'A musical connection evolved into love' is how the music duo, Marie 'Bad Gyal Marie' Sano and Rohan 'Little Shabba' Henry of Notorious International sound, described their soulful bond. The Japan-born selector, Bad Gyal Marie, was struck by love when her juggling styles - and eyes - met those of Little Shabba. "It was music at first sight," Little Shabba said with a laugh.
"I know her as a deejay enuh, a inna a party mi actually meet her playing as a deejay. We have love still enuh but tru wi love di same thing, music, suh wi connect like a friend, brethren, parrie, like a soulmate ting. If me think about 'A' she think about 'B' suh wi connect together," he said.
Bad Gyal Marie said that their "love connection is more musically". "You know with me coming from Japan and him living in Maxfield, Kingston 13, it's kinda curious because we just think same way. So what we think about music, what we feel about our career, it just connect," she said.
She admitted that she was scared when she first visited Little Shabba's home town. "When first I went to Maxfield, I could not come out from car," she laughed as she reminisced. "I know it's a ghetto and I don't really know nobody so I just 'fraid to come out from car.
But [then] he introduced his friends and families and I love everybody. I just feel vibes [and] love from everybody; especially from [his] sisters and mother and all addi people dem from down deh so." They have been married for 13 years.
However, Bad Gyal Marie was living in Jamaica long before meeting Little Shabba because as a teenager, she fell in love with reggae and dancehall music. "[I felt like] I have to go Jamaica one day because this music come from Jamaica and I feel like I have to see it and feel it," she said. Little Shabba admitted that it was nerve-wracking for him to meet her family.
"Mi meet her mother first in Jamaica, and that was like the second time mi eva nervous nervous and dem mi meet her whole family in Japan," he said. Little Shabba said he wondered if the family would accept him, as Bad Gyal Marie was from "uptown" and attended university, while he is "a original ghetto youth". "One a di time mi even did a try learn the Japanese language but mi realise mi nuh need it again because everybody speak English, and dem show mi bare love and ting," he said.
Last month, the couple broke barriers by winning the 2024 Sumfest Global Sound Clash. "I feel great, I feel super great. It's a Sumfest clash and [that's] different from normal clash because with normal clash 99 per cent [of the audience] a man.
It's more hardcore, but with Sumfest clash anybody can come and I saw a lot of women there and I love it. I love sound clash culture long time [and] I want more women enjoy sound clash because it's culture and it's fun," said Bad Gyal Marie, who added that Japanese sound Mighty Crown serves as a great inspiration to her clashing styles. Little Shabba said that despite entering the Sumfest event as the 'underdog' with his five-year-old sound system, his first thought after winning was "Yes Marie, wi dweet and [embraced] her with a kiss".
However Bad Gyal Marie hilariously interjected that she remembered Little Shabba "running to his friends to hug them" as his first move after the announcement. The couple said it's easy to manoeuvre their personal life and work, as 90 per cent of their interactions involve music. Little Shabba said he assures his wife of his trust and their musical bond allows them the freedom for privacy and personal space, despite being booked together for almost every event.
Little Shabba said he aims to be among the top five deejays worldwide, and with Marie by his side, also plans to dabble in being a music producer. Marie said she is also open to taking on more musical challenges as a strong, competitive female in a male-dominated industry..
