Xana Romeo honours father Max Romeo’s legacy with ‘The Divine Blueprint’
Published:Sunday | December 7, 2025 | 12:09 AMYasmine Peru - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Reggae chanteuse Xana Romeo exudes a girlish excitement when talking about her new album, but there is still a bit of nostalgia that seeps through. However, the singer, who is among her siblings carrying on her father Max Romeo’s legacy, knows how to rein it in and stay fixed on topic.
January 9, 2026, is the official date for the release of her third full-length album, which is actually a double album, with each one having its own name. The full mix is titled The Divine Blueprint while the dub side is called The Divine Dub.
Produced by her long-time collaborator Jallanzo, who also produced her two previous albums, Wake Up (2016) and The Roots of X (2021), the album has 12 tracks and five collaborations. Among the featured artistes are father Max Romeo, Lutan Fyah, Micah Shemaiah, Azizzi Romeo, Addis Pablo, and Jallanzo.
“One track from the project was released on November 22 of this year, what would have been my dad’s 81st birthday. It is a tribute in honour of my father. The track is the feature from the album with my dad and Addis Pablo titled Over All,” Xana explained.
She told The Sunday Gleaner that it was extremely important for her to pay tribute to her father on The Divine Blueprint, an album which “marks a transformative new chapter for the singer ... and shows her at her most intentional, expressive, and spiritually attuned”.
“I started working on this album just before my father passed, truly believing we’d celebrate its release together like we always had,” she said, the nostalgia surfacing again. “I never imagined that the last song we recorded would become a tribute to his final moments. One week we were side by side in the studio. The next, I was sitting there alone, listening to the last piece of music we ever created together.”
My greatest supporter
Legendary reggae artiste Max Romeo, whose roots are embedded in roots reggae, passed away on April 11 from heart complications. He was 80.
Xana continued: “My father was my greatest supporter and the force behind my entire musical journey. He saw my potential long before I recognised it myself, and everything I create is rooted in honouring his legacy for the generations coming after us. Releasing the first track from the album on his birthday is my way of showing that even though he’s no longer physically here, pieces of him will always remain, just like that last session we shared.”
As a foundation singer, Max Romeo has had an impressive history and legacy, and his daughter knows exactly how she wants him to be remembered by the world. She fondly recalled that her father was so protective that it wasn’t until she was in high school that she knew that he sang the lascivious Wet Dream, which was banned by the BBC Radio in the UK although it became a top 10 hit.
“My father began as the fearless young Max Romeo, making history with Wet Dream, one of reggae’s earliest breakthrough hits. His journey into Rastafari transformed both his message and his mission, and becoming a father deepened that evolution even further. That shift led to the creation of the landmark War Inna Babylon album and the many powerful works that followed. He wanted his children to grow up hearing words that uplifted them, not just entertained them. I didn’t even know he sang Wet Dream until I was in high school, and I’ve always admired how he protected us from the dangers of the world, even the small part he once played in them,” the daughter of the legend told The Sunday Gleaner.
She added: “No one is perfect, but to me, my father came incredibly close. Everything he did was driven by love for us and for the generations still to come. His lyrics are lessons, a guide he left behind for all of us. I want him to be remembered as the man who ‘chased the devil out of earth’ so the children of the world could grow up safe, protected, and surrounded by love. And now it’s my turn to continue the work he started, “onward, forward”, just like he always said.”
In quoting the line “chased the devil out of earth”, Xana referenced her father’s massive hit, Chase the Devil. This remains the subject of a $15 million lawsuit filed in 2022 against UMG Recordings and Polygram Publishing, alleging nearly 50 years of unpaid royalties for hits like Chase The Devil and War Ina Babylon. Following his death, his family vowed to continue the legal fight.
Born Azana Makeda Smith on August 26, 1994, in Greenwich Town, Xana Romeo, her bio states, “represents a generation of storytellers whose powerful messages touch hearts, open eyes, and inspire minds”.
With The Divine Blueprint, Xana, who is working on a promo tour of Europe for 2026, boldly honours the noble tradition of roots reggae while ensuring its continuity. “I am on a mission to correct the false narrative that roots reggae is declining. This album proves that reggae is alive, evolving, and thriving,” Xana declared.