Madcon
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Madcon | |
|---|---|
 Wolde-Mariam (left) and Baqwa in May 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Oslo,Norway |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Website | Madcon official website |
Madconis aNorwegianmusical duo formed in 1992 byYosef Wolde-MariamandTshawe Baqwa.They have released eight albums as of 2018, and became known for their 2007 cover of the 1967 song "Beggin'"byThe Four Seasons.They took their name from the phrase "mad conspiracy".[1]
Members
[edit]Yosef Wolde-Mariam
[edit]Yosef Wolde-Mariam (born August 4, 1978) is anEthiopian-Norwegian TV presenter and rapper. His parents were from Ethiopia andEritrea.
Wolde-Mariam grew up inGrefsen,Norway with his mother, moving many times, living inRøyken,Grønland,Grünerløkka,andBekkelaget.
In 2012, he was a mentor on the Norwegian version ofThe Voice,known asThe Voice: Norges beste stemme,broadcast on the "TV 2"Norwegian television channel.[2][3]
Tshawe Baqwa
[edit]Tshawe Baqwa (born January 6, 1980, inSaarbrücken,Germany) is aSouth African-German-Norwegian rapper and TV presenter.[4]
In 1994, Baqwa moved to South Africa with his parents when he was 14 years old, in the wake of thecountry's first democratic general election,eventually going back to Norway for a musical career.
In 2007, Baqwa took part and won the third season of the Norwegian dance contestSkal vi danse?(lit. "Shall we dance?" ), broadcast on "TV 2" Norwegian TV channel: although the judges ultimately favored finalistMona Grudt,Baqwa won by public vote. He also performed as a voice-over artist in the 2011 filmRio,playing the character Nico.
Career
[edit]Madcon released their first single, "God Forgive Me", in 2000 forVirgin Records,but their first commercial breakthrough came with the hit single "Barcelona" in 2002, which they issued with long-time collaboratorsPaperboyson the "Bonnier Amigo" record label, a division ofCosmos Music Group,headquartered inStockholm,Sweden.
In 2004, the duo released their first official album,It's All a Madcon,through AA-Recordings/Bonnier Amigo label, for which they won a Norwegian Grammy and several other awards.
In 2005, Madcon became a TV personality on the Nordic music channel "The Voice" while working on their music in the studio[citation needed].The show "The Voice of Madcon", a behind-the-scenes look at the duo, was a great success for both Madcon and the network.
In the autumn of 2007, Baqwa was invited to take part in the popular TV talent showSkal vi danse?,the Norwegian version ofStrictly Come Dancing,eventually winning that year's series, the third season of the TV program[citation needed].Their second album,So Dark, The Con of Man,was released on December 3, 2007: in the United Kingdom, it reached number 137 on the album charts, and in Norway was certified gold in 3 hours and platinum in 3 days. The LP featured the soul singerNoora Noorand their friends "Paperboys" on two songs[citation needed].
In 2007, the duo released a cover version of the 1967 song "Beggin'"byThe Four Seasons,earning the group several #1 chart positions in France, Portugal, Norway, and Russia and a global position of #2 on the EuropeanBillboardHot 100chart. This version of the song reached also gold sales in the United States. In addition, they achieved 9× platinum in Norway and were No. 1 on the official Norwegian sales charts for 12 weeks, making "Beggin'" one of the biggest hits of all time in Norway. This cover of the song was created by3Elementz(nowELEMENT), who also produced the eponymous single of the album, "So Dark, The Con of Man".
Madcon led the World Music Awards on November 10, 2008, and won the World's Best Selling Norwegian Artist Award. After several negotiations, their label Bonnier Amigo signed a licensing agreement withSony BMGfor Central Europe, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, withUniversal Republicin the U.S., withWarner Musicin Spain, and withJust Musicin South Africa. Madcon has also hosted the Norwegian version ofDon't Forget the Lyrics!,Kan du Teksten?,on the Norwegian television channel "TV 2".
