All the way from Italy, the Senegalese reggae artist Ashraff30 for the first time in South Africa
Ashraff30 is reggae artist from Dakar, Senegal who is based in Italy and is currently in South Africa to perform in Newtown, Johannesburg. During his youth in Senegal, he measured himself with Hip Hop, but it is in Reggae that he found his true calling. He relocated to Italy in the early 2000s and in a short period, he co-founded his first reggae group Kayamama with some Italian musicians and it was followed by his debut EP ‘Tambali’. 2013 saw the release of his debut album ‘On the Way’ and in 2016, he released his first solo album ‘Colours and Cultures’ and embarked on a “Colours and Cultures Tour” in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea. His latest offering, ‘Nostalgy’ the album, released in 2018 is a personal journey that culminated in his tour to South Africa, his first visit to South Africa and he will be performing with ZionRuts Family.
SoulSista caught up with him for a quick chat before his live show at Newtown.
What does your name Ashraff30 mean, What does the 30 signify?
I just want to say the pleasure is all mine, it’s my first time here in South Africa. Ashraff comes from the Arabic language and it means “a man with a clean heart” not to say that I am but that is what I am striving to be as a human being. The 30, my first and only son was born when I was thirty years old and he is the love of my life hence the name Ashraff30.
Wow that’s very beautiful, how did you end up in Italy, did you relocate with your parent’s or it’s something that happened later in your life? If so, why Italy out off the places in the world?
I was 26 years when I first went there alone not with my parents and I’ve been living there for the past 15 years. I first went there when I had to do some training in the packaging sector and I had hoped to go back to Senegal to open a workshop dealing with that kind of work but at some point I decided to remain in Italy also because Italy allowed me to go deeper with the music, I had my first reggae band in 2007 that is how my story with reggae began and I want to say thanks to Italy because it has made me grow a lot musically and now I have three albums in the International market
As much as you grew up listening to reggae, whilst you were in Italy for the training what is that one thing that made you want to start a band or be with a band or sing reggae music?
I think everything happens for a reason because when I was there the first time I used to go to a venue called One Love in Milan to watch the live reggae performances. There was a man named Egigio Brugali he used to play Bob Marley’s songs and one night I don’t why, don’t ask me why (laughs) but when they were playing Redemption song I went on the stage, took the mic and I began to sing and that was the first step of my journey. When I finished I went out because It was a bit hot and Marco Gnocchi the drummer who worked with Ergigio came to me and asked me for my numbers and suggested that we should do a project together. That’s where the Kayamama Reggae Evolution was born.
It’s is true everything happens for a reason and everything has it’s own timing, so wasn’t it difficult singing in your own language in a foreign country and why was it important for you to keep that part of who you are?
I think music is a universal language because music is done by two things: The message and The melodies and about my topics, there are topics that speaks about Africa, about my country Senegal, so to be able to reach the masses at home so that they can understand the concept better it is important that I sing in Wolof my native language and with other topics regarding Italy, Europe or any other international topic I sing in English. I choose the language according to the topics. I think that it is important for an artist to not loose their Identity because if you loose it then you are nothing.
You sing a lot, like you are saying, about things that happen in African countries and mostly it’s about a positive message that you are trying to send out there, why is that important to Ashraff30 and do you think every artist should strive for that?
I think a singer, an artist is an ambassador and also a mediator. I always say that a microphone is something that is important cause it’s a responsibility and when you speak loud and people are listening to you, it is important that you give them positive messages, it is important to educate them. It is also important to try and make their lives better. I don’t only speak about positive messages, I also speak about problems, political problems that happen in my continent, in my country, the problem of racism that happen directly in Italy or in Europe. I think that an artist is the voice of the voiceless, that’s why it is important to speak about problems in all their entirety.
Talking about racism was is not very difficult for you to breakthrough in the Italian market, as a foreigner in that country?
There is a part of Italy that has racism, but on another side the fact that one is black and does reggae music is a privilege because people recognise you as someone who does something that belongs to you, they recognise me, they see reggae in me that’s why when black people do reggae it is something that is holey appreciated, The Italians love my music and I have a following.
Why did you break away from the Kayamama Reggae Evolution and went solo as Ashraff30?
After seven years of experience with Kayamama I felt the need to go on a solo career. I think that music is a shelter, a refuge and where there is music everything has to be ok, people must be happy. So after seven years we began to have some problems about communication and when you have seven heads, where everyone wants to make decisions it can be a problem. I began to feel some bad vibes and music is very important to me and it’s important that with people with whom I do music with that we have good feelings amongst each other, where there are no good feelings there can’t be good music, that’s why I decided to go on a solo journey and that’s where the Project Ashraff30 was born.
