Luciano
Encyclopedia
Luciano is a Jamaica
n second generation roots reggae
artist and poet.
He first began recording in 1992, with his debut single "Ebony & Ivory" on the Aquarius Record label and followed with his debut album
Moving Up for RAS records
in 1993. Luciano is the seventh of nine children and was born to extremely spiritual and musical parents while growing up in Daveyton, a small district in the central parish of Manchester, Jamaica
.
. Joining McGregor's Big Ship production company, Luciano began creating cultural, conscious reggae that reflected his religious and social concerns. Again in 1993, Luciano scored a #1 UK reggae hit with the song "Shake It Up Tonight" but Luciano says, "I didn't see myself going in that pattern, singing love songs, dressed in a felt hat, looking smooth. It looked very splashy".
Luciano rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, at the height of the "Rasta Renaissance" in dancehall
music, beginning with the album One Way Ticket in 1994. The renewal of Rastafarian influence into dancehall music in the early 1990s had begun with artists such as Tony Rebel
and Garnett Silk. After Silk's death in late 1994, many looked to Luciano to continue consciousness in reggae music. Of Garnett Silk, he stated "Garnett was more like a brother, a father, a tutor, a forerunner. When he moved on I knew the work for me became harder still."
He had by then joined producer Phillip "Fattis" Burrell and his Xterminator label, after New Name and Big Ship failed to release albums of his material.
The following year brought the smash hit album Where There Is Life for Chris Blackwell's
major label Island Jamaica. It contained such hits as "It's Me Again Jah", "Who Could It Be", as well the title track. He recorded a second album for Island Jamaica in 1997 entitled Messenger, whose title track earned him his enduring nickname.
The majority of his recording in the mid-to-late 1990s was for Burrell and the Xterminator label, which by that time included such artists as Sizzla
, Mikey General and Firehouse Crew, as well as recordings from Capleton
and Cocoa Tea
. Along with the work on the two albums for Island Jamaica, the majority of Luciano hits produced by Burrell were featured on 1999's Sweep Over My Soul. Burrell and Luciano parted ways in 1999.
By 2001, Luciano had released two live albums as well as two compilation albums alongside Sizzla and Anthony B
after the split with Xterminator. That year saw the release of two new albums of material, Great Controversy on Jet Star
and A New Day on VP Records
. The latter received a nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards, and was executive produced by longtime saxophonist and touring partner Dean Fraser
. The album received additional production from Sly & Robbie and was backed by Fraser and the Firehouse Crew.
Fraser continued to produce many of Luciano's albums throughout the decade, including 2008's Jah Is My Navigator. In 2010, he released United States of Africa. While the previous album had focused mostly on God, Africa dealt with global events. Of this, Luciano stated, "We're not just singing about Zion and all those glorious dreams. We're also dealing with issues that affect the people, their very minds.
He was awarded the Order of Distinction
in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007, in recognition of his contribution to reggae music.
In July 2009, Luciano paid his respects to fellow musician Michael Jackson
by releasing a Reggae tribute of Jackson's iconic song, "We are the World
" on LionI Records. The original song was recorded by many famous musicians and actors of the 1980s and raised money through the USA for Africa
charity for hunger and AIDS relief.
The singer is also an activist in the promotion of ganja
, or marijuana, stating "I'm not fighting for the decriminalisation of ganja, because it was never a criminal. My fight is to enlighten the people of the cannabis and let them know of the herbal properties and the benefits we can achieve from it."
On March 11, 2011, all charges related to the incident were dropped against Luciano by prosecutors of the case.
In 2010, Luciano was reportedly given land a tract of land for residence in Gambia at the bequest of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh. The singer first performed in the country in 2001, and has stated his preference for eventually residing in Africa.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n second generation roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
artist and poet.
He first began recording in 1992, with his debut single "Ebony & Ivory" on the Aquarius Record label and followed with his debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Moving Up for RAS records
RAS Records
RAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
in 1993. Luciano is the seventh of nine children and was born to extremely spiritual and musical parents while growing up in Daveyton, a small district in the central parish of Manchester, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Career
After voicing several covers for the Producer Sky High, Luciano released "Give My Love A Try," which was produced at Castro Brown's New Name Studio and was a hit in Jamaica. It was there that Luciano met international reggae superstar Freddie McGregorFreddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...
