Back in the 1990s, Luciano was one of the artistes who proudly carried the Rastafarian banner with a flurry of radio-friendly songs like Lord Give me Strength and It’s me Again Jah, that won over hardcore dancehall fans.

It has been some time since the self-proclaimed Messenger rode the charts, but he still holds his own as a touring act. In March, he is scheduled to do an eight-date tour of Europe, that kicks off on the 12th in Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.

The trek moves on to Mannheim, Germany, the following day, with Amsterdam in the Netherlands on the 14th.

Luciano — whose last studio album, The Answer, was released in 2020 — will also perform in Paris, France, before returning to Germany for four gigs that close the tour. Those shows are in Hannover, Kiel, Nuremburg and Leipzig.

The singer is expected back in Germany in August for a one-off show in Hamburg.

After two years of COVID-19 lockdowns, European governments eased restrictions caused by the pandemic last year, which saw a return of major reggae festivals like Rototom Sunsplash in Spain and Summerjam in Germany.

This year, many dancehall/reggae acts such as Stephen Marley, Sean Paul, Anthony B, Sister Nancy and Steel Pulse will perform on pre-summer events in the United States, Europe and Australia.

— Howard Campbell