French-Caribbean reggae artiste Yaniss Odua is pleased that his latest single Lighta has been given a “stamp of approval” from the Jamaican audience, with the video for the project racking up near 1.3 million views on YouTube since its release.

He is particularly pleased that the song is doing well in Jamaica, popping up on local mixtapes and generating play at the street dances in the Corporate Area.

“Jamaica has given the song a huge stamp of approval. The song and video are gaining traction mostly in Jamaica, and the analytics show that 70 per cent of the YouTube listening comes from the island, “ an excited Yaniss Odua said.

The song is one of the most listened to songs in the top 100 of the Apple Music charts.

The Lighta song is based on the humourous ‘lighter-disappearing’ scenario that most Jamaican smokers know only too well.

“The song Lighta is a song that I wanted to write a good 10 years ago; it’s a story that all smokers know… I had put the idea away in the back of my mind, but my manager pushed me to bring it out. This is a common experience among smokers and reggae lovers — the mysterious disappearance of lighters. You have a lighter now and in two hours it’s gone. Somebody has taken it,” Yaniss Odua said jokingly.

The lighter is a tool for igniting both tobacco and ganja, a practice which is ingrained in various aspects of Jamaican culture as it symbolises hustle, resilience, and even a street-smart way of hiding contraband.

Produced by legendary producer Clive Hunt, the track blends reggae, dancehall, and French-Caribbean influences, staying true to Yaniss Odua’s signature sound.

The single is backed by a high-energy music video directed by Maxime Rey & Hood with production support from Gwaan Films and Pete Beng. The single is also gaining traction in France, one of the world’s largest reggae markets.

Born in Martinique and, based in France, Yaniss Odua has spent two decades captivating audiences worldwide with singles like La Caraïbe, Rouge Jaune Vert, and Chalawa, serving up tens of millions of streams on
YouTube.

Inspired by reggae legends such as Jacob Miller, Peter Tosh, Sanchez, and Bushman, Yaniss Odua blends his Caribbean heritage with European influences to create a unique sound that bridges cultures and generations.