Michelle Downer (born 1 April 1978), commonly known as ''D'Angel'', is a Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

singer, actress, model, and brand ambassador. She has also given motivational speeches. In 2017, she released ''No Worries'' with

Spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

. ''The Gleaner'' calls her the First Lady of

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 Ro ...

Biography

Born in

Spanish Town, Jamaica Spanish Town ( jam, label= Jamaican Creole, Panish Tong) is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and British capital of Jamaica from 1534 until 1872. T ...

, Downer sang in high school, modeled internationally in the 1990s, and returned home to Jamaica in 2002. D'Angel has an associate degree in Accounting and Management. She considers 2004 and 2005 to be her "breakout years," according to ''

The Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to '' ...

''. D’Angel had a celebrity marriage to singer,

Beenie Man Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Musi ...

, in 2006 and they recorded the single ''One Man'' together. D'Angel and Beenie Man had a son together and split up in 2010, later reunited in 2011. They later divorced. In 2013, D'Angel was banned for 5 years from performing at Sting by Isaiah Laing of Supreme Promotions. The reason for the ban was due to her impromptu performance of a "lyrical battle" with

Ninja Man A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. ...

at Sting 30 that Laing considered "raunchy." She was also criticized for her choice of clothing at the event by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', which described her outfit as "provocative" and "revealing." In 2017, she went on tour in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

with the theme of "We Can Survive" and addressing violence and crime through her song of the same name. She was a performer at the 27th IRAWMA Awards in New York and a nominee for Best Female Deejay. She was honored as Singjay of 2008 at the 2009 EME Awards, and was a performer and presenter at the 28th IRAWMA Awards in New York, where she was nominated for Best Female Deejay. She won Digicel's People's Choice Award at the Style Observer Awards 2008. In 2017, she won the award for "Female Artiste of the Year" from the Entertainment Distinction Awards. She twice performed at

Reggae Sumfest Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and the Caribbean, taking place each year in mid-July in Montego Bay.Johnson, Richard (2014)All Set for Sumfest, ''Jamaica Observer'', 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014 Sumfest started in ...

, Jamaica's largest reggae festival. ''The Gleaner'' praised her 2016 performance at "Galiday Bounce" in Ewarton. Her song ''Stronger'' reached the top of Jamaica's music video charts. In 2017, she recorded the song "Whipped", a response to

Dexta Daps Louis Grandison, known as Dexta Daps, Dappa Don or Dexta, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae performer. Grandison’s career began in 2012 with the release of his first 2 singles "Save me Jah" and "May you be". Though he has made many songs in bet ...

' song ''Owner''. She has recorded with Jabari C.G. Productions LLC, Majestic Records, and Sweet Rains Records.

Discography

*''One'' *''Broad Smile'' *''El Pirata y la Sirena''

References

{{Reflist Jamaican reggae singers Jamaican dancehall musicians People from Spanish Town Jamaican models