Description
Flamengo, whose real name is Fabrice Virayie, is a reggae singer, songwriter, and producer from New Caledonia. He grew up in the Pierre-Lenquette neighborhood of Nouméa and began his musical journey in the early 1990s with other musicians from his neighborhood. His repertoire is primarily based on roots reggae accompanied by socially conscious lyrics.
One of his first documented albums is Legalize Us, released in 1996 by Mangrove Productions. It notably includes the track "Système," presented by the label as one of the first songs to have helped introduce Flamengo to New Caledonia. The digital credits attribute the writing and composition of this track to Fabrice Virayie.
In 1997, Peace & Respect United Nations was released, recorded with MCDJ Mangrove Productions. The album was created with reggae musicians met after opening for Tonton David in Nouméa. The album includes ten tracks, among them Welcome, Positif, People Vanuatu, Hey! Babylone, Roots, and Respect.
Flamengo then devoted a significant portion of his time to organizing concerts and festivals. In a 2012 interview with Reggae.fr, he explained that he organized the first Reggae Sunsplash festival in New Caledonia in 2001. The event later became known as the Musikaly Festival. He also mentioned having worked on organizing numerous concerts in the Pacific region.
In 2012, he released Kanaky–Kingston, which had also previously been released in New Caledonia under the title Flamengo Inna De Yard. The album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, notably at Tuff Gong Studios. It features several Jamaican musicians, including drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace and bassist Flabba Holt. U-Roy, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths also contribute to some tracks.
The songs on Kanaky–Kingston address, among other things, the social difficulties faced in New Caledonia, the need for action rather than just talk, and Flamengo's connection to Jamaica. The track "Kingston" features Judy Mowatt, while Marcia Griffiths contributes to "Mrs Darling" and U-Roy to "Bla Bla."
In 2020, Flamengo self-produced the album Mais pourquoi?. This includes seven tracks: Djena, with Jimmy Véa and Kasspa, Hypocrisie, with Edou, Président, Pense love, One Tree, One Day, One Destiny, with Israel Vibration, Je dis oui and a new release from Système.
In 2022, Flamengo celebrated thirty years of their career with concerts in Paris and then New Caledonia. This anniversary was the subject of a report published by Reggae.fr in January 2023.
Throughout his career, Flamengo has combined his musical activity with event organization and the dissemination of social messages. His work is primarily rooted in reggae, with collaborations in New Caledonia, France, and Jamaica.
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