LUCIANO

His name means 'Bearer of the light' and if you ask any Luciano fan (including Daintycrew.com), there is a certain something about Luciano that sets him apart from the norm. He has a humble, yet extremely wise countenance and we were most definitely honoured that he was willing to take the time out for an interview after his concert in Bristol even though he was tired and it would mean he would only get a couple of hours sleep. So, we entered his hotel suite and settled down to ask this self-professed messenger of Jah where he came from and where he's going...

Now, let's start at the beginning with how Luciano coined his moniker. He recalls it was "amongst a number of other names we had selected". The 'we' being Luciano's first producer, Mr Harris, and himself. Fans should be most grateful to Mr Harris as he was the first one to recognise Luciano's talent and at that time, Luciano was going by the name Steppa John. He says, "That name wasn't doing anything for me" and so the pair went through a roster of other names such as Prince Theodore, Jeff Washington (Washington is Luciano's middle name) and Prince Jepther (as Jepther is Luciano's first name). They eventually came to Luciano as 'Luci' means light and the entire name means 'Bearer of the light'. That was to be his stage name and as Luciano himself says, "If that name wasn't positive, I would have to get rid of it".

A lot of people also know Luciano by another name, 'The Messenger' and he came by this due to realising that even though he was singing and involved in music, it was more than just singing. Luciano says, "It's more than just going out there, doing a concert and being paid. To me, it's a mission". Anybody who has seen Luciano in concert can confirm he is a Bible man and as such, Luciano explains, "While reading Malachi Chapter 3, I came across this chapter that talks about the last messenger God sent and it dawned to me that this message I try to send in the music is no different from what Jonah would no doubt tell the people of Nineveh that if one man should divert from his wicked ways and try to live up, then the city can be saved. So, I really bring a message of peace and hope and the spiritual strengthening for the people".

So, Luciano bears the light and also gives a message, but there is a third prong to Luciano's monikers, that of Qabalah Man. Daintycrew.com heard him being called this during the concert in Bristol and we were keen to understand what Qabalah meant and how it applied to Luciano. In his own words Luciano explained, "Qabalah is the first ancient study of word and philosophy, thought and origin of word and the mind to be able to reason and decipher. The first study of the mind and we're talking about the ancient school from the days when people used to do powerful things with the mind coz we see that life, the Qabalistic principles teach that there is more to life than the physical. There is the meta-physical - a spiritual side to life. For one to be successful one must attune to the principal of the spiritual laws and then these are the things that we seek or endeavour for will fall into place. It is the study of the origin of thought. This is what we try to bring forth in the music so that people will realise and bring back themselves to the serving of Jah the Almighty which is our purpose as created entities".

Luciano was born to Sophia and Arthur McClymont in Manchester, Jamaica, and named Jepther Washington McClymont in Manchester, Jamaica. He is the 7th of 9 children and although he has 2 sisters that come after him, Luciano is the last son. The McClymont siblings consist of 5 girls and 5 boys. Luciano was raised in Davey Town and says, "I grew up in a humble setting".

He grew into the Rastafarian faith and recalls, "I used to have a khaki shirt wid nuff pockets that the teacher banned me from wearing to school, so I take up pens and paints and draw some Rasta on it lighting his chalice. My mother catch me wid de shirt and give me a good thrashing! I was about 14, so from the early years, I knew there was something about me holding onto my roots about Africa". Luciano originally started out in the church as his father was an Adventist and used to instill "certain principles of the Bible" in him.

Luciano says he conforms to "the order of righteousness and that is the order that Melchizedek, Jesus Christ (and) Emperor Haile Selassie I have come to restore upon Earth amongst humanity". Luciano says he knows that there are many people who "try to bring denomination in the tradition", but he believes that "once you're a Rasta man and you follow the path of his majesty and obey the principles of righteousness, then you know you are a Rasta man or a Nazarite. It's a true example, not just the hair".

His singing talent was identified whilst Luciano was attending Sunday/Sabbath School. He knew he had the talent and he used to play a guitar that his father had built. Luciano says, "I had to find some way to express myself". This he did via singing and he believes, "I realise people really need to hear the word of God and if I could use my voice to the glory of God, I decided to do that. It's not just a career, it's a way of life".

