Thursday, February 29th was a busy night for Busy Signal, he was criss-crossing Kingston, showing up at Romain Virgo’s album launch at the AC Hotel, and later at a similar event for reggae singer Exco Levi at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel.
“The two a dem are my friends, so I had to support them and be present at both,” Busy Signal said as he posed for pictures with his ‘bredrin’.
For Brampton-based, Jamaican Canadian reggae musician Exco Levi, having Busy Signal, who had just arrived in the island, show up at the launch was the icing on an already-delicious cake.
“Busy Signal … jeez… we go way back …from around 2013, when Richie Stephens took me to Penthouse [Records]. Busy, Romain, D-Major, Shuga and many other artistes were there at the time. But with Busy … we had a different connection, so we stay connected over the years,” the five-time JUNO Award-winning artiste said. The JUNO Award is Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys.
“Busy took me on the road with him when I just started out … Africa, Dubai, etc. I will forever show the gratitude. I am like that, loyal to the ital stew, not the bone … LOL.”
Exco Levi, who is signed to the Donovan Germain-led Penthouse Records in Jamaica, was thrilled at the overall turnout at the launch for the album titled ‘Born to be Free’, his first album since ‘Narrative’ (2018).
“We catered for 40 persons but more than 100 turned up, and I appreciate every person who was present,” he said, adding that all who came were satisfied musically and otherwise. He performed a number of tracks from the album, including the title track, which is the first song on the album and sets the tone for the entire project.
“The majority of the songs lead along that line…about being free and liberated, songs like ‘Slave Trade’ and ‘Smile Africa’, just to name a few. That name was ideal to name the entire project.
Donovan Germain is the main producer on the album; however, there are songs like ‘Fine Tooth Comb’ and ‘H.I.M’. that are produced by my label, High Priest Music, in Canada,” Exco Levi said of the 15-track album which was released on March 1st .
He shared that his expectations of this project “is, as always, having a great body of work out there that will live on forever”.
“I would rather not be topping the chart than to have an expiry date on my music. A friend of mine tell me this morning that he was playing the album with his mom in the car. He didn’t have to skip any of the the songs…Rasta gospel,” he stated.
Exco Levi, who has received many accolades in Canada, including being recognised for his contribution to culture with an induction into the Brampton, Ontario Walk of Fame in 2016, entered that National Festival Song Competition in 2023 with the Germain-produced track ‘Feel Like Home’. He placed third and was delighted to be so honoured in Jamaica, his country of birth.
