As anticipated by anyone who has seen her perform, over the last year The Black Madonna (Marea Stamper) has taken a giant step forward into the international DJ premier league. Chicago's Smart Bar resident played at the festival in 2016 when her career was already in the ascendent, playing a widely acclaimed set that perfectly merged knowledge, style and euphoria. Her gregarious personality and ease at connecting with audiences are just some of the reasons her worldwide followers number in the thousands! Even Iggy Pop recently declared himself a fan! This year, following a US tour under the name “We Still Believe”, she returns to the festival thanks to popular demand, playing a prime time slot at Sónar by Night.

Although fame has now arrived, Stamper has been involved in the American independent scene for many years in one form or another. In the early 2000s she left her native Kentucky to settle in Chicago where she began to play and produce her own tracks. Soon she would become a central figure in the city’s nightlife thanks to her residence at the legendary Smart Bar where she also managed its artistic direction. During this period she also released material under The Black Madonna name and attended talks and interviews in which she has steadfastly displayed her commitment to feminism and the queer community. She was recently recruited by Robyn to remix one of her tracks and continues to publish short essays offering her strong opinions on the present and future of club culture and dance music.