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Luciano is a superstar in his native Jamaica who, in the
mid-90s, made his mark on the world market with his debut
album, Where There Is Life, on the major label Island
Jamaica. The album is comprised of some of his greatest
Island hits and new material produced by Philip "Fatis"
Burrell.
Luciano had his first hit, a cover of the McCartney-Stevie
Wonder hit "Ebony and Ivory," in 1991 for Aquarius.
Following that success he flooded the market with singles
recorded on such labels as Big Ship, New Name Muzik, Sky
High, and Star Trail.
Not content to sing pure reggae, Luciano frequently creates
tunes containing elements from numerous musical genres that
include r&b, African sounds, and lots of guitar licks as can
be heard in songs such as "Just Like the Wind."
Luciano is a spiritual man who eschews the luxuries accorded
to other performers, preferring instead to remain in touch
with his listeners. He learned the value of a simple life
the hard way when the pressures of continual recording and
constant performing caused a sort of breakdown in the summer
of 1993. To regroup, Luciano hightailed it to the hills for
rest and meditation. He returned a changed man.
Through his music he now tries to inspire audiences to love
their God and appreciate the beauty of nature.
- Sandra Brennan, All-Music Guide
A fresh wind of change has swept through the grassroots of
reggae music, with singers and dee-jays alike turning
towards the traditional themes of Rastafari, roots and
culture. The greatest of these new Jamaican
singer-songwriters is Luciano, a richly voiced balladeer and
committed rootsman who is already being spoken of in the
same terms as Jamaican superstars like Dennis Brown, Bob
Marley and Freddie McGregor.
All inspired the young Jepther McClymont back home in Davey
Town, a small community in the country parish of Manchester,
Jamaica. After singing in the local church choir and being
taught guitar by his father he eventually moved to Central
Village in Kingston, working as an upholsterer whilst
singing on sound-systems in the evenings.
From thereon he never looked back, recording his debut song
Ebony & Ivory in 1992 for Aquarius record shop owner Earl
Haynes. By then he'd been renamed after the Lucky Luciano
movie character and before long was sharing a debut album
release with fellow singer Presley for producer Sky High,
playing most of the riddim tracks himself.
Luciano at Reggae Sumfest '98
Photo by Theo Smit
Courtesy Summerfest Productions Ltd
It was a start, but not altogether satisfactory. Frustrated
by having to sing so many covers including versions of songs
by Stevie Wonder and Bob Marley, he left for Castro Brown's
New Name studio, where he recorded his first Jamaican hit
Give My Love A Try in1993. It was at New Name where he met
Freddie McGregor who encouraged Luciano to write and
construct original material for his and Dalton Browne's Big
Ship label.
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With license to work on both lovers and cultural songs as
well as participate in his own preferred musical direction,
the young singer's career quickly blossomed. Shake It Up
Tonight became Luciano's first UK No. 1 reggae hit and soon
led to an acclaimed album of the same name in early1994.
It was at this point that he auditioned for Phillip Fattis'
Burrell's Xterminator label. Castro had failed to release
Luciano's New Name album and Freddie's hectic touring
schedule meant the Big Ship association began to falter,
leaving Luciano to seek his future elsewhere.
After a decade of recording some of Jamaica's finest talent,
Fattis was poised to become one of the all-time great reggae
producers. His releases were famed for their incisive roots
themes, invariably voiced over riddim tracks of real
heavyweight status. He uses only the best musicians on his
sessions, including Sly & Robbie, the Firehouse Crew, Dean
Fraser and Third World's Cat Coore. With such expertise at
hand, Luciano truly came into his own.
Photo by Stella Magliore
courtesy of DancehallMinded
"Fattis motivated me to push on more seriously with the
culture" he says with characteristic modesty. I've always
had material available but didn't get the chance to really
express my ideas before. Now I'm writing international
songs; songs I think will be in the interests of humanity.
