The family of well-known reggae artiste Ijahman Levi is asking for prayers from his fans and supporters at this time as he battles COVID-19.

He is reportedly under medical supervision, and is recuperating at a facility in France. 

“Ijahman had performed at the ‘No Logo’ festival in France, and he did a COVID-19 test and returned a positive result. He deteriorated and we are asking the public for prayers for him to pull through. He is conscious now, and he has great family support and a team of dedicated medical professionals around him 24-7,” manager Cabel Stephenson said. 

Known for the cult classic, Jah Heavy Load, Ijahman Levi is a top-tier touring reggae act who has been part of the industry for four decades. He recently performed at three shows including the No Logo Festival in France where he was expected to record and film a live performance album. However, he was ailing and could only manage to perform at the show. 

Born June 21, 1946 in Christiana, Manchester, Levi, whose real name is Trevor Sutherland, was mentored by musician and vocal teacher, Joe Higgs. He became Ijahman Levi after a religious conversion to Rastafari when he was in prison between 1972 and 1974. 

In 1975, Levi recorded Jah Heavy Load for the Concrete Jungle subsidiary of Dip Records.

He also recorded two albums on Chris Blackwell’s Island Records – Haile I Hymn, released in 1978, and Are We A Warrior, released in 1979.

In 1985, Levi released I Do, a duet he recorded with his second wife, Madge, which became his best internationally known hit as it performed well on the British reggae charts, hitting number one for several weeks. 

-Claude Mills