Wayne Ford Levy (born c.1981),Krewen, Nick (2017)

, ''Toronto Star'', August 5, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017. (Aged 36 in August 2017) known by his stage name Exco Levi, is a

Brampton Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...

-based, Jamaican-Canadian

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

musician.Patrick, Ryan B. (2017)
Exco Levi, Canada's Most Acclaimed Reggae Artist, Faces an Uphill Climb
, ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'', December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017Exco Levi — sticking to his roots
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 6 March 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015 Levi has won five

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

s."Gord Downie wins three Junos at music awards gala dinner Saturday night"
''London Free Press'', Lynn Saxberg and Peter Hum. April 1, 2017

Career

Born in Harmons in

Manchester Parish The Parish of Manchester () is a Parishes of Jamaica, parish located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its Capital (political), capital, Mandeville, Jamaica, Mandeville, is a major business centre. Its St. Paul of the Cross ...

, Jamaica, Levi's early singing experience came from the school choir. His father, Michael 'Mr Cool' Levy worked as a selector on the Super Soul

sound system Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

in Clarendon. He moved to Canada in 2005, and started his recording career in 2007, releasing the single "O' Canada" that year.Panjwani, Radhika
"Canada’s high priest of reggae Exco Levi finds a spot in Brampton’s Walk of Fame"
, ''Brampton Guardian'', September 19, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2017 His 'Exco' stage name is a reference to his football idol,

Andrés Escobar Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed ''The Gentleman'', ...

. Levi was introduced to producer

Donovan Germain Donovan Germain OD (born 7 March 1952 in Jamaica) is a reggae producer, one of the most successful of the digital era. Biography Germain's entry into the music industry was via his record shop in New York City in the 1970s.Larkin, Colin (1998) "T ...

Richie Stephens Richard Stephenson (born 5 December 1966), better known as Richie Stephens is a Jamaican R&B, dancehall and reggae singer and producer. Biography Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica,

, and the two began working together. His track "Bleaching Shop", recorded with Germain, won the

for Reggae Recording of the Year in 2012. He also won Junos for "Storms of Life" (2013), and "Strive" (2014).Exco Levi strives for Juno triple
, ''

'', 12 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014 He has also worked with German producers Silly Walks. In December 2014 he performed at Sting, and in January 2015 he was on the bill of

Rebel Salute Rebel Salute is an annual music festival held in Jamaica. It is held on January 15 of every year, the birthday of promoter Tony Rebel. It is one of Jamaica's biggest music festivals, known for its focus on roots and conscious music. Rebel began the ...

. In March 2015 he released his second album, ''Country Man''. He won a fourth Juno Award for 2015's "Welcome the King". In 2016, Levi was living and maintaining a studio in

, Ontario, while also working at times in Jamaica. That year he was inducted into the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame. In 2017, Levi won a fifth Juno Award for his reggae song "Siren". In November 2017, Levi released his third album, ''Narrative'', featuring guest contributions from Raging Fyah and

Sizzla Miguel Orlando Collins (born 17 April 1976), known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji or Sizzla, is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his high num ...

. In 2019, Levi was nominated for a Juno Award for the seventh time in eight years for his ''Narrative'' album which was produced by Silly Walks from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. In 2020, the song "Wah Gwaan" earned Levi his eighth Juno nomination. Most recently Levi received his ninth Juno Award nomination in 2022, for the song "By Any Means".

Discography

Albums

*''Words of the Wise'' EP (2014), VP *''Country Man'' (2015),

High Priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...

/ Penthouse *''Narrative'' (2017), Silly Walks Discotheque *''Black Creek'' EP (2021), High Priest.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Levi, Exco Canadian reggae musicians Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year winners Musicians from Brampton Living people 21st-century Black Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian singers Jamaican emigrants to Canada Jamaican reggae singers 21st-century Jamaican male singers Musicians from Manchester Parish Year of birth missing (living people) 1980s births