Ophlin Russell (born on 2 January 1962), better known as Sister Nancy (or Muma Nancy), is a Jamaican

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

DJ and singer. She is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a "dominating female voice for over two decades" on the

scene. One of her most famous songs is " Bam Bam", labeled as a "well-known reggae anthem" by

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

and a "classic" by ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''.

Career

Born in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, Russell was one of 15 siblings.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, Her elder brother, Robert, is better known as

Brigadier Jerry Robert Russell (born 28 September 1957), better known by the stage name Brigadier Jerry is a Jamaican dancehall reggae deejay known for his "cultural" lyrics. Biography Brigadier Jerry, often nicknamed "Briggy" and "The General", was born in ...

, and by her mid-teens, she would occasionally perform on the

Twelve Tribes of Israel The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, throu ...

soundsystem ''Jahlovemuzik'' sound system that she worked with, and worked for three years on the Stereophonic sound system with

General Echo Earl Anthony Robinson (8 December 1955 – 22 November 1980), better known as General Echo, a.k.a. Ranking Slackness, was one of the first reggae deejays to move away from 'cultural' lyrics towards 'slackness' (risqué or sexually explicit lyri ...

.Lesser, Beth (2008) ''Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture'', Soul Jazz, , p. 62 Sister Nancy was born in a conservative household in Kingston. She was expected to perform conservative duties such as being an elder of the community and promote socially conservative values such as staying in the household, be drug-free, and family oriented. Early on, she rebelled against her traditional values and followed her brother Brigadier Jerry in DJing. She was repeatedly dissuaded from DJing and encouraged to pursue Christian music by her father. When she was a teenager, she got into

Dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

. She was the only girl to show up to dance. The family norms did not appeal to her and she ran away from home for months at a time. Nancy followed DJ Junior Chalice around Jamaica and in St. Thomas was given a chance by him to DJ. She is quoted from an interview as saying, "Me never nervous again after that. That was 15. When I was 16 I say, 'Alright, I go step up me thing.'" In 1980, producer

Winston Riley Winston Riley (14 May 1943 – 19 January 2012) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and record producer. The ''Jamaica Gleaner'' notes he was one of the most successful reggae producers.

was the first to take her into the studio, resulting in her first single, "Papa Dean" for his Techniques label. Russell-Myers went on to perform at ''

Reggae Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, befo ...

'', making her the first female deejay ever to perform there, and she is also the first female Jamaican deejay to tour internationally. She had further success with singles such as "One Two", "Money Can't Buy Me Love", "Transport Connection" and "Bam Bam". Her debut album, ''One Two'' was released in 1982. She went on to work with producer

Henry "Junjo" Lawes Henry "Junjo" Lawes (1960 in Kingston, Jamaica – 13 June 1999 in London, England) was a highly influential Jamaican record producer and a sound engineer. Biography Born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, Jamaica, Lawes began working ...

, recording "A No Any Man Can Test Sister Nancy", "Bang Belly", and a collaboration with

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

, "Jah Mek Us Fe A Purpose". She continued to appear live, sometimes on ''Jahlove Music'' with her brother. The sound system toured internationally, with both Sister Nancy and Brigadier Jerry making their debut UK performances at the

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

Town Hall,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1982. Despite his first album being released after hers, Sister Nancy claims her brother as her main inspiration and supporter. His stage presence and voice projection have clearly influenced Sister Nancy's work and career. Aspects of his rolling vocal pattern, sing jay style, expressive performances, and culturally conscious lyrics are found in much of Sister Nancy's music. Much like her brother, she also focuses on cultural issues and has a spiritual tone as well in many of her tracks. Unlike his sister however, Brigadier Jerry was never really able to capture his exceptional live performances on a recorded track that was on par. Today he still puts out the occasional single and tours somewhat regularly. In 1996, she relocated to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. In an interview with ''The Jamaica Observer'' in 2002, Russell said that although she was working in the banking sector, that "music is erfirst love" and said she still performs "every now and then". She explained that her absence from the recording scene was due to her wanting to "give other female artists a chance", though she said she was still "as ready as the first day hecame into the business". ''

'' cited Russell a role model for a successive generation of female acts, including Lady Saw, Sister Carol, Macka Diamond, Lady G, Shelly Thunder, Carla Marshall, Lorna G, Lady English, and Lady P. In 2007, Russell released the second of her two albums, ''Sister Nancy Meets Fireproof'', produced by djMush1, formerly of the Slackers (NYC Ska) on Special Potato Records. The album was distributed by Jammyland Records in New York, NY. The album features four original compositions, as well as four instrumental versions of the aforementioned songs. In 2011, Sister Nancy did an interview where she stated that it's harder now for women to make it in the field of music. When asked why, she said it's because "Maybe because there weren’t so many female artists out and men respected the women." This seems to agree with Cooper that dancehall music liberated women from "repressive respectability and conservative gender ideologies." Rastawomen singers are free to act and say as they please on stage. Upon its original release, "Bam Bam" never really caught on in Jamaica but has been a fixture in other genres of music ever since. While the song was originally recorded in 1966 by

Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...