Luciano started recording doing dubplates for Ricky Trooper of Killamanjaro. He was introduced to Trooper by Keith and around the end of '91 and the start of '92, Luciano says, "After I did some dubplates for Ricky Trooper, he realise my skill. I did bout half dozen dubplates and he introduced me to Mr Earl Hills and from there I did my first song, 'Ebony and Ivory'. Earl Hills from Aquarius Records in '92". After this, Luciano started doing recordings for other producers giving rise to his most successful single to date, 'It's Me Again Jah'.

In terms of albums and which has been the most successful, Luciano believes 'Where There Is Life' made people realise he was a spiritual person, but 'Shake It Up Tonight' gave him the recognition in the UK as it stayed on the charts for 8 weeks. Freddie McGregor produced the album on the Big Ship label, 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".

In that sense, Luciano's musical progression has spawned hits that give Jah the glory and speak about spiritual awareness, yet still giving a message of realism. He writes his own lyrics and being the Bible man that he is, Luciano enforces, "I am very poetic. I have learnt the art of even using a Bible passage with my own little insight and create a 2001 psalm. Psalm of the 21st century accompanied by music".

Previously, Luciano worked with the Xterminator label and there are many stories about why this relationship came to an end. Daintycrew.com are not interested in the rumours, we wanted the facts and Luciano was willing to tell us. Those who want to hear it in his own words, play the sound clip now, and for those who have no speakers on their PCs, read on...

"One a de main ting what really turn me off is Sizzla. I carry Sizzla to Xterminator camp and when I realise his behaviour... He wanted to sing some type a song which I couldn't work with and him wan' bun whole heapa tings! Me couldn't work wid dat. Me's a Bible man and him kinda have a defiance against the Bible which I had when I was younger, but by growing up and learning the truth of life dat His Majesty Himself glorifying the Bible, but him seh when we read the Bible, we have to read it wit' clear conscience. Now, when I was there singing along with Fattis years before Sizzla comes along, I was the like trailblazer, laying the foundations of righteousness, singing songs like 'One Way Ticket', 'Poor and Simple', 'It's Me Again Jah', 'Lord Give Me Strength' and since of late, people are listening and watching how many of these brothers come and profess righteousness and at the end of the day, they start do some tings. To me, I couldn't support certain tings, so I had to trod. It was like affecting my spiritual life you know".

In as such, Luciano does not just disagree with the fire burning lyrics, he quotes the Bible to support his reasoning, "James Chapter 3 tell us we cannot have we mood say we're praising God and then be cursing man same time. There's no fountain that gonna give you salt and fresh water, ok? The Bible says man is able to harness and put bridles and bits upon horses and beasts, but we cannot control our tongue". How many artists practice what they preach?

Luciano is an award-winning artist and although he says, "I wouldn't say I won as I wasn't competing against anyone" and "I don't watch those tings coz they bring jealousy and people to bad mind you know", Luciano cannot deny that he has received numerous awards including 'Most Spiritual and Educative Singer' and Mandela's 'Most Cultural Artist'. He even received a plaque from the Jamaican government to encourage him in the work he is doing.

Doing good works are not confined to just music for Luciano, as he is a firm believer that he should be a positive role model. He says "I've never stooped low and I'm not gonna bow to Babylon and no matter how much me angry bout certain tings, me nah come pon stage and express myself inna no negativeness". As a messenger, Luciano always strives to be true and righteous as he delivers the word of Jah. He says, "I cannot become egotistical about it".

Luciano is not immune from controversy and he had a UK tour scheduled earlier in 2001 that was cancelled at the last minute. Again, there were many rumours with regards to why the shows were cancelled and if you want to get it straight from the man himself, click the audio link at the bottom of the page, for those who want to read it, see below.

"I tell you right now over the past 8 years I've been working wid some people and it would seem as if, based on my observation, as if they weren't 100% with me you know. Those who were wit' me haven't stayed with me. Those who weren't with me have gone their way. I sometimes tend to be miserable when it comes to upholding standards, code of dressing, especially where the empresses are concerned and I honestly believe that a woman should try to dress modestly and you don't haffe wait 'til you run go a church before a woman seh bwoy put on a skirt an mek sure she have her slip on. To me, it is very lady-like and it is very royal when an empress put on her skirt especially a nice African print an ting. To me, de Africans out here are very watered down and I had some back-up singers who didn't see and I don't think they have seen it even now, the true trod I'm trying to make. Right now I've seen King Bob Marley laid a foundation where he has set de pattern whereby we can't be wrong if we follow dat. I don't believe that when an empress come into my works dem fe dress up in some tight up ting and some jeans and some belly blouse. No! Spirit of God rhatid me, I couldn't' take it no longer and me's a telling me mind and dem didn't like it. I was a little forceful I have to agree and I was willing to apologise, but they were not willing to compromise, to satisfy me for my requirements as a Rastaman and as a man who employ dem too coz sometimes they tend to forget that it's I employ dem and we're going on de road and payment come outta my pocket you know, but sometimes it's hard to give I and I the respect I demand in this time".