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Luciano has remained loyal to Xterminator ever since,
creating a rich legacy of work that is prized for its
profusion of strong message songs as well as his exceptional
vocal performances. Many have now become dancehall anthems;
proof of his influence upon today's reggae market.
This sequence of Xterminator releases began with his Moving
Up album; a set which included his early UK hits Poor &
Simple and Chant Out. Back To Africa was next, another
impressive collection hosting the hit singles Neighbourhood
Watch, Wicked Haffe Run Way, the sublime Bounty Lover and
lovers rock favourite Time Is The Master. By now his songs
were all self-penned, and his every release eagerly awaited
by a growing band of worldwide admirers.
Nor were they disappointed with his third Xterminator album
One Way Ticket, with songs like Chant Down Babylon,
Raggamuffin, UK hit One Way Ticket itself and the
inspirational Turn Your Life Around, reinforcing his
reputation as the most outstanding reggae artist of his
generation.
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The scene was now set for wider recognition, and enhanced by
his and Beenie Man's thrilling cover of Bob Marley's Crazy
Baldhead for Sly & Robbie's Taxi label in early 1995. Yet
even this record was eclipsed by his next release, the
double A side single of Your World And Mine and It's Me
Again Jah which Island Jamaica chose to be his debut after
signing him to the label earlier that year.
Again produced by Fattis, these two songs topped reggae
charts in Jamaica, New York and England, and were promptly
followed by Luciano's most accomplished album to date, Where
There Is Life. That set also contained wonderful songs like
Who Could It Be - currently remixed as a hit crossover track
in collaboration with U.S. rap group The Jungle Brothers -
and is now regarded as a modern reggae classic.
Photo by Julian 'Ras' Schmidt
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More importantly, it at last brought him to the attention of
a mainstream audience tired of ragga's obsession with guns,
sex and violence. In Luciano they found a singer who
embodies the timeless appeal of traditional roots reggae,
yet brings to it a freshness of execution and purpose that
is unrivaled among his dancehall contemporaries.
In the wake of the Where There Is Life album Luciano
undertook several major tours, marking his first proper UK
shows with a magnificent New Year's Eve performance in
London and seeing his next single How Can You fly to the No.
1 slot on reggae charts worldwide.
That song is but one of many stunning moments from his
latest album Messenger, his second for Island Jamaica. The
consistency of his songwriting has now reached such heights
of spiritual and musical expression that overground fame can
only be a short step away for this humble, likable young man
from the Jamaican ghetto. On the title track he announces
he's come to teach the youths about roots and culture and
does precisely that over eleven exceptional songs, all
featuring the innovative sounds of Fattis and the
Xterminator Crew as recorded in Jamaica's finest studios.
Listen to songs like Carry Jah Load, Friend In Need, the
stirring Over The Hills or Never Give Up My Pride - itself
voiced over a cut of Bob Marley's One Drop riddim - and
you'll discover a singer with the most clearly defined
agenda in reggae. He's a man on a mission; likening his work
to a spiritual crusade for the benefit of all mankind but
ever-mindful of the hardships he's left behind. Mama pays
tribute to the struggles endured by not only his mother, but
all mothers, and is a ballad, a love song with searing
reality lyrics. Clearly here is a singer who hasn't
forgotten where he's coming from, and tells his own
rags-to-riches story on the triumphant Rainy Days,
announcing that he's now ready for the world. With Life
riding a delightful reggae/bossa nova riddim and Feel Like
Moving - itself a successor to songs such as Moving Up and
I'm Stepping On It recorded years earlier - showing just
what a free spirit like himself can achieve with crossover
ragga beats powering behind him, you'd better believe it.
Here is the very pulse of progressive Jamaican roots music.
His is a vision shaped by love for humanity, and by placing
the emphasis on cultural and spiritual issues once more.
Luciano has helped elevate reggae music to a degree many
would have thought impossible only a short time ago.
- Niceup Enterprises
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