EXCO LEVI and HighPriest
Brampton, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2005 | INDIE
Music
Press
INGJAY Exco Levi, winner of the last four Reggae Recording of The Year categories of Canada’s Juno Awards, has been nominated for the 2016 event which takes place April 3 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
This is the fifth nomination for Exco Levi (born Wayne Ford Levy). The Clarendon-born artiste is nominated for the Silly Walks Discotheque-produced
Hello Mama.
“It’s really a joy to be nominated for the fifth time. Just to be nominated is a major accomplishment for me,” Exco Levi, who lives in Toronto, told the
Jamaica Observer, moments after the nominations were announced yesterday.
Canadian composer/producer/multi instrumentalist Dubmatix, Kafinal, Kreesha Turner and Lyndon John X are the other nominees.
It is the sixth nomination for Dubmatix who won the category in 2010. This year, he is nominated for The French Sessions.
Sexy Gal marks the first nomination for Turner whose father is Canadian and mother Jamaican. The song, distributed by Lizopal/Universal Canada, is a collaboration with TOK.
Lyndon John X also secures his first nomination for the album,
Escape From The Mongoose Gang. The Toronto singer/songwriter/guitarist has been recording since 2007.
Nah Complain has also given Jamaican Kafinal his first Juno nod. The song, which features U Roy, did well on reggae charts in Canada, the United States and Europe last year.
“Today is filled with so much emotions for me. I’ve put in so much work, especially over the past year, and just to know that the work has been acknowledged on this level is really rewarding,” Kafinal told the
Observer.
The Juno is Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. This year will be the 45th staging of the annual event. - The Jamaican Observer
BRAMPTON, Ontario, April 14 — Multiple award-winning Reggae songwriter and entertainer, Exco Levi, whose real name is Wayne Ford Levy, will be honoured by the city of Brampton, later this year, the city announced recently.
The dreadlocked reggae crooner will be one of four artists inducted into the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame and will receive a star at Garden Square, in the downtown section of the city.
The Arts Walk of Fame has honoured 11 artists since its inception in 2014, including world class inductees, actor Alan Thicke and comedian Russell Peters.
The city created the program to celebrate local artists by recognizing those who have had distinguished careers in the arts.Levi will be honoured as a performing artist, singer and songwriter on September 24.
His track “Bleaching Shop” won the Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year in 2012; he won the award again in 2013 with “Storms of Life”; secured the “hat trick” in 2014 for “Strive”; and in 2015, he won for a fourth time, for “Welcome the King”.
In December 2014 he performed with Sting, and in January 2015, he was on the bill of Rebel Salute.
In February of this year, Levi was nominated for a JUNO Award in the Reggae Recording of the Year category for his single “Hello Mama”, his fifth consecutive JUNO nomination.
His haunting and humbling track, “One Suit”, will be featured in the television series, Private Eyes, based on the novel, The Code, by Canadian author, G.B Joyce, and stars Jason Priestley.
Over three nights in June, the third, fourth and fifth, Levi will host a birthday bash at the intimate Sankofa at 1653 Eglinton Avenue West, in Toronto.
Billed as Reggae On Eglinton, the three-night celebration will feature musical performances by Roots Night on the Friday evening, with Roots and culture DJs, African Star, DJ Chocolate, Noble Works and XIXGON spinning from when doors open at 8:30 PM.
Night two, titled Saturday Night Live, will see Exco Levi and his band HighPriest taking the stage, along with JUNO nominee, Ammoye, and Chester Miller with the Hard Core Band.
Night three, branded as Dancehall Jam, will feature performances by Dancehall Don Eyesus, Fire Lion and Don Dem, and selectors will spin tunes all night between performances.
The birthday celebration tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door and can be bought by calling (905) 452-1911..
2016 is off to a great start for Levi, whose career continues to grow and, as the summer weather rolls in, he will pulse the stages of Harbourfront Centre, Dundas Square in Toronto, the JAMBANA™ One World Festival in Markham and the Seattle International Reggae Festival. - PRIDE NEWSPAPER
Discography
WORDS OF THE WISE - EP - 2014
COUNTRY MAN - 2015 - ALBUM
SIREN - SINGLE - 2016
HELLO MAMA - 2016 JUNO NOMINATED SINGLE
Photos
Bio
Born to the religion of music, and chanting faith in Rastafari, Exco Levi is one of Reggae’s most attractive voices who’s unafraid to deliver uplifting messages wrapped in engaging melodic compositions.
Coming from roots based in Manchester, Jamaica, Exco migrated to Toronto, Canada in his teens, and pursued music as a career. Following in the footsteps of his Father who is himself an artist and sound system selector, Exco realized his gift for writing significant lyrics, and weaving those lyrics with song. Using a notebook and pen, Exco has crafted some of the most thought provoking singles in Reggae since 2009. “Bleaching Shop” addresses the controversy of people bleaching their skin to become lighter in complexion, while “Mr. Hammer” speaks to violence plaguing communities, and the irreversible effects of those acts. “Storms of Life”, an internationally accepted anthem, encourages all listeners to not give up even though the storms of life sometimes blow around them.
In recognition of his song writing and music making skills, Exco has earned Canada’s top award in music 4 consecutive times; the JUNO for Best Reggae Recording 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 which is based on votes collected by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. What’s more, Exco has received awards for Promising New Artist (Canadian Reggae Music Awards – 2007), Song of the Year (Irie Music Awards 2011) and Artist of the Year for 2011 which reflect some of the many awards received over the years.
On March 18th, 2015 Exco released his first album, Country Man, which received critical acclaim in Canada, across Europe and Africa. Many tout the album as being one of the best Reggae releases, and a classic because of songs like “Storms of Life,” “Life in the Factory” and “Welcome the King.”
Live performance presence comes naturally to Exco whose command of the stage has earned him placements on world renowned stages in Canada at JAMBANA™ One World Festival, The Montreal International Reggae Festival, in Jamaica at Rebel Salute and Sting, In Europe at the Rototom Reggae Festival, in the Middle East at the Chi showcase held in Dubai and in the U.S. on the prestigious S.O.B’s stage in Manhattan. Colleagues in the industry rate Exco as being one of the best! Collaborations with artists such as Busy Signal (rated as one of Dancehall’s top artists), Marcia Griffiths (backing vocalist for Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the undisputed Queen of Reggae) and Donovan Germaine, Grammy nominated music producer as well as Richie Stephens, Gappy Ranks, Romaine Virgo, Shuga and more are united in agreement that Exco is one of the best.
Exco Levi is one of the best who stays true to his faith, and is unafraid to express it through his religion of music! Produced by Donovan Germain for Exco Levi’s High Priest Music, Country Man is distributed by Pacific Art / Warner Music Canada.
Exco Levi and HighPriest rang in the New Year, with roots rock reggae at Nathan Phillips Square as the City of Toronto launched it's Canada 150 celebrations.
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