Shaggy: Dancehall Comes to WIPO

• Author: Elizabeth March
• Position: WIPO Magazine Editorial Staff, Communications and Public Outreach Division

Biodata

Born: October 22, 1968, in Kingston, Jamaica.

Name: Orville Richard Burrell, Nicknamed "Shaggy" by childhood friends after the popular Scooby Doo cartoon character.

Career: Joined the U.S. Marines c.1988-92. First hit record was Oh Carolina in 1993. Other hits include Boombastic, In the Summertime, It Wasn't Me and Angel. The album Hot Shot (2000) sold over 15 million copies and made Shaggy the first reggae artist to top the U.S. Billboard 200 best selling album chart.

Awards: Grammy Award, Best Reggae Album for Boombastic (1995); Juno Award (Canada), Best Selling Album, 2002. In October 2007, he was awarded Order of Distinction with the rank of Commander for outstanding service to Jamaica.

"Yo, this is Mr. Lover-Lover, boombastic - upfront and personal. Say yea, pay attention! Utter Shaggy."

The greeting, delivered in a baritone growl, was not quite what we were used to hearing from ambassadorial visitors to WIPO. But then, this was not a usual WIPO visitor. Orville "Shaggy" Burrell, Jamaica's self-styled ambassador of reggae, had been invited to join speakers at WIPO's International Conference on Intellectual Property and the Creative Industries in order to share his own perspective as a top-selling artist.

With album sales of over 20 million since his first hit, Oh Carolina, in 1993, Shaggy's successful career in the music industry is testimony to his artistic inventiveness, and to his readiness to buck the trend. The hard-hitting rhythms and tongue-in-cheek lyrics of hits such as Boombastic (1995) broke through barriers, taking Shaggy's cross-over brand of reggae or dancehall¹ music to the top of R&B, pop, and hip-hop charts worldwide. His addictive new release, Church Heathen, though aimed at a hardcore dancehall audience, looks set to be another major hit.

Before leaving the Conference, Shaggy took time out to talk to the WIPO Magazine about his music and his personal experience from within the creative industries.

The WIPO conference has been discussing the economic contribution of the creative industries. How do you see the contribution of the music industry to Jamaica?

Jamaica will probably benefit more from music than any other country because its whole cultural background is what sells Jamaica, more so than anything else. When you think Jamaica, you think Bob Marley. The minute you land in Jamaica you feel the essence of reggae. And for an artist who's trying to break out in the music business, Jamaica is one of the easiest places to show talent - there are so many...