Return ticket for Luciano: Excited to perform in NY after seven-year visa woe
Booked for Westchester Reggae Festival
Published:Monday | August 21, 2023 | 12:06 AMAnthony Turner/Gleaner Writer
Westchester, NY:
Seven years ago, Luciano, known for celebrated hits like One Way Ticket, Your World Or Mine, It’s Me Again Jah and Lord Give Me Strength, had his US visa and work permit revoked. It was a dark day for the reggae industry, but today is a new day for the ‘Messenger’ and he is raring to visit New York again and deliver a strong performance for his fans, who have not seen him in concert for a long time.
Labour Day weekend in New York City, which hosts the annual West Indian Parade - the largest celebration of Caribbean cultures in the world - will get a major infusion of reggae this year with a highly anticipated performance from singer Luciano on September 2 at the Westchester Reggae Festival. The event takes place at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.
Luciano, who will be backed by Derrick Barnett & The Statement Band, will be joined by singer Mikey Spice and reggae ambassadors Third World, who are celebrating 50 years in the industry.
“I’m so excited and definitely anticipate performing for my people,” Luciano told The Gleaner.
“For my Westchester County fans, I intend to perform to the best of my ability and to really touch their hearts ... . I intend to give them a good, positive vibration, a good inspiration, especially after being away such a long time. Jah always bless I with some inspiration and some ideas, so we keep working non-stop” he shared.
Event promoter Andrea Bullens, who was a member of the Groovin’ In The Park team in 2016, when Luciano last performed in New York City, said that Luciano “is just the right talent that will add lustre to our festival line-up, and the activities that will be available for the three million-plus visitors who will pour into the city for Labour Day weekend”.
Some 30-plus years into his international career, the Rastafarian reggae messenger continues to record new material and is preparing to release a number of tracks.
“We just released a single on an Afrobeats rhythm called Africa We Love You that shows our versatility, even though we are not selling out our reggae genre. We also have some collaborations in the pipeline, and we are also working on my acoustic album,” he shared.