. Joining McGregor's Big Ship production company, Luciano began creating cultural, conscious reggae that reflected his religious and social concerns. Again in 1993, Luciano scored a #1 UK reggae hit with the song "Shake It Up Tonight" but Luciano says, "I didn't see myself going in that pattern, singing love songs, dressed in a felt hat, looking smooth. It looked very splashy".
Luciano rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, at the height of the "Rasta Renaissance" in dancehall
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. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
music, beginning with the album One Way Ticket in 1994. The renewal of Rastafarian influence into dancehall music in the early 1990s had begun with artists such as Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel is a Jamaican reggae deejay. He was initially a singer, appearing as Papa Tony or Tony Ranking in local talent contests and on sound systems including Sugar Minott's 'Youth Promotion'...
and Garnett Silk. After Silk's death in late 1994, many looked to Luciano to continue consciousness in reggae music. Of Garnett Silk, he stated "Garnett was more like a brother, a father, a tutor, a forerunner. When he moved on I knew the work for me became harder still."
He had by then joined producer Phillip "Fattis" Burrell and his Xterminator label, after New Name and Big Ship failed to release albums of his material.
The following year brought the smash hit album Where There Is Life for Chris Blackwell's
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
major label Island Jamaica. It contained such hits as "It's Me Again Jah", "Who Could It Be", as well the title track. He recorded a second album for Island Jamaica in 1997 entitled Messenger, whose title track earned him his enduring nickname.
The majority of his recording in the mid-to-late 1990s was for Burrell and the Xterminator label, which by that time included such artists as Sizzla
Sizzla
Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...
, Mikey General and Firehouse Crew, as well as recordings from Capleton
Capleton
Capleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions...
and Cocoa Tea
Cocoa Tea
Cocoa Tea is a Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and DJ.- Biography :Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become successful worldwide only since the 1990s...
. Along with the work on the two albums for Island Jamaica, the majority of Luciano hits produced by Burrell were featured on 1999's Sweep Over My Soul. Burrell and Luciano parted ways in 1999.
By 2001, Luciano had released two live albums as well as two compilation albums alongside Sizzla and Anthony B
Anthony B
Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair , a Jamaican musician and member of the Rastafari movement....
after the split with Xterminator. That year saw the release of two new albums of material, Great Controversy on Jet Star
Jet Star
Jet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
and A New Day on VP Records
VP Records
VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
. The latter received a nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards, and was executive produced by longtime saxophonist and touring partner Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Musgrave Medal by the Jamaican government in 1993 in recognition of his services to music.-Biography:Fraser started to play the clarinet at the age of 12...
. The album received additional production from Sly & Robbie and was backed by Fraser and the Firehouse Crew.
Fraser continued to produce many of Luciano's albums throughout the decade, including 2008's Jah Is My Navigator. In 2010, he released United States of Africa. While the previous album had focused mostly on God, Africa dealt with global events. Of this, Luciano stated, "We're not just singing about Zion and all those glorious dreams. We're also dealing with issues that affect the people, their very minds.
He was awarded the Order of Distinction
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007, in recognition of his contribution to reggae music.
In July 2009, Luciano paid his respects to fellow musician Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
by releasing a Reggae tribute of Jackson's iconic song, "We are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" on LionI Records. The original song was recorded by many famous musicians and actors of the 1980s and raised money through the USA for Africa
USA for Africa
USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
charity for hunger and AIDS relief.
Beliefs
Luciano is a devout Rastafarian, whose lyrics promote consciousness and eschew slackness, or vulgarity, which is often prominent in reggae and dancehall music. He has criticized other Rastafarian reggae artists who record slackness material, describing them as having lost focus. The singer himself has sometimes been criticized for the reading of Biblical verses prior to performances, which have been described as inappropriate.The singer is also an activist in the promotion of ganja
Ganja
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
, or marijuana, stating "I'm not fighting for the decriminalisation of ganja, because it was never a criminal. My fight is to enlighten the people of the cannabis and let them know of the herbal properties and the benefits we can achieve from it."
