Mr Brooks heads to New Kingston

Mavado to make live series appearance at Studio 38

Immensely popular dancehall superstar David Constantine Brooks, also known as Mavado, brings his seminal brand of dancehall music to Studio 38 on Friday.

He joins a long list of ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall stars to perform live at Studio 38.

Considered to be one of the two most potent exponents of dancehall, Mavada is expected to turn on the heat, as Studio 38's relatively laid-back audience takes a walk on the wild side.

Studio 38 has featured such stars as Gregory Isaacs, Beres Hammond, Tarrus Riley, Freddie McGregor, John Holt, Tami Chynn, Uroy, Tanya Stephens, Lady Saw, Tessanne Chin, Ken Boothe, Yellowman, Pinchers, and many others.

For admission

Tickets for Mavado are available at Pulse and Studio 38, both located at the Pulse Centre, 38a Trafalgar Road, New Kingston. Event hotlines are 361-0574 and 960-0049.

Brooks was raised in an area known as 'Cuba', a micro ghetto within the heart of St Andrew's Cassava Piece community. His grandmother gave him his first musical experience at a young age, taking him to church to sing. He also cites the music of Bounty Killer as an early influence. His boyhood idol became his mentor when, at the age of 15, Bounty took him under his wing to show him the ropes of the music industry. He decided to name himself 'Mavado' after the Swiss watch company Movado, altering the spelling.

Debut single

His debut single, Real McKoy on the Anger Management rhythm in 2004, provided him immediate success. He further established himself with the follow-up record Weh Dem a Do, on the Red Bull & Guinness rhythm. After a string of hits in 2005 and 2006, Mavado released the album Gangsta for Life: The Symphony of David Brooks, on July 10, 2007 for VP Records. Whe Dem A Do and Dying, two singles from the album, were featured heavily on R&B/hip-hop radio in New York.

In March 2008, Mavado was featured performing a rendition of his song Real McKoy for 'Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer #4 "Everyone's a Rat'."

Real McKoy, along with Last Night (both from Gangsta for Life), were also featured in the game on the radio station Massive B Radio.

In November 2009, Mavado lost out to Sean Paul for the Best Reggae Artiste award at the Soul Train Music Awards. He won the 2010 Excellence in Music and Entertainment award for Male Singjay of the Year. In April 2010, Mavado starred as a gangster in Drake's song Find Your Love for Drake's album Thank Me Later. Along with Bounty Killer, he has cited 2Pac Shakur as a childhood idol, comparing the late rapper's life to his own.