Reggae Ambassador , born in Switzerland to immigrant parents, raised in Rome. Years spent in Jamaica and Germany, before finally returning to his roots in Cilento, where he establishes an association to promote art and culture. A pioneer of Italian reggae, he founded Rome’s first sound system, One Love Hi Pawa.
Organizer of numerous concerts, historic radio host for Radio Onda Rossa, and co-founder of Potradio, Italy’s reggae web radio. Manager of the iconic record store in San Lorenzo, Rome, called One Love Corner, and a record distributor in Kingston, Jamaica. He is also the voice of the dancehall area at Rototom Sunsplash and the organizer of the renowned Ras a Roma event.
Describing Jamaican music as ‘an addiction’, he garners ‘respect’ from all corners, including from Jamaican artists, where he resided for twelve years.
During the ’80s, he began hosting one of the capital’s first radio programs dedicated to reggae. However, he rose to fame towards the end of the decade with the launch of the radio format ‘Daje Pure Te’, which aired on Radio Onda Rossa frequencies until 2015.
Then, in 1991, came the birth of One Love Hi-Pawa: ‘a natural necessity‘, according to Lampa Dread, influenced by his punk background and the early ska revival. Raised on rock music, from the Sex Pistols to the Clash, he later immersed himself in Jamaican culture, from Bob Marley to mainstream sounds.
A deep passion for reggae that originated from the Clash’s covers of two Jamaican songs, including Police And Thieves by Lee Perry.
Additionally, the Clash’s album White Riot, which discusses the Notting Hill clashes and states, ‘If these blacks riot, then I want my own white riot too’, serves as an influence. It’s not a racial demand, but rather a portrayal of whites and blacks crossing paths on the streets, united by their mutual love for music.
Furthermore, the role played by radio in spreading the genre, from early dedicated broadcasts, translating lyrics, to historical research about everything related to reggae, as well as revival movements and even hip-hop, a child of sound system culture.
Lampadread continues to be one of the most influential DJs in both national and international Dancehalls today. Typical of Fada (as he is called by the genre’s youth), his entertainment features a mix of Patois and Roman dialect, all while behind the DJ console with a microphone in hand.
