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Maddzart.........The Music In The Man


When I heard his ever popular song “King Road” on the radio, I thought to myself, this guy might be on to something and then my next reaction was to obviously macco. Recently EM had the opportunity to interview one of the newest sensations to come out of the Island of St. Vincent, Maddzart. Now although he may appear to be new to the industry, it is quite the opposite. I must add that Zart (as I am now allowed to call him) is quite the joker and did not ease me up during this interview. St. Vincent stand up! Again.....

Entertainment Macco: Who is Maddzart?
Maddzart: “I am just a human with the same feelings and problems as any other but am known for my entertainment work. I am currently the reigning roadmarch monarch of St. Vincent.”

Entertainment Macco: What is your given name?
Maddzart: “Raeon Primus”

Entertainment Macco: Explain the sobriquet for me? What is the significance?
Maddzart: “Madd is basically because I am a mad man, my position on most world and social issues and even matters of the heart is normally contrary to that of the world. The Zart came from Mozart one of the greatest classical musicians, I love classical music I grew up exposed to it in all them tom and jerry cartoons not knowing what I was listening too, I believe I am Mozart reincarnated as Maddzart.”

Entertainment Macco: Your Date of Birth and sign please...
Maddzart: “24th November 1978. Saggitarius...Hau!”

Entertainment Macco: Now, you are new eye candy on the block; it comes with the territory, so I have to ask, are you single/in a relationship/married?
Maddzart: “Legally single but have a special young lady for the past few months and we are moving fast.”

Entertainment Macco: What about children, do you have any? Any plans?
Maddzart: “I don’t think so.... I plan on having, I am a few  years behind on that, but I have to find the right lady to do that with. My mom is a single mom and I am not looking to put any woman through that even though my mom managed great I never felt like a dad was missing, she did it all including the daddy style beating.”

Entertainment Macco: How long have you been involved in the entertainment industry?
Maddzart: “Been entertaining for 32 years but I have been in the industry for about 25 years....However I been in Soca for a little over 11 years.”
Entertainment Macco: How many songs have you written, recorded and released?
 Maddzart: “Over a 100 written and recorded and releases....”
Entertainment Macco: Is that legal? J/K
Maddzart:  “Yah I do an average of 10 songs per year in carnival, collaborations and all that.”

Entertainment Macco: I understand that the original chanter on Kevin Lyttle’s Turn me on was you, is that correct?
Maddzart: “Yes.”
Entertainment Macco: What happened though, no one seemed to know this, and instead we all saw Spranger Benz....explain that to me
Maddzart: “Me and Kevin had 2 different directions at the time, we were never a team his management probably did what they thought was in the best interest of the song at the time for marketing reasons but it was never a case of me and Kevin having any falling out we good up until this day, we speak all the time.”

Entertainment Macco: I understand you are part of a band? Tell me about that...
Maddzart:  “I own a band! What I have is the Madd Symphony the idea is to be like a Broadway show like "cats" we present this ongoing show every Carnival... it is consisted of the front line performers myself Dlanlord and Tamisha we call the musician RHUM Ridiculously High Under Music those elements and our crew come together to form  Maddzart & the Madd symphony again the classical music in me (smiley face)”

Entertainment Macco: Now....You were heavily involved in Dancehall, how did you end up singing Soca?
Maddzart: “On the local scene yah..I used to be the MC  for a sound system similar to what Tony Matterhorn does.”
 “Some jumbie probably! One day we were in the studio and we were playing Sisqo's “Thong Song” and i was like hmmm I’m going to make a Soca. With that I went to Adrian Bailey the "Turn me on" producer and told him yow record this tune for me, and he put it on his band album it was a hit off the bat, I came second in Soca Monarch that year and it gave me my first ticket out of SVG "Town Song"

Entertainment Macco: Tell me about some of your career achievements thus far...
Maddzart: “In 2009 won Raga Soca Monarch, in 2010 I came 3rd in Raga Soca Monarch and 3rd Soca Monarch and Road March.”

Entertainment Macco: Your popularity has trickled over to Trinidad and Tobago, how did the song King Road come about? What was the thought process behind it?
Maddzart: “MY CAPITAL is Kingstown so everything in the town belongs to the King; the road, the truck, buildings etc belong to the King and carnival is held in Kingstown, that’s the idea but the inspiration to do that song came from my drummer”
Entertainment Macco: So you trying to tell me this song has no double meaning?
Maddzart: “Well arrmmmmmmmmmmmmmm no I was shocked when people were taking it for double meaning.....”

Entertainment Macco: Now that you are enjoying the success of your runaway hit, King Road, tell me did you expect the success you are enjoying right now?
Maddzart: “To be honest when an artiste put his or her work together you dream at the highest but still you are always surprised at the success, is like a  good horror movie you see it over and over and you still feel the suspense and bite your nails every time”

Entertainment Macco: When and how did you find out that you were receiving tremendous airplay in Trinidad and Tobago?
Maddzart: “During my carnival from a UWI student via email then I got a face book message from a friend in the army in Germany who was listening to RED 96.7. Just after that Trini Dj’s started finding me during the summer and the rest is history”
Entertainment Macco: What was your initial reaction?
Maddzart:Absolutely stunned and excited.”

Entertainment Macco: Have you been trying to get your music played in Trinidad? If so how easy or hard has it been?
Maddzart: “I think I was hoping more than trying, never really made a huge attempt at it, I always believed that when I came Trini first I wanna come extra good......”

Entertainment Macco: What other genres do you enjoy singing/writing/performing?
Maddzart: “Dancehall, Reggae, I recorded a few beautiful pieces. I listen to other types of music as well and add them to my band repertoire from time to time for colour”

Entertainment Macco: Now I know that most artiste consider Trinidad the mecca of carnival, how do you feel about that?
Maddzart: “By far...undoubtedly the Mecca of carnival..... It embodies international carnival.”