The duo's third album,Inconvenient Truth,was released all over Europe in early-to-mid 2009 and was also produced by "ELEMENT"; the group also saw other major releases, including in the U.S., Japan, and Australia.
Madcon performed their song "Glow" as the background of the "Eurovision 2010 Flashmob Dance", broadcast in theEurovision Song Contest 2010interval act. The single became one of the biggest hits of all time in Norway, reaching more than 10× platinum status in Norway and the same certification in Germany; also this recording was produced by ELEMENT.[5]They reached platinum status also with their 2010 hit single "Freaky Like Me",featuringAmeerahand produced by Dutch musicianDreamRoc'a,also known asSha Arjang ShishegarorTJ Oosterhuis;"Freaky Like Me" is the group's third biggest international hit.
In 2011, the duo was awarded the International Band of the Year during the "ESKA Music Awards 2011" inPoland.[6]
In 2012, Madcon was referred to as "moccha men" during the ceremony ofSpellemannsprisen,a Norwegian award for musicians; the comment was apparently made as an inoffensive joke, but was perceived as racist at some level. They wrote on "SoMe" the next day that the case had now been settled and closed.[7]In 2012, Wolde-Mariam was a mentor on the Norwegian version ofThe Voice,known asThe Voice: Norges beste stemme,a TV program also broadcast on TV 2.
In 2015, Madcon released the songDon't WorryfeaturingRay Dalton.
Films and television series featuring Madcon's cover of "Beggin'"
[edit]Madcon's cover of the song "Beggin'" was also used in the moviesStep Up 3,Street Dance 3D,Just Go With It,and the theatrical trailer forBad Teacher.It was sung by Philip Phillips onAmerican Idolin 2012 and by Bill Downs and Max Milner in the battle rounds ofThe Voice UKseries 1.[8][9]
In 2021, Madcon appeared on the Norwegiantelevision seriesExitduring the 7th episode of the second season, portraying a musical duo invited to play at an open-air party. They are heard performing, among other songs, their cover of "Beggin'".
Musical styles
[edit]
Madcon describes their musical style as a retro-urban mix with influences fromsoul,funk,andhip hop,with additional elements fromAfrican,Latin,andreggaemusic.[10]
Discography
[edit]- It's All a Madcon(2004)
- So Dark the Con of Man(2007)
- An InCONvenient Truth(2008)
- Contraband(2010)
- Contakt(2012)
- Icon(2013)
- Contakt Vol. 2(2018)
References
[edit]- ^"Madcon: 'Beggin'".13 August 2008.
- ^Kjendis.no Yosef takker kona AmminaArchived2015-12-02 at theWayback Machine(in Norwegian)
- ^Aftenposten:Nå handler det om oss!(in Norwegian)
- ^Aftenposten:Nå handler det om oss!(in Norwegian)
- ^"ELEMENT".RetrievedApril 26,2015.
- ^"Alexis Jordan received the first prize".May 29, 2011.RetrievedMay 29,2011.
- ^https://www.nettavisen.no/livsstil/spellemann-skandalene-overraskende-klining-rasismeanklager-og-nakensjokk/s/5-95-457377.Nettavisen.no
- ^"Bill Downs Vs Max Milner: Battle Performance".April 21, 2012.RetrievedApril 26,2015.
- ^"Madcon – the Vogue".
- ^"Madcon Official Myspace page"Retrieved on 31 October 2010
External links
[edit]
- Official site
- Discogs page
- Daily Music Guide "Beggin'" review
- Liar (single) review
- Glow (Their single performed during the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- Norwegian hip hop groups
- Norwegian synthpop groups
- Norwegian electronic music groups
- Norwegian dance music groups
- Norwegian pop music groups
- World Music Awards winners
- Spellemannprisen winners
- Bonnier Amigo Music Group artists
- Musical groups established in 1992
- 1992 establishments in Norway
- Musical groups from Oslo
- Hip hop duos
- Norwegian musical duos