Blakk Rasta
Blakk Rasta was born on a full moon of Monday, 2nd September 1974, at 19hrs.20mins and weighed 5.5lbs in Tamale in the Northern part of Ghana, West Africa. He was born to devout Ahmadi-Moslem parents.
As a growing youth in the slums of Moshie-Zongo and Aboabo, Blakk Rasta (born ABUBAKAR AHMED), underwent a lot of injustice, favouritism and other social ills.
Education was number one on Blakk Rasta’s mind since his parents were both educationists. He grew up as a learned ghetto youth who was a real role model for other youths in the slums. He topped his class several times. Everyone in the slum saw Blakk Rasta as an extraordinary chap with over-endowed academic talent.
Music was the last thing to Blakk Rasta though he enjoyed listening to very popular slow music. The ghetto chap wrote several plays, directed and acted some of them. He writes novels too and won several writing competitions.
Reggae Encounter
In 1990, Osman Habib Dollar, a ghetto youth told Blakk Rasta about a Nigerian Reggae superstar-Ras Kimono. Blakk Rasta was immediately captured by the lyrical presentation of the singer. He particularly wondered why people should fight black people and Rasta. All this was mentioned in the Ras Kimono music. Blakk Rasta wept over some of the lyrics and started asking about Rastafari and Black people. This research opened Blakk Rasta to several mind-blowing experiences, which led him to embrace Rasta, though still a Moslem. Blakk Rasta met Ras Kimono in 1993, watched the artiste perform live and, for the extreme love for the artiste, Blakk Rasta formed a conscious youth club called ‘The Ras Theatre Group’ in Tamale, which acted plays, made movies and performed Ras Kimono’s music. That was when Blakk Rasta started trying to write his own lyrics. The first one he wrote was ‘Keep on Rockin’ / I & I Rastas.
His first album, “Rasta shrine” came out in April 2000. It was a smash hit with singles like ‘Afreekaswit’, and “Keep on Rockin’ / I & I Rastas” In 2002 July, ‘More Fyah’ was released and the single ‘ Congo Bongo’ was voted as the best reggae song of the year 2003 at the Ghana Music Awards. Another award was won in 2009 called the National Award for Cultural Excellence (Ghana). In February 2004, Blakk Rasta visited England where he teamed up with accomplished artistes to