Martinique offers us many talents thanks to shatta, this musical style which has its origins in Jamaican dancehall and of which Maureen is the queen.
At 24, Maureen is one of the leaders of the shatta, with Kalash, whose protégé she is, but also her counterparts Sharon and Meryl. But what is shatta? It’s the Martinican version of Jamaican dancehall, which was previously called raggamuffin. “Shatta” is a term from the Jamaican slang “shotta”, which means “gangsta”. But in Martinique, it means “it’s good”, even “very good” or even “it kills!” “. As some would say: “it’s shatta”.
Conquering the city’s trendy evenings
The fashion house Thierry Mugler will use the title “Tic” during its spring summer 2021 collection and put a big spotlight on this new West Indian artist Maureen, originally from Dillon, a district of Fort-de-France. And Maureen thinks big from a young age. She will quickly adore the Jamaican musical world to the point of hesitating to return to the island to indulge in her passion, dancehall dancing. But she sees herself more as a businesswoman and an accomplished artist like her mentors, the Jamaican Shenssea or the star Rihanna. She will therefore make herself known and increase collaborations.
Vulgar words and sexual references
The shatta follows the same codes than hip hop. He comes from the street and is rough. It’s a completely uninhibited style, like what is done in female hip hop in the United States or in dancehall in Jamaica. Women are taking charge of their careers. It is their image and their freedom of speech that is at stake. They express all their emotions and their rage in a provocative but festive spirit. We understand why this works so well all over the world.
-“Lass Palé” means “Stop talking”. This is the name of the new single from Maureen, the queen of shatta.
A title to find, with the rest of the RFI playlist on all music platforms: Deezer / Spotify / YouTube