, it is Sister Nancy's version that is so often sampled in various genres. R. Henry Gordon, N. N. McCarthy and Frederick "Toots" Hibbert hold the copyright to the original version of the song, but were never compensated royalties for use of the song by Sister Nancy or any artist who sampled her cover.R. Henry Gordon, N. N. McCarthy & Frederick Hibbert (1978) "ABC reggae & 260 other titles. (Part 001 of 002)", United States Copyright Office, Document Number V1700P105 In 2016 Sister Nancy retired from being a bank accountant in New Jersey so she could pursue music and performing. She recently played at

Rebel Salute Rebel Salute is an annual music festival held in Jamaica. It is held on January 15 of every year, the birthday of promoter Tony Rebel. It is one of Jamaica's biggest music festivals, known for its focus on roots and conscious music. Rebel began the ...

2017 in Jamaica in January as well as played at

Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn Bowl is a music venue, bowling alley and restaurant in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2009, it is located in the former Hecla Iron Works Building at 61 Wythe Avenue. It is known for its high-tech green co ...

in New York on 25 May 2017. In her interview with

HOT 97 WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared service ...

she stated that she plans to do more shows in the coming future.

Collaborations and samples

Sister Nancy collaborated with

Thievery Corporation Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bo ...

on the song "Originality" for the 2006 compilation album ''Versions''. She also collaborated with

DJ /rupture Jace Clayton, better known as DJ /rupture, is a New York-based American DJ, writer and interdisciplinary artist. In addition to his music, Clayton has established a blog identity with musical and non-musical posts on his website, "mudd up!". His ...

and

Kid 606 Miguel Trost De Pedro (born July 27, 1979), better known by his stage name Kid606, is an electronic musician who was raised in San Diego and later moved to San Francisco. He is most closely associated with the glitch, IDM, hardcore techno and b ...

on the
Little More Oil
single in 2006.Kid606, DJ Rupture & Sister Nancy - Little More Oil
Soul Jazz Records Sister Nancy's classic "Bam Bam" has been re-recorded and sampled over 80 times since its release in 1982 including: * "Bam" featuring

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

on the

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

album '' 4:44'' (2017). * "

Famous Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...

" by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

on the album ''

The Life of Pablo ''The Life of Pablo'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in It ...

'' (2016). * Unknown track by

Main Source Main Source was an East Coast hip hop group based in New York City/Toronto, composed of Toronto-born DJs and producers, K-Cut and Sir Scratch, and Queens MC and producer Large Professor. Later, another Queens MC, Mikey D (Michael Deering), repla ...

in 1996. * Canadian producer RCola brought Sister Nancy into

Liondub Erik Weiss (born 12 November 1973), better known by his stage name Liondub, is an American DJ, producer, and record label owner who specializes in jungle, drum and bass, reggae, dancehall, hip hop and dubstep. Career 1991–2003 Liondub began ...

's studio to re-sing her classic "Bam Bam", released in 2007 as a

drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

dancefloor remix
A What A Bam Bam (Remixes)
on 12" vinyl with

Division One The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

remix on the AA side. * In 2007, Sister Nancy voiced a dubplate of her "Bam Bam" with new lyrics for

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Sm ...

/drum and bass DJ Tester. * Canadian/American producer Krinjah published a 12" vinyl single
Bam Bam (Remix)
in 2001, which helped start off the ragga-jungle revival in North America.

Personal life

She worked as an accountant at a bank in New Jersey and is now currently retired from the profession.Nancy's b'day fest for Queens
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 2 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014

Discography

EP

* ''Armageddon'' (2021)

Albums

* ''

One, Two ''One, Two'' is a 1982 album by Sister Nancy. Originally issued on LP record, vinyl, it was reissued on compact disc in 1992. Track listing #"One Two" #"I Am A Geddion" #"Aint No Stopping Nancy" #"Gwan A School" #"Coward Of The Country" #"Bam B ...

'' (1982) Techniques * '' The Yellow, The Purple & The Nancy'' (1982)

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fol ...

(with

, Fathead, and Purpleman) * ''Sister Nancy Meets Fireproof'' (2001) Special Potato Records (with djMush1 aka Jeremy Mushlin)

Singles

* "One Two" Techniques * " Bam Bam" Techniques * "Transport Connection" Techniques * "Proud a We" (1982) Techniques * "King and Queen" (1982) AMCO (Yellowman & Sister Nancy) * "No Dun And Put Dun" Digital B * "Deh Yah Long Time" Digital B * "Little More Oil" (2004) Soul Jazz (with DJ /rupture and Kid 606) * "Papa Dean" Techniques * "Solid Has a Rock" Techniques * "Dance Pon Your Corner" Volcano * "Originality" (2006) Thievery Corporation * "Love Jah" King Jammy's * "Fool Say in His Heart" Easy Star Records * "Ting Mi Dis a Come" African Stars * "Muma is Coming" Shocking Vibes * "Ram Dance Daughta" Shocking Vibes * "Chalice" Volcano * "Roof Over Mi Head" * "Ain't no Stopping Nancy" One Two

Compilation appearances

* ''A Dee-Jay Explosion (Inna Dance Hall Style)''

Heartbeat A heartbeat is one cardiac cycle of the heart. Heartbeat, heart beat, heartbeats, and heart beats may refer to: Computing *Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system *Heartbeat, clus ...

- live album recorded in 1982 includes "One Two" (Sister Nancy & Lee Van Cliff)

References

External links

Sister Nancy at Roots Archives

Sister Nancy at ReggaeID
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sister Nancy 1962 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican emigrants to the United States 20th-century Jamaican women singers 21st-century Jamaican women singers Singers from New Jersey Jamaican dancehall musicians Jamaican reggae singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers