#2: TOP CANADIAN MALE 2019 – EXCO LEVI
Exco Levi was born Wayne Ford Levy on June 7, 1981 in Manchester and grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica. Since 2005, after emigrating to Canada, he has steadily risen to become one of this country’s most successful reggae artists to date. This hard working and driven Canadian artist currently works with Penthouse Records.
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Exco first scored with the Canadian anthem, ‘Oh Canada‘, in 2006. He is a natural born music man, a talented singer and songwriter, a player of musical instruments, and a person who seems most content because he has been blessed and musically gifted. He is one step above what it means to be a Canadian artist because he does not think like the typical Canadian artist.
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Exco would go on to do bigger songs on iconic record labels like Penthouse, where he would be the sole Canadian representative on riddims usually exclusively reserved for hi-caliber artists the likes of Busy Signal, Romain Virgo, Queen Ifrika, and such. He would team up with the jonesandjonesproductions management team led by Denise Jones, and with that came more artist grants, more sponsorship, more interviews, more radio airplay, more people on the team, and last but not least, more opportunity, including putting together the works that would create the first Exco Levi album to be released on Penthouse.
While it’s difficult for the majority of our Canadian artists who struggle to get their music played on commercial radio, Exco Levi’s music is played regularly on G98.7 FM – the only major commercial radio station in Toronto courageous enough to regularly insert reggae music in their daily musical programming.
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Those who have met Exco would be correct in describing him as a down-to-earth musician, very humble, somewhat private, well mannered, and generally very manageable, staying out of trouble and doing all the right things. His degree of respect from local and international sound crews and fellow artists and musicians is paramount, and every sound man has made it their duty to have at least two or three exclusively designed Exco Levi dubs in their collection.
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Some may consider it an injustice that Exco Levi did not win our ‘Best Canadian Male Artist of 2019′ ReggaeMania.com Award, but to put it frankly, one doesn’t have to feel guilty about this, because Exco doesn’t ‘need’ it, and he knows it. To understand why, just see what we cropped from his Facebook Page;
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EXCO LEVI ACCOLADES IN CANADA
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Exco first scored with the Canadian anthem, ‘Oh Canada‘, in 2006. He is a natural born music man, a talented singer and songwriter, a player of musical instruments, and a person who seems most content because he has been blessed and musically gifted. He is one step above what it means to be a Canadian artist because he does not think like the typical Canadian artist.
♦
Exco would go on to do bigger songs on iconic record labels like Penthouse, where he would be the sole Canadian representative on riddims usually exclusively reserved for hi-caliber artists the likes of Busy Signal, Romain Virgo, Queen Ifrika, and such. He would team up with the jonesandjonesproductions management team led by Denise Jones, and with that came more artist grants, more sponsorship, more interviews, more radio airplay, more people on the team, and last but not least, more opportunity, including putting together the works that would create the first Exco Levi album to be released on Penthouse.
While it’s difficult for the majority of our Canadian artists who struggle to get their music played on commercial radio, Exco Levi’s music is played regularly on G98.7 FM – the only major commercial radio station in Toronto courageous enough to regularly insert reggae music in their daily musical programming.
♦
Those who have met Exco would be correct in describing him as a down-to-earth musician, very humble, somewhat private, well mannered, and generally very manageable, staying out of trouble and doing all the right things. His degree of respect from local and international sound crews and fellow artists and musicians is paramount, and every sound man has made it their duty to have at least two or three exclusively designed Exco Levi dubs in their collection.
♦
Some may consider it an injustice that Exco Levi did not win our ‘Best Canadian Male Artist of 2019′ ReggaeMania.com Award, but to put it frankly, one doesn’t have to feel guilty about this, because Exco doesn’t ‘need’ it, and he knows it. To understand why, just see what we cropped from his Facebook Page;
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EXCO LEVI ACCOLADES IN CANADA
2017 Juno Award – Best Reggae Recording – Siren
2015 Juno Award – Best Reggae Recording – Welcome The King
2014 Juno Award – Best Reggae Recording – Strive
2013 Juno Award – Best Reggae Recording – Storms of Life
2012 Juno Award – Best Reggae Recording – Bleaching Shop
2011 Inaugural Irie Music Award – Song of the Year and Best Recording for Bleaching Shop
2011 Reggae Music Achievement Award – Artist of the Year
2009 Reggae Music Achievement Award – Best Male DJ
2007 Canadian Reggae Music Award – Most Promising New Artist
PERFORMANCES
Reggae Geel (Belgium) | Reggae Jam (Germany) | Rototom Sunsplash (Spain)
Hill Vibes Reggae Fest (Austria) | Sting (Jamaica)
Czech Republic/Zimbabwe/Malawi/Dubai/Finland/Switzerland/Norway/Berlin/Italy/Barcelona/Portugal
You see our point, Exco has already done it all, especially here in Canada where he is so adorned. He has had an excess amount of performance opportunities compared to any other Toronto reggae artist. During the past few years, he has performed on literally every major show and festival in Canada. As part of the conscious-artist movement, he’s sought after regularly for international stage shows and tours featuring mammoth artists the likes of Chronixx and Luciano.
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Things are at the point now where one has to ask, after Exco has done so much for our country, what more can Canada do for Exco Levi? What more is left for Exco to do here, when he seems to have already done it all. And if Exco has done it all, then personally, is that enough for Exco Levi? If he has already peaked as an artist, is there another gear left?
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Exco Levi is a great artist and we have to be patient with him. Personally, I still find his vocal range somewhat restrictive, which is why some of his songs have a tendency to sound the same. I remember seeing Exco in concert at the Opera House, and feeling after a solid performance, like the whole show went by in a blur.
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Exco just has to keep doing what he’s doing, an example of a few artists out there who are primed, ready to embrace stardom, yet still needing to find the right ingredients for a hit song that will put them through the gates of the international market. His most recent release, ‘Still Be Loving You’ (Time & Prayer Riddim), is his latest effort designed to do just that – push Exco Levi through the gate.
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Congratulations to Exco Levi, our ReggaeMania.com 2019 ‘Top’s’ runner-up for ‘Top Canadian Male Artist of 2019′.
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