Ras Nas
Encyclopedia
Born in Morogoro Ras Nas aka Nasibu Mwanukuzi, is a musician and poet from Tanzania who blends African music and reggae with a dash of poetry. Ras Nas' latest album, Dar-es-Salaam, contains roots reggae, soukous and dub poetry. It is released by Kongoi Productions, KonPro. Dar-es-Salaam has received a five star review in one of Norway's biggest dailies, Dagsavisen.
Recently, Ras Nas was featured on BBC World Service
, The Beat program. The weekly program, reaching millions of listeners world wide, is presented by Mark Coles. Other artists on the program were Wyclef Jean
and Zoe Rahman
.
Among Ras Nas merits is sharing stage with Bob Dylan
, Van Morrison
and Lou Reed
at the Norwegian Wood Festival. Ras Nas has also warmed up for a number of reggae heavyweights like Luciano, I Jah Man, Linton Kwesi Johnson
and Junior Delgado.
Ras Nas' latest CD Dar-es-Salaam contains a mix of reggae and African music, soukous. In this CD Ras Nas has worked with a number of musicians from nine different countries. These include Norwegian blues guitarist and singer Knut Reiersrud
, Rolf Erik Nystrøm, Keppy Kiombile from Kilimanjaro Band, Norman Bikaka from Shada Band and drummer Uriel Seri from Ivory Coast.
Ras Nas aka Nasibu started writing African poetry at the age of 17 and experimented with various forms of African chanting and African drumming. Ran short of paint. Studied Law at the University of Dar es Salaam
where he graduated with an LLB degree in 1984. Ras Nas has worked as a journalist for Daily News as well as a correspondent for Africa magazine, covering mainly cultural issues.
During his youth Ras Nas listened to a lot of Tanzanian music by guitarists like Wema Abdallah, Mbaraka Mwinshehe and his Likembe Mahoka style (from Morogoro), Segere Matata (from Tabora) as well as Michael Enok of Dar Jazz, from Dar es Salaam
.
Other influences is from the Congolese maestros like Luambo Makiadi and his T.P OK Jazz, Dr. Nico of African Fiesta Sukisa and countless other African musicians who have helped to mold African music and inspired another generation of musicians. More impulses came from Caribbean music
of the late 1960s which was popular in East Africa. Also influenced by the early reggae greats, the likes of Bob Marley
, Burning Spear
, Gregory Isaacs
, and Linton Kwesi Johnson
, to name but a few. All this has helped to shape Ras Nas' musical style.
In 1982 Nasibu co-founded a powerful poetry and drama group "SAYARI" in Dar-es-salaam. The group combined African music, poetry, miming, dance and drama and toured extensively in Scandinavia. Moved on to Oslo in 1985 to study Mass Communications at the University of Oslo, UIO.
In 1985 he initiated "UMOJA" group in Oslo which blended traditional African music and dance. He also co-founded "ARTISTS FOR LIBERATION", a forerunner to Nordic Black Theater. In 1989 he published his first collection of African poetry, Double Focus, (Kongoi Productions). Together with Reginald T.Oliver (Papa Lion) and James Toney Jr. he formed NASIBU and the DUAL VISION, a trio that performed rhythmic poetry coated with vibral African chanting, harmonies and drumming. The trio changed name to "THE COLD FIRE" bringing in a Zimbabwean bassist, Clive Brown, and produced a music cassette during a tour in Germany.
In 1990 Nasibu went solo and formed his own band under his artist name, RAS NAS. The band had a début concert in July 1991, at a party to mark the 99th anniversary of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. The party was organized by the Rastafari Cultural Foundation in Oslo. The year after, Ras Nas performed for Nelson Mandela
, celebrating his release from Robben Island
prison. This happened in Oslo, on Mr. Mandela's first visit to Norway.
In 1997 he produced Ras Nas début CD Cut You Loose, (Kongoi Productions). (RNCD9701), working together with Charles Mena from Nicaragua, Chuck Frazier, a musician from Texas and Ishamel de Leon from Trinidad.
Ras Nas tracks can be also be found in other music compilations, the most notable being AMUN Tropical Acts vol.1, a compilation by African musicians living in Norway and RAW 2000 by Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide.
