Luca Prodan

Luca George Prodan
Prodan photographed for the cover of suplement Sí of Clarín, a few days before his death.
Background information
Born	(1989-12-17)December 17, 1989 Rome, Italy
Died	December 22, 1987(1987-12-22) (aged 34) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Genres	Rock, Punk rock, New Wave, Reggae
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass guitar
Years active	1970s-1987

Luca Prodan (17 May 1953 - 22 December 1987) was an Italian-Argentine musician.

He was the son of an Austrian father and a Scottish mother, born in Rome after the return of the Prodan family from China, where Luca's father had set up a prosperous business based on his expertise in ancient Chinese pottery, which became untenable after the Japanese invasion of China in the WWII era. Prodan attended Gordonstoun School, a private boarding school in Scotland, and for some time drifted in Manchester and London.

Subsequently established in London in the 1970s, Luca worked at record company EMI. While in London, he also formed his first band: The New Clear Heads, which shared aesthetics with contemporary punk bands like XTC, The Fall, Joy Division and Wire.

In 1981, after a heroin crisis in the late 1970s London, he moved to the farm of an old Anglo-Argentine friend (Timmy McKern) in the central hills of Córdoba Province Argentina seeking peace to try to kick his heroin addiction.

After some time at the farm in the Traslasierra valley, he settled in Hurlingham (a suburb of Buenos Aires), where he founded and led Sumo and the Hurlingham Reggae Band.

Prodan died either of a heart attack or cirrhosis of the liver in Buenos Aires shortly before Christmas 1987.

After his death, he became one of the most recognized icons of Argentine rock culture. Graffiti stating "Luca Not Dead" have been spotted around the world, especially in South America and Europe.

Two posthumous records of pre-Sumo recordings are available and show us an "insider's" view of the artist. Recorded mostly in the Traslasierra region of Cordoba, Argentina (his initial home territory), they bear testimony to his musical influences and inspiration: Peter Hammill, Nick Drake, Lou Reed, Ian Dury, Joy Division and Bob Marley.

After Luca Prodan's death, two bands were formed by former Sumo members: Divididos and Las Pelotas.

He was the older brother of film actor and composer Andrea Prodan.

Discography

With Sumo

• Corpiños en la madrugada (1983)
• Divididos por la felicidad (1985)
• Llegando los monos (1986)
• After chabón (1987)
• Fiebre (1989)

Solo

• Time Fate Love, recorded in 1980 (1996)
• Perdedores Hermosos (Beautiful Losers), recorded in 1981 (1997)

References

• Luca Prodan at Find a Grave