through his Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation -- a role that he takes as seriously as his job as a world famous performer in demand across the globe. Hot on the heels of his last fundraiser, the biannual Shaggy and Friends Concert and his current tour promoting his new collaborative album 44/876 with Sting and their hit single Don’t Make me Wait -- he found time to catch up with Jamaica Experiences to tell us about his mission to promote the island’s culture, how he relaxes and his love of a good Jamaican oxtail.  

 
JE: What do you love most about Jamaica? 

Shaggy: The warmth, the people, the love, the atmosphere, the culture… what’s there not to love? 

JE: Name a place on the island that everyone should visit? 

 

JE: How about one (place) you still haven’t experienced but would like to? 

Shaggy: Accompong, where the Maroons come from. 

JE: What’s the one Jamaican meal every visitor should try? 

Shaggy: Oxtail 110%. Oxtail with baked beans, white rice or rice and peas. They should try a good oxtail … nothing beats it! 

JE: What unique Jamaica Experience do you ensure your guests have? 

Shaggy: Experiencing Jamaican culture through music. When my guests leave, they will leave soaking up the culture. They will leave being a fan of reggae music, dancehall music …. 

JE: What is your favourite way to spend a day out in Jamaica with your kids?  

Shaggy: Taking them to the beach at Hellshire or Fort Clarence. I also like taking them to Portland … we always have a good time. 

JE: How do you relax when you’re not travelling to promote your new album or your Foundation? 

Shaggy: I know it sounds cliché but my relaxation is music - whether I’m playing it, whether I’m listening to it, when I am making it. When I’m not on the road, I love to chill by my pool … play some Bill Withers or Jimmy Cliff  … whatever my heart desires … that’s how I relax. 

The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation 

Inspired by a visit to the Bustamante Children’s Hospital (the only full service children’s hospital in the English speaking Caribbean) more than 15 years ago, Shaggy formed the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation. Raising funds for much needed medical equipment, the Foundation is funded primarily through the Shaggy and Friends Concert, a star-studded event held biannually which in 2017, featured performances by Sting, Wyclef Jean and Doug E. Fresh. Raising JMD$100 million this year alone, the Foundation has since inception raised over USD$2 million to buy crucial life-changing/saving equipment for the multitudes of children who use the facility. For more information on the Foundation and concert or to donate
visit SHAGGY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION WEBSITE 


SHAGGY
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