Personal life
In 2009, Luciano was charged by Jamaican police for harboring a fugitive who reportedly shot three officers before hiding at the singer's residence. After a stand-off on the property, the gunman was killed by police. He was denied entry to the United States later that year after his US visa was cancelled, but his management team denied any relation of the cancelled visa to the charges in Jamaica.On March 11, 2011, all charges related to the incident were dropped against Luciano by prosecutors of the case.
In 2010, Luciano was reportedly given land a tract of land for residence in Gambia at the bequest of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh. The singer first performed in the country in 2001, and has stated his preference for eventually residing in Africa.
Solo
- Rub-A-Dub Market, (2011)
- Write My Name, (2010)
- United States of AfricaUnited States of AfricaThe United States of Africa is a proposed name for the concept of a federation of some or all of the 55 sovereign states of Africa.Former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, who was the 2009 Chairperson of the African Union , advanced the idea of a United States of Africa at two regional African...
, (2010) - Jah Is My Navigator, (2008)
- God Is Greater than ManGod Is Greater than ManGod Is Greater than Man is Jamaican reggae singer Luciano's 13th album.- Track listing :# "Running for My Life"# "Bring Back the Vibes"# "Kingdom of Jah"# "Give Thanks & Praise"# "Bad Situation"# "Cheer Up"# "Borrowed Time"# "Strive"...
, (2007) - Child of a King, (2006)
- Jah Words, (2005)
- Serious TimesSerious Times (Luciano)-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Stereo: Stereo*Pieces in Set: 1*Catalog #: 1688*Desc: Performer-Track listing:# Give Praises# Come Down Father# World Is Troubled, The# Stay Away# Just Talk To God# Satisfy Yourself...
, (2004) - VisionsVisions (Luciano)-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Stereo: Stereo*Pieces in Set: 1*Catalog #: 3097*Desc: Performer-Track listing:# Gideon War# It's Not Easy# De Ole Ah Wee# Divide And Rule# Visions# Serious Time# Israel God# What You Gonna Do...
, (2003) - Serve JahServe Jah (Luciano)-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Stereo: Stereo*Pieces in Set: 1*Catalog #: 1657*Desc: Performer-Track listing:*1. I Will Survive *2. Serve Jah *3. Win Or Lose *4. Injustice *5. True Love...
, (2003) - Great ControversyGreat Controversy (Luciano)Great Controversy is a studio album by reggae artist Luciano.-Track listing:# Road Block# Call On Yahweh# Great Controversy# Legalise It# Are You Ready?# Empress Love# Why?# Patiently# Have Faith# Rivers Of Babylon# Free The World# Bandits...
, (2001) - A New DayA New Day (Luciano)A New Day is an album by Luciano released in 2001.-Track listing:# No Night In Zion# Oh Father I Love Thee# Is there A Place# Happy People# Road Of Life# Nah Give Up# God Is My Friend# Only A Fool# Traveler# African Skies# A New Day# Hardcore...
, (2001) - LiveLive (Luciano)Live is a 2000 reggae album by Luciano.-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Stereo: Stereo*Pieces in Set: 1*Catalog #: VP1602*Desc: Performer-Track listing:# Messenger# Never Give Up My Pride# Who Could It Be# How Can You...
, (2000) - Sweep Over My SoulSweep Over My Soul (Luciano)-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Guest Artists: Morgan Heritage; Sly Dunbar*Stereo: Stereo*Pieces in Set: 1*Catalog #: 1546*Desc: Performer-Track listing:# Can't Stop Jah Works# Sweep Over My Soul# Ulterior Motive# Hold Strong...
, (1999) - Messenger, (1997)
- Where There Is LifeWhere There Is Life (Luciano)Where There Is Life is an album by Luciano.The album was listed in the 1999 book The Rough Guide: Reggae: 100 Essential CDs.-Personnel:*Engineer: Robert Murphy; Paul Daley...
, (1995) - After All, (1995)
- One Way TicketOne Way Ticket (Luciano)One Way Ticket is a 1994 album by Luciano.-CD information:*Format: Compact Disc *Release Date: December 22, 1994*Original release year: 1995*Engineer: Paul & Murphy*Guest Artists: Lady G; Charlie Chaplin; Sly Dunbar; Cocoa Tea...
, (1994) - Moving Up, (1993)