Luciano Messenjah: That's What I Call....

This inspired me in many ways, especially as it was a new genre of reggae coming out of the UK that swept the world. At the time, I was still searching to find my feet in my own musical career and the track that I was most intrigued by was ‘Kingston Town’. As a young man born and raised up in the countryside and only being able to visit Kingston on rare occasions, I felt like it really captured the true mood of city. I would also never have dreamt that in years to come, I would get the opportunity to perform on the same stage as this group.

Simply Red’s debut album also touched me deeply as it portrayed the fact that the artist came from humble beginnings and it just had that feel as if it was written from real-life experiences. This sentiment especially came through with the track entitled ‘Holding Back The Years’, which is a song that I used to play whenever I felt like my career was at a standstill.

I’ve known Maxi Priest for many years. His vocals have always been amazingly distinctive. Intentions came out at a time when he was very much at the peak of his career and definitely put him at the very pinnacle of the UK Reggae fraternity. ‘Let Me Know’, was one of my favourites and very meaningful to me, as I remember playing it at a moment when it was extremely significant to my relationship status at the time.

Anthony Gadd’s songs are mostly based on the journey we all take through lives in one way or another. The lyrical content is full of real-life experiences, which people from all walks of life can relate to, including myself, and my favourite track of the album is ‘Better Place’. I remember one particular day when I was going through some personal issues and had to move offices. While packing all my stuff, I had this song on repeat all day long.

Steel Pulse’s emergence to the reggae scene, with songs that rebelled against the system, swept across the globe and started a worldwide movement, which inspired a lot of young people of all different races. Their robust Rastafarian image also stood out and was a testimony of what survival was, outside the norms of society. Even though my favourite song ‘Steppin’ Out’ isn’t that rebellious lyrically, it is one that I often put on repeat when I was in a serious dancing mood.