Luciano 

Luciano, whose birth name is Jepther McClymont OD, was born on October 20, 1964. He is a Jamaican roots reggae singer, known for his contributions to the genre as a second-generation artist.


Luciano, born in Davyton, Manchester Parish, was raised as the seventh of nine children in a strict Adventist family. He began his recording career in 1992 with his first single "Ebony & Ivory" on the Aquarius Record label, credited as 'Stepper John'. Following this, he released a split album with DJ Presley, now known as 'Luciana', for producer Sky High.
Luciano's early releases included the hit single "Give My Love a Try", which was produced at Castro Brown's New Name Studio. He collaborated with various producers such as Brown, Freddie McGregor, Blacka Dread, and Sly and Robbie. In 1993, he achieved a number one UK reggae hit with "Shake It Up Tonight".


Luciano started working with Philip "Fatis" Burrell, and they released the singles "Chant Out" and "Poor and Simple". Following this, the album "Moving Up" was released in late 1993. In 1994, Luciano cut singles for Musclehead and Louie Culture before reuniting with Burrell for a series of successful singles and the album "One Way Ticket". This period marked Luciano's prominence in the "Rasta Renaissance" within dancehall music during the early 1990s.
The "Rasta Renaissance" was characterized by a renewal of Rastafarian influence in dancehall music, and Luciano played a significant role in continuing the consciousness in reggae music after the death of Garnett Silk in late 1994. Luciano expressed that Garnett Silk was like a brother, father, tutor, and forerunner to him, and after Silk's passing, Luciano recognized that the responsibility to carry on the work became even more challenging.


In the following year, Luciano released the smash hit album "Where There Is Life" for Chris Blackwell's label Island Jamaica. This album featured popular tracks such as "It's Me Again Jah" (which became a number 1 single in Jamaica), "Who Could It Be", and the title track itself. Subsequently, he recorded a second album for Island Jamaica in 1996 titled "Messenger", which was largely compiled from his hit singles. The title track of this album earned him his enduring nickname.


During the mid-to-late 1990s, Luciano primarily recorded for Burrell and the Xterminator label, which also featured artists like Sizzla, Mikey General, and Firehouse Crew, among others. Alongside his work on the two albums for Island Jamaica, Luciano's major hits produced by Burrell were compiled on the 1999 album "Sweep Over My Soul". However, Burrell and Luciano eventually parted ways in 1999.


By 2001, Luciano had released two live albums and two compilation albums with Sizzla and Anthony B following his split with Xterminator. That year, he also released two new albums: "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 his longtime saxophonist and touring partner, Dean Fraser. Additionally, 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 the 2008 release "Jah Is My Navigator." In 2010, Luciano released "United States of Africa." While his previous album had primarily focused on themes related to God, "United States of Africa" addressed global events. Luciano emphasized that the album wasn't solely about Zion and lofty dreams but also delved into issues affecting people's minds and lives.


In recognition of his significant contribution to reggae music, Luciano was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007.
In July 2009, Luciano paid homage to fellow musician Michael Jackson by releasing a reggae tribute version of Jackson's iconic "We are the World" charity song, which was released on Lioni Records.
Luciano's album "Zion Awake" received a nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Luciano at number 143 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.


Luciano is recognized as a devout Rastafarian whose music emphasizes consciousness and refrains from slackness or vulgarity, which are often prevalent in reggae and dancehall genres. He has been vocal in his criticism of other Rastafarian reggae artists who produce material that he perceives as lacking focus or promoting negative themes.


Before his performances, Luciano is known to read Biblical verses, reflecting his spiritual convictions and the influence of Rastafarian beliefs on his music and life.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Luciano is an advocate for the promotion of ganja, or marijuana. He emphasizes that his advocacy is not about fighting for the decriminalization of ganja because he believes it was never a criminal substance. Instead, his focus is on enlightening people about the herbal properties and the potential benefits that can be derived from cannabis.


In 2010, Luciano was reportedly granted a tract of land for residency in the Gambia by President Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh. Luciano had initially performed in the country in 2001 and expressed his desire to eventually settle in Africa.
Tragically, on 27 February 2016, Luciano's son, Menelik McClymont, was fatally stabbed at the age of 19 near Parkington Plaza on Half-Way-Tree Road, St Andrew, Jamaica. He succumbed to his injuries and passed away in the hospital on 28 February.

References

1.  Thompson, Dave (2002), Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, pp. 157–158.
2. ^ Luciano gets started Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jamaica Star, 11 October 2004. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
3. a b Campbell, Howard. Luciano charts New territory Archived 7 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jamaica Gleaner, 18 March 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
4. ^ O'Brien Chang, Kevin; Chen, Wayne. Reggae Routes. Philadelphia: Temple University, 1998. pp. 207 ISBN 1-56639-629-8.
5. ^ Luciano to speak at International Men's Day function Archived 13 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jamaica Gleaner. 19 November 2001. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
6. ^ Van Pelt, Carter. Luciano Interview. inetnebr.com. 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2011.