Michael Davies, popularly known by his stage name Sundaygar Dearboy, is a

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

n singer, songwriter and record producer from Grand Bassa County. He sings primarily in Bassa and Liberian English and has released several studio albums, including ''See Boyee'', ''Don't Live with Woman'' (2007) and ''Rebirth'' (2012). He was named the Liberian Musician of the Year in 2005-2006, and has produced 13 albums to date.

Life and music career

Sundaygar Dearboy was born in District 2, Grand Bassa County, Liberia. He is the father of two and the guardian of several others. Dearboy graduated with a degree in criminal justice from AME Zion College. He is the project manager for Liberia Trading & Investment Company (LINTRACO), one of Liberia's trading groups. Dearboy has a significant following among Liberians in the diaspora, particularly in the United States. Speaking on the challenges currently facing the Liberian music industry, Dearboy said, "Not many local artists listen to other music and try to emulate or learn from them. Plus, the local market is not accustomed to promoting what belongs to them. They prefer something from outside". Dearboy produced "Let Us Vote Ma Ellen", the official campaign song for the Unity Party. The song was released during Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's 2005 presidential campaign. Following the song's release, Dearboy's music career hit a political low for nearly four years. He revived his career by releasing "Bayjay", a song endorsed by the Liberian populace. "Bayjay" won Song of the Year at the 2009 Liberian Entertainment Awards. In 2007, Dearboy released ''Don't Live with Women'', an album that contains the single "Bayjay" and the song "Evil Genius". The album was sponsored by Cellcom and launched at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium. On May 26, 2007, Dearboy performed at UNIBOA's 17th National Convention in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. On June 10, 2012, he released his eight studio album ''Rebirth''. It was distributed by RK Enterprises and features guest appearances from Tupee, Carol Kaifumba and Ghanaian artist Odefor. The album comprises seven songs, including "Gbema", "Zima-Day", and the dancehall track "Monkeh". In June 2013, ''The Inquirer'' newspaper reported that Dearboy and several other musicians criticized and belittled the establishment of the Arts & Culture Council of Liberia. They said the organization does not, in any way, represent the views and aspirations of the Liberian entertainment industry. On December 13, 2013, he and other Liberian musicians performed at the National County Sports Meet (NCSM) official kick off, an event sponsored by the Liberia National Culture Union (LINU) and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT). In 2020, Dearboy collaborated with Takun J, DenG, Tan Tan, Soul Smiter, Odemz, and Amaze to produce the hipco song "Sanitize". The artists released the song in order to raise awareness about Covid-19 and encourage Liberians to practice good hygiene.

NPFL controversy

In 2008, Dearboy admitted to being a member of Charles Taylor's defunct

National Patriotic Front of Liberia The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) was a Liberian rebel group that initiated and participated in the First Liberian Civil War from 1989 to 1996. Leadership The military aspects of NPFL were led by Charles Taylor, a former governme ...

rebel movement. During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) public hearings, Dearboy said he was forcefully enlisted into the NPFL, in 1992, while searching for his girlfriend in Grand Bassa County. Three witnesses stated that Dearboy raped a young woman and murdered several men, women, and children in Grand Bassa County during the civil war. Dearboy denied the accusation leveled against him and expressed penitence for his role in the rebel movement, saying, "The past is what no one is in control of. No one is reading my mind except God. But I want to say if I hurt anyone during the war, I am sorry, very, very sorry from the depth of my heart. I am sorry for whatever role I played during the revolution."

Personal life

In an interview with Radio France Internationale in 2015, Dearboy said 19 members of his family died from the

2014 Ebola outbreak Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an unrele ...

Awards and nominations

Discography

Studio albums

*''See Boyee'' *''Don't Live with Woman'' (2007) *''Rebirth'' (2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dearboy, Sundaygar Liberian songwriters People from Grand Bassa County Liberian rebels Living people Liberian singers Bassa people (Liberia) Year of birth missing (living people)