“This whole project has been an exciting one for me,” Shaggy admitted. “Sting is like a brother I didn’t know I had. This whole tour came out of love, rapport, and positive energy. We just completed the European leg of the tour, and that went really well. In the first three songs, people don’t know what to expect, since on paper it feels like an odd combination, but it is not as odd as it is.”
Shaggy continued, “Sting has always done reggae, and he has a love for the music, so we connected on that. We have a great friendship. We want to put smiles on people’s faces just like we did in Europe. When people come to the concert for the first three songs, they might look a bit confused, but by the third song, they will blend in. So much of our great collaboration comes with our rapport and energy. I want people to come out and check the tour.”
When asked about his personal favorite song on their joint 44/876 album, Shaggy said, “Some days, I like ‘To Love and Be Loved’ and other days, I like ‘Dreaming In the U.S.A.’ and of course, ‘Gotta Get Back My Baby.’ It varies each day. This album has a feel-good vibe. We really needed a platform to say something. It has a reggae, feel-good and summer vibe.”
“The 44/876 Tour” is produced by RZO Entertainment, and it is promoted by Live Nation Global Touring. It will kick off on September 14 at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, and it will wrap up on October 16 at Harrah’s Resort South California in Funner, California.
On September 26, Sting and Shaggy will be bringing their tour to The Rooftop at Pier 17, located in the Seaport District NYC. “The fans in New York should wear comfortable shoes,” he said, about their forthcoming show at Pier 17. “You are going to dance. There is a catalog of Sting songs and a catalog of Shaggy songs. We both have some monsters and we will be doing songs together as duets, and we will do each other’s songs. You are getting all of the hits and songs from the new album.”
On this tour, Sting and Shaggy will be joined by such musicians as guitarist Dominic Miller, drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Rufus Miller, all of which are from Sting’s band; moreover, it will feature members from Shaggy’s band such as Melissa Musique and Gene Noble on background vocals and keyboard player Kevon Webster.
Regarding the impact of technology on the music business, Shaggy said, “It is ever-changing. We are fighting to stay into it. There is no formula for longevity. I always look for the element of surprise. When it comes to iTunes and Spotify, those are challenges for us. We are somehow managing to stay relevant. We are two artists, and we are not in our 20’s, but we have somehow kept our audience.”
Shaggy shared that he and Sting played two shows in Greece this summer, which was “amazing.” “Greece is lovely,” he admitted. “We ended up going to Mykonos. It was a good experience. I love that place,” he said.
For aspiring singer-songwriters, Shaggy said, “You can either do what is popular right now or you can make timeless music. If you go the route that makes classic, timeless music, it’s going to be a harder route, but the rewards are way better. You can go ahead and follow the trends, and you might get a record that works, but will it be a classic and will it last 10 to 20 years? You can’t turn on the news these days, without hearing ‘It Wasn’t Me’ or ‘Angel’ or any of these records. We play Sting’s ‘Roxanne’ and it hits you every night”
Shaggy shared that he would love to someday do a collaboration with such female recording artists as Cardi B and Selena Gomez since he is a fan of their musical work. “I like Cardi B and Selena Gomez,” he said. “I am entertained by a lot of female artists.”
Their collaborative album 44/876 is available on all digital retailers. “We were going to call it ‘Joint Venture’ but that was a little risky,” he said, with a laugh. “We decided to go with 44/876. It captured the mood and the vibe of it, being two guys from two different backgrounds.”
A Jamaican music superstar, Shaggy defined the word success simply as “happiness.” “It is not material, success is not represented through accolades either, it is about enjoying what you do. Sting told me the other day that this has been the best tour of his whole life, and that blew me away. He told me that this is ‘the happiest he has been playing music.’ I was surprised to hear that. We both do this because we enjoy the music.”
For a complete listing of Sting and Shaggy’s North American tour dates, check out Sting’s official website.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Sting and Shaggy’s animated music video for “Just One Lifetime.”
