The Black Madonna

Born Marea Stamper in 1977, American producer The Blessed Madonna is regarded as one of the most innovative DJ acts of her generation, thanks to her masterful blend of techno, house, and new wave, and her vibrant, high-energy live shows. She is also known for her humanitarian work and defence of LGBT rights. Hailing from rural Kentucky, Stamper became infatuated with electronic music in her teenage years and supported herself by selling mixtapes at underground raves. She started DJing at the college radio station of Louisville University, where she majored in English, and began working with Chicago-based label Dust Traxx shortly after her graduation. Known back then as Lady Foursquare, Stamper changed her alias to The Black Madonna and made her official debut with Alright This Morning in 2012, whose modest success prompted a residency at Smartbar. She was eventually named creative director of the venue, a position she used to promote inclusiveness within the electronic music scene, namely through the program DAPHNE: A Women's Movement in Dance Music. Following the success of the EP Lady of Sorrows in 2013, Stamper launched her We Still Believe label with 2016’s “He Is the Voice I Hear” as first single. A sold-out residency at London’s XOYO club ensued in 2017, after which she relocated to The Big Smoke and issued a series of remixes for pop divas Dua Lipa, Georgia, and Robyn. Amidst the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Stamper decided to change her stage name to The Blessed Madonna. That same year, she remixed Dua Lipa’s Club Future Nostalgia album, which featured the single “Levitating” with Missy Elliott and Madonna.