MADDAM
Watch this: "Today"
Sexy electro-funk band MADDAM was such a jewel of a find. Frontwoman Madafi Pierre is a poet, singer and songwriter who grew up between Florida and Switzerland and is of Haitian decent. You can already guess that with such a rich heritage and well-traveled life that her art would be just as rich and layered, and it is. I dug around a bit online and discovered that one of her solo releases, "Mr. Right," was the theme song of French film, Je Reste, which went on to garner much acclaim in soul-pop circles. Her partner in crime, as well as the producer of the group Roccobelly, is a Swiss actor, rapper and director.
On my train ride from the Montreux Jazz Festival, Madafi was sitting across the aisle from us and because she heard us speaking English, she struck up a conversation with my family and I. When I found out she was an artist, I immediately asked for music links. As soon as I opened them, the first thing I noticed was the duo's vibrant, fashion-forward visual concept, which enticed me to listen to the music even more. Then, once I hit play and this funky, electronic, soulful, pop potpourri that is their tune "Today" came gushing out of my laptop, I lost it. I must have hit replay at least four times in a row. They have managed to wrap everything I love about '80s synth-based pop, R&B and rock in such a glossy, yet gritty, modern package. The marriage of Pierre's distinctive vocals with Roccobelly's minimalistic yet expertly tweaked production is paired so tastefully with their dynamic visual presentation. They are onto something really special and I foresee them appearing on your TV screens and on major festival lineups very soon. Keep up with MADDAM's movement and moves on Facebook.