Weren’t you initially scared, because in a band you have seven people that you can bounce off ideas with, weren’t you afraid of being “alone”?
No I don’t feel alone, I’m still friends with them just musically talking I took this decision to try and persevere the personal friendship, besides us being musicians we were also friends. I prefer to keep a positive contact with them instead of quarrelling with them that’s why I took this decision, it was hard at first because we have seven years of projects together but sometimes the hardest choice is the better they ones for always the best choice and I’m conscious about it, now when I have a performance coming up, I work with professionals only, people who do this for a living and it’s easier for me this way.
How have you grown as an artists, from when you started up to now with the latest Album Nostalgy? And how has your sound changed?
My First EP was in 2012 named Tambali (The beginning) in 2013 with Kayamama we released our first Album called ‘On The Way’ and 2016 it was the year of Colours and Cultures which was my first album as a solo artist and in 2018 we had Nostalgy which is the last one. ‘On The Way’ speaks about the fact that I leave my native country to a new country and speaks also about new experiences. Colours and Culture, as the name says speaks about the problems and differences during this period in Europe, Italy. That’s why the albums speaks about racism and discrimination and all kind of problems in the society and problems that affects families also. In Nostalgy it is a bit clear, after 15 years in another continent, another country, you feel the desire to go home, that’s why the first single is named ‘Mankind’s Cradle’ that song speaks about Africa our motherland and how we miss it, how we love it and how we are proud of who we are.
When it comes to sound, as they say experience makes a difference. It is clear that with the experience of working with music, reggae music especially, I grow with the lyrics, the choice of the melodies and arrangement. It’s a perpetual growth, I’ve learnt a lot in music through experience. Also through travelling you learn a lot about other cultures and mentalities.
Nostalgy sounds very personal to you, how hard was it penning it down, having to go through all those experiences and recording it and are you happy with it’s success?
Yeah it is a very personal album, that’s why there’s a song dedicated to my continent Africa, my country Senegal, there’s one dedicated to my mother. When there’s nostalgy, there’s like a loss, something that was there but it’s no longer there. There are some lyrics on the album that goes like ‘When travelling is no longer exciting , when only memories can make you smile, when you begin to feel lonely when you are surrounded by people it’s because there’s nostalgy warning, therefore the message is clear. I also wanted to open a window into other topics cause nostalgy also speaks about the political situation right now in Senegal which is not very good, when we used to have a system, a President who used to be concerned about the people’s well being, now we have leaders who only think about themselves and their families. I wanted to speak about nostalgy in that way also, nostalgy about the good system we used to have. We also wanted to open a window, musically speaking, there’s a song ‘Remember that’ where my nostalgy is the doors of music cause in Europe at this moment there’s no more message, music is becoming more and more banal. I feature Sista Awa on it and we say music is about unity with a message and some good melodies. Music is about a big family, one direction. We need harmony. Also with this song I want people to remember the will for music, the goal of music. We have to remember that people are listening to us and we have to give them the message, we have to educate them and don’t forget that we just don’t have to prophecise it but we also have to act accordingly.
It all makes sense, it’s more like yearning for something that you have lost, my favourite track is Abandane, I love it, what does it mean and what is you favourite track. I know it’s like asking a parent who’s their favourite child but what song speaks to you the most.
Yes respect, Abadane is a big tune, the full word is Abadane daiman meaning ‘Forever and ever’ In Italiano it’s ‘per sempre’ (laughs) it’s speaks about, as I told you we open all the windows about Nostalgy. It speaks about two young lovers that couldn’t stay together because the father of the girl gave her hand in marriage to someone else. It speaks about the nostalgy between this two lovers who can’t be together. As far as I’m concerned it’s a bit difficult to say which is my favourite song because each piece is important, each song has it’s own importance so I love all my songs in the same way.
So your trip here to SA, who have you seen, who have you listened to, who are you hoping to collaborate with? How are the vibes?
I love Lucky Dube, I listen to a lot off his music. At the moment the band that’s backing me tomorrow (28th Dec) Zionruts family we are hoping to do something together in the future.
Great, looking forward to hearing Ashraff30 works in future. How would you define success as an artist?
For me success is when you are able to take your music around the world, to spread your message around the world because for an artist it is the most beautiful gift.
Any message to your fans, to the South African Reggae listener?
To all my SA fans, this is a good place, since I was young I’ve loved Mandela, for me he is an example, a reference, so being here in his own country for me it’s a very big thing. Greetings to all South Africans and More Love from Original Ashraff30
Catch Ashraff30 Live at Matlombe Lounge, Newtown, Johannesburg Starting from 7pm til late. Free Entry
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