Marea Stamper, otherwise known in the EDM world as “The Black Madonna”, had her name and booking removed from the forthcoming Intersect music and art festival in Las Vegas, after learning of the event’s association with Amazon.
Also, well-known in the music industry as a D.J. activist, Ms. Stamper explained via a published statement that her issue with Amazon, is not just a matter of her ideology as “The Black Madonna.”
As a professional, she believes that linking her work with a company that has ties with the US Homeland Security, particularly its Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau, is an ethical and moral violation of her work and faith; and most importantly, an act of transgression against the people with whom she identifies.
Had she been informed of any Amazon branding, “The Black Madonna” said she would not have accepted the offer to perform at the Intersect festival. Ms. Stamper said she continues to stand in solidarity with the workers, immigrants, demonstrators, tech laborers and all people of conscience calling for corporations to end their collaboration with the said U.S. department and agency.
As a matter of fact, she is quite disappointed that the event organizers who approached her with the offer would think she would allow herself to become part of an Amazon brand-partnering. As it was, she learned about Amazon Web Services’ involvement only during the promotion of the event.
In response, Amazon’s cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS) issued a statement with Pitchfork, saying that their affiliation with Intersect Festival was clearly indicated in the contract signed by Ms. Stamper. AWS’ claim though, was refuted by Ms. Stamper through a document provided to Resident Advisor dot net, as proof that the contract she signed did not include any mention of Amazon or AWS’ involvement.
Marea Stamper’s Background before Emerging as a Celebrated EDM Deejay
Marea Stamper went from obscurity to fame in the EDM world by starting out as a peddler of mixtapes compiled by deejays of the Midwestern underground rave scenes during the late 90s. The experience gave her the skills in blending mainstream pop tunes, hard-edge bangers, soulful disco and obscure remixes that earned her acclaim as one of the most exciting D.J.s in the EDM scene.
https://youtu.be/S6SBFC0V2lA
In 2016, Mixmag, the dance-music magazine, named “The Black Madonna” the D.J. of the Year. The following year, she cemented that reputation by closing the 2017 edition of Spain’s Sónar music festival with a euphoric set of excellently blended eclectic music.