Mo'Kalamity

Monica Tavares, known professionally as Mo'Kalamity, is a French-Cape Verdean roots reggae singer-songwriter, producer, and composer. She has performed many concerts accompanied by her band, the Wizards.

Biography Born on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde, Monica Tavares and her family moved to France when she was 5 years old to seek better living standards. She grew up in the Paris region, Tavares first began attending concerts after she finished secondary school, through which she fell in love with reggae music. Speaking of this, she said "Not only did I appreciate the rhythm, the groove, but I recognized myself in all these Jamaican artists who, in their lyrics, claimed their African origins. That's what helped to appeal to me: they have always felt proud to be African". Self-taught, she began jamming and writing music while at university (where she studied social anthropology). Her stage name, "Mo'Kalamity", is a portmanteau of her first name ("Mo'") and "Kalamity", derived from Calamity Jane (a figure from the American frontier), which she chose to embody the "militant spirit" in a male-dominated scene with which she seeks to infuse her music. She returned to Cape Verde in 2010 to perform at the Festival de Baía das Gatas on the island of São Vicente.

Artistry Themes found in Tavares' music include African unity and women's rights. She also said that she takes inspiration from African music (especially ), blues, gospel, R&B, and jazz.

Discography Warrior of Lights (2007) Deeper Revolution (2009) Freedom of the Soul (2013) Mo'Kalamity Meets Sly & Robbie – One Love Vibration (2018) Shine (2024)