Entertainment Macco: There is a song that you did that just really caught my attention “Poor People Anthem”..... Tell me a little about the thought process behind this track.
Maddzart: “That’s the song I won the first Ragga Soca Monarch with. I created that song a day while walking to the studio. I designed the lyrics and melody in my head and then went to the studio and created the music. It came from a natural place.”
Entertainment Macco: Explain this natural place...
Maddzart: “I mean a lot of it is what I have seen, been close to or experienced, I know that life. My mom went through a lot with me even as a baby she was literally homeless with me in her arms. But even without fortunes she spoilt me.”
Entertainment Macco: Later on the track was remixed with Bunji, what initiated that decision, Why Bunji?
Maddzart: Well firstly, Bunji when he came to St Vincent and we met he expressed great appreciation for that song and secondly Bunji’s image defines the defender of the poor in my opinion so it was not a hard decision to make. I made one phone call, flew him in and that’s it.”
Entertainment Macco: Zart (since I am allowed to call you that) “Whyne Pon Me” was released around the same time as King Road, why do you think it has not reached to the masses like King Road?
Maddzart: “I defended my Ragga Soca Monarch crown with “Wine Pon Me”. I think “King Road” is peoples’ love for that song for what they get out of it they get to misbehave in ways they never got to before and it created a whole new way of saying things.”

Entertainment Macco: Ok...so this is my final questions on your releases (for the while) because there is so much that I want to get out of you. How did the remix with Shurwayne Winchester come about and why did you pick him?
Maddzart: “My manager and my host in Trinidad were going to handle my business and I was not in the mood so I stayed home, when they return they told me that Shurwyne was interested in doing the remix etc and the rest is history, he did a great job.”

Entertainment Macco: What is the difference between Maddzart on stage and the Maddzart offstage?
Maddzart: “I am a Saggitarius haha... my sign is half animal, half human. The animal is on stage and off stage I am shy and extremely humble, I hate attention offstage.”

Entertainment Macco: Is there anything else that you enjoy doing other than music? Please share...
Maddzart: “Playing cards, I love a lot of alone time, I love heckling people and I make jokes out of the most serious situation. I don’t ponder on problems; I think about what can be done to fix it; if it can’t be fixed move on.”

Entertainment Macco: Can you compare the Vincentian music industry to the Trinidadian industry, what are some of the similarities?
Maddzart: “We both have vibes and it is represented in our music. The culture is the same for sure usually what is the Vincy hit song is normally a hit song in Trini also, for example Kevin little, Godfrey Dublin, Skinny, Problem Child, Becket, Scorher.”


Entertainment Macco: So now that St. Vincent's carnival is quickly approaching, tell me about some of your plans and releases?
Maddzart: “Basically you know Carnival in St. Vincent is different to carnival in Trinidad and the market is different, so you know we don’t put things too much in black and white in terms of going forward in terms of releases. We put out songs and see what direction they head in and then how far apart, the next release will be.”

Entertainment Macco: How is your most recent track "Hello Bumper" being received? 
Maddzart: “For all intent and purposes that basically was geared towards a particular niche, when them ladies come out carnival Monday, Tuesday, Jouvert in the fete or whatever to behave wassi and the response has been from the females has been all thumbs up so far. I have been receiving a lot of feedback so far and you know whatever the females love men love because wherever the gyal them there we there too. The track has been paving the way for what else is there to come”

Entertainment Macco: Where else can you be seen during the upcoming months, as far as bookings are concerned?
Maddzart: “Normally I tend to remain exclusive to Vincy mas and carnival home between the periods May to early July. I like to dedicate that 2 months to home and performances at home, however I think management informed me about something brewing in London in June. I am not so sure what will happen as far as accepting because we have some important things happening at home but we will see.”

Entertainment Macco: Do you plan on taking part in competition at home this year?
Maddzart: “Competition is never really a major part of how I go into carnival, when I say competitions I mean Calypso monarch or Soca monarch etcetera. I don’t really go into the studio thinking about that, I want to come out with the best product and the best song, making sure everything is right and the people love the music regardless of if I am in formal competitions. I cannot tell you what I will be doing as yet as far as competitions go.”
Entertainment Macco: What would you like to be recognized for?
Maddzart: “Making a change socially and politically on earth.”

Entertainment Macco: What are you complimented about the most?
Maddzart: “Physically my dreads and probably my lips - most girls just wanna abuse them...”

Entertainment Macco: What is Sexy to you?
Maddzart: “Innocence is sexy, i mean a well clothed inexperienced look is good...not the putting it out there look. Ladies need to allow men to make use of the naughty mind we were born with, let us think and imagine”

Entertainment Macco: What quality do you admire most in the opposite sex?
Maddzart: “Honesty and physically nice teeth..”

Entertainment Macco:  What is it that separates you from others in the industry?
Maddzart: “I am well rounded I do everything, produce, arrange, perform, play instruments, sing, manage, write, mix and master and the list goes on.”

Entertainment Macco: What is the best advice you ever received and from whom?
Maddzart: “My granny - Do good and good will follow you, she is blind and just turned 96 a couple weeks ago.”

Entertainment Macco: How can interested parties find you?
Maddzart: “Facebook and Twitter”
Entertainment Macco: Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge?
Maddzart: “My band members, family, fans and supporters and everyone... It is hard to call all the names...the list is going to be so long....but my fans are the water in my rain....”

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2 Responses
  1. gravatar Anonymous

    Great interview!!!

  2. gravatar Anonymous

    Good job EM and all the best to Maddzart....

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