Luca Prodan

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

Luca in concert

Born in Rome, he was the son of an Italian father and a Scottish mother. Prodan attended Gordonstoun School, a private boarding school in Scotland, and for some time drifted in Manchester and London. In 1981, after two of his friends died (one of them being Ian Curtis), he moved to Argentina seeking peace to try kicking his heroin addiction. He was able to give up his addiction to heroin, but developed a heavy alcohol dependency instead, which led him to death.

After some time in a farm in the Traslasierra valley in the province of Córdoba, 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 dwelling place), they bear testimony to his musical inspiration and inspirators: Peter Hammill, Nick Drake, Lou Reed, Joy Division and Bob Marley.

After Luca Prodan's death, two bands were formed from former Sumo members: Divididos and Las Pelotas. These names were taken from Luca's comments about Sumo's dissolution, when he said "Divididos, las pelotas", which translates as "separated, bollocks!".

References

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