Luciano has definitive views on the music industry and is emphatic when it comes to the hypocrisy he sees in the business, "Too much hypocrisy man and too much sell-out. People sell-out de good music fe quatty seen! Fe lickle or nutten. Too much run jostling an too much hype and right now, they're hyping de slack lyrics. Society hypes, men and people out there hype up de whole heapa boop-boop and de boogie-yagga". He sees the radio stations as integral in this problem, "All a these radio stations around, they're not too keen on Reggae music being played. They wait until there's a riot or there is some people doing terrible things, hear dem start play song dem talk bout (sings) "unite mankind unite" an all dem ting deh an all (sings again) "disturbance in the family". Dem wait so 'til disturbance come before dem play dem ting deh empress".

Even so, Luciano's music is widely played in the UK at least as we cannot speak for any other countries and even though his last 2 albums were released quite close together, they are both doing well. Luciano says it wasn't planned that the 2 would be released so closely, "I never plan for it that way. I was really more prepared for 'New Day' cah dat was long on the way. That project started earlier, but after I'd completed New Day, Mr Palmer from Jet Star, he and I made an agreement. I came up to the UK here and completed a coupla tracks which could have been an album and I asked Mr Palmer not to release it as yet, but somehow he saw it necessary to do it which to me it has caused a 'Great Controversy'. Like name, like nature apparently".

At present Luciano is not signed to a label, but he does have an optional deal with EMI and is also working on a license deal with them. Luciano is working on an album with Robert French as well as one with Scorpio and he says he has been laying "some cornerstones in the business" because he cannot do it alone. Specifically, "Jah Messenjah Productions alone can't do it".

After touring extensively all over the world, Luciano would still like to do a country by country tour of Africa as he says, "All these years we've been singing for those who have been taken into slavery and I know dat my time seal up out here in the West and I know it's coming closer and closer to the time when I am going home".

However, going home will have to wait for a little while as Luciano has many accomplishments he is grateful for. He believes, "I've done a lot of work - yes, but de tings coulda been greater, de work coulda been even greater yet and even so while we speak, we pray dat God will continue to strengthen us and inspire us while we push forward wid greater works, you know". In his lifetime (nearly 33 years), Luciano has "been with big companies" and says, "I realise there's only one thing that makes me satisful, is when I know that what I've been doing is to the honour and glory of the Almighty". He advises up and coming singers to, "Sing for the Almighty. Sing to restore the morality of humanity and Jah will bless you abundantly. You'll make it... Remember your mother, don't make your mother ashamed of you. Don't mek your father be ashamed of you (laughs)".

Luciano's plans for the future include decorating the world with music as well as having bases in every city. He has a mission and it's to, "Take it to the ends of the Earth. Which part Jah call I until this mouth of mine lock, I just keep singing Jah word you know". 2002 is a year when Luciano also advises everyone to "Look out for the Qabalah family and Jah Messenjah Productions coming strong at you".

Throughout our interview, Luciano spoke of numerous messages and advice possibly without even realising it. He beseeched, "my people out there take heed and try and live in that love and righteousness that God has provided". People shouldn't wait "until you is dead or fled or fly before dem show lickle respect and try to live up".

For his fans, Luciano thanks them for the love over the years and for their prayers. He is grateful for their undying support and says, "I will keep singing no matter what. Just tune into I and I inspiration, you must get some encouragement out of it".

After our interview session with Luciano, Daintycrew.com were humbled and in awe of the wisdom that permeates from Luciano. A man who is constantly striving for betterment and one phrase in particular that he said really rung true and we believe it 100%, "I know to serve Jah and to serve my people". He's definitely providing an invaluable service through the talent he has been blessed with.