Galle Music Festival, Sri Lanka - December 2009
Oslo World Music Festival - 3rd November 2007
Oslo Mela - 18th August 2007
World Performing Arts and Music Festival - Lahore (Pakistan). Nov. 2006
Oslo Mela Festival (with Ngoma Rhythms). August 2006
Zanzibar International Film Festival (with Mandingo Trio). July 2006
Recently, Ras Nas was featured on BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
, The Beat program. The weekly program, reaching millions of listeners world wide, is presented by Mark Coles. Other artists on the program were Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Zoe Rahman
Zoe Rahman
Zoe Rahman is a British jazz composer and pianist.-Education:Born and raised in Chichester, United Kingdom. Rahman studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, a music degree at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of...
.
Among Ras Nas merits is sharing stage with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
at the Norwegian Wood Festival. Ras Nas has also warmed up for a number of reggae heavyweights like Luciano, I Jah Man, Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
and Junior Delgado.
Ras Nas' latest CD Dar-es-Salaam contains a mix of reggae and African music, soukous. In this CD Ras Nas has worked with a number of musicians from nine different countries. These include Norwegian blues guitarist and singer Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. He lives in Oslo...
, Rolf Erik Nystrøm, Keppy Kiombile from Kilimanjaro Band, Norman Bikaka from Shada Band and drummer Uriel Seri from Ivory Coast.
Ras Nas aka Nasibu started writing African poetry at the age of 17 and experimented with various forms of African chanting and African drumming. Ran short of paint. Studied Law at the University of Dar es Salaam
University of Dar es Salaam
The University of Dar es Salaam is a university in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The university was born out of a decision taken in 1970 to split the then University of East Africa into three independent universities; Makerere University , University of Nairobi and University of Dar es...
where he graduated with an LLB degree in 1984. Ras Nas has worked as a journalist for Daily News as well as a correspondent for Africa magazine, covering mainly cultural issues.
During his youth Ras Nas listened to a lot of Tanzanian music by guitarists like Wema Abdallah, Mbaraka Mwinshehe and his Likembe Mahoka style (from Morogoro), Segere Matata (from Tabora) as well as Michael Enok of Dar Jazz, from Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
.
Other influences is from the Congolese maestros like Luambo Makiadi and his T.P OK Jazz, Dr. Nico of African Fiesta Sukisa and countless other African musicians who have helped to mold African music and inspired another generation of musicians. More impulses came from Caribbean music
Caribbean music
The music of the Caribbean is a diverse grouping of musical genres. They are each syntheses of African, European, Indian and native influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves...
of the late 1960s which was popular in East Africa. Also influenced by the early reggae greats, the likes of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, and Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
, to name but a few. All this has helped to shape Ras Nas' musical style.
In 1982 Nasibu co-founded a powerful poetry and drama group "SAYARI" in Dar-es-salaam. The group combined African music, poetry, miming, dance and drama and toured extensively in Scandinavia. Moved on to Oslo in 1985 to study Mass Communications at the University of Oslo, UIO.
In 1985 he initiated "UMOJA" group in Oslo which blended traditional African music and dance. He also co-founded "ARTISTS FOR LIBERATION", a forerunner to Nordic Black Theater. In 1989 he published his first collection of African poetry, Double Focus, (Kongoi Productions). Together with Reginald T.Oliver (Papa Lion) and James Toney Jr. he formed NASIBU and the DUAL VISION, a trio that performed rhythmic poetry coated with vibral African chanting, harmonies and drumming. The trio changed name to "THE COLD FIRE" bringing in a Zimbabwean bassist, Clive Brown, and produced a music cassette during a tour in Germany.
In 1990 Nasibu went solo and formed his own band under his artist name, RAS NAS. The band had a début concert in July 1991, at a party to mark the 99th anniversary of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. The party was organized by the Rastafari Cultural Foundation in Oslo. The year after, Ras Nas performed for Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, celebrating his release from Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
prison. This happened in Oslo, on Mr. Mandela's first visit to Norway.
In 1997 he produced Ras Nas début CD Cut You Loose, (Kongoi Productions). (RNCD9701), working together with Charles Mena from Nicaragua, Chuck Frazier, a musician from Texas and Ishamel de Leon from Trinidad.
Ras Nas tracks can be also be found in other music compilations, the most notable being AMUN Tropical Acts vol.1, a compilation by African musicians living in Norway and RAW 2000 by Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide.
Some earlier festivals
Spring Festival 2010, Cairo and Beirut - May 2010Galle Music Festival, Sri Lanka - December 2009
Oslo World Music Festival - 3rd November 2007
Oslo Mela - 18th August 2007
World Performing Arts and Music Festival - Lahore (Pakistan). Nov. 2006
Oslo Mela Festival (with Ngoma Rhythms). August 2006
Zanzibar International Film Festival (with Mandingo Trio). July 2006