Mavado

dancehall

''David Constantine Brooks''' (born November 30, 1981), better known by his stage name '''Mavado''', is a Jamaican musician, actor, DJ and music producer. Brooks was raised in an area known as Cuban, a micro ghetto within the heart of Kingston, Jamaica's Cassava Piece community. His grandmother gave him his first musical experience at a young age, bringing him to church to sing. He also cites the music of Bounty Killer as an early influence. The 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. His debut single, Real McKoy on the Anger Management riddim in 2004, provided him instant success.He further established himself with the follow-up record “Weh Dem a Do”, on the Red Bull & Guinness riddim. After a string of hits in 2005 and 2006, Mavado released the album ''Gangsta for Life: The Symphony of David Brooks'' July 10, 2007 on VP Records. Weh Dem A Do and Dying, two singles from the album, were featured heavily on R&B/hip-hop radio in New York. That same year brought Mavado off-stage controversy, as he was arrested and booked by Jamaican police on what was later revealed to be gun charges. While in police custody, the singer claims he was thrown into a glass window, losing three fingers in the process, which were reattached at a local hospital. Police claimed Mavado escaped from custody while ...