Music

Cardi B

Cardi B

One of the many songs trending in India is Maroon 5’s Girl Like You, a song that makes you dizzy, not only for its melodic tone, but for its video with its rotating motion featuring over a dozen women including our very own Lilly Singh and Cardi B, our artiste this month.

Although we know her as Cardi B, she was born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar on 11 October 1992. The names are Spanish translations of Arabic words. Belcalis is thought to reference the Queen of Sheba, while Almanzar from the Arabic “al mandhar”, translates to “lookout point” or “watchtower.”

When a talk show host asked where she got her professional name from, Cardi B responded with “Bacardi” (a famous rum brand). But that was not the only reason; her sister is named Hennessy Carolina, referencing the famous cognac (French brandy) brand. The name Bacardi stuck and was finally shortened to Cardi B.

The rapper’s mother and father come from Trinidad and the Dominican Republic, respectively. Being raised by two working parents in Highbridge, South Bronx, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, she grew up surrounded by multicultural influences. Cardi B is Catholic and claims to have a strong relationship with God, often saying that she directly communicates with God in times of trouble and when she needs guidance.

As a youth, Cardi attended Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology, a vocational high school. During her teenage years she was employed as a cashier at a supermarket and later on as a bar girl at the age of 19. She took up the job due to her poor financial state; it gave her the satisfaction that she could fend for herself. But with that, her college life suffered. Her idea to join college was to achieve something bigger and better in life. But a change in plan was in order and she dropped out of college in search of fame.

In November 2015, Cardi B made her musical debut on Jamaican reggae fusion singer Shaggy’s single Boom Boom, alongside Jamaican dancehall singer Popcaan. She also appeared in Farruko’s music video ChapiChapi alongside Messiah. Soon, she was invited to co-host Uncommon Sense, a MTV2 production with famous RJ Charlamagne the God. She landed a special appearance on Revolt TV, wherein the audience got a glimpse of her personal life. She was also applauded for her DVD I Am: Cardi B. Since then, Cardi headed in just one direction — towards fame and fortune.

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Verus Ferreira is a music journalist for over three decades. He is the author of The Great Music Quiz Book and The Great Rock Music Quiz Book and the founder of Musicunplugged.in

Verus Ferreira

Verus Ferreira is a music journalist for over three decades. He is the author of The Great Music Quiz Book and The Great Rock Music Quiz Book and the founder of Musicunplugged.in