by Howard Campbell
TORONTO, Canada – In the heady summer of 2020, Lavie Lujah was among the millions of people shocked by the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis. It inspired him to write I Can’t Breathe, maybe the last words Floyd uttered before he died.
I Can’t Breathe, the Toronto-based Jamaican’s first song, set the pace for I am Lavie Lujah, his debut album which was released in October.
It came out one year after the singer and his team began production on the set which includes Certified Yardie, which won the inaugural Jamaica International Independence Festival Song Competition in 2021.
There are a hefty 21 songs on I am Lavie Lujah which the singer believes has broad appeal.
“I am hoping to reach a cross-section of music lovers all over the world and definitely lovers of reggae music,” he said.
Lavie Lujah is originally from St. Elizabeth parish in southern Jamaica, known as the country’s bread basket because of its vast farmlands.
He has lived in Canada for 20 years, working as a behavior specialist. However, Lavie Lujah never abandoned his ambition of being a recorded singer which came true two years ago with I Can’t Breathe.
Certified Yardie won him acclaim in the Jamaican Diaspora but he is looking for even greater things with I am Lavie Lujah.
“This album is a message to those who think it’s too late to pursue a dream and it’s a reminder to my community that there is that genius in everyone who is courageous enough to dare,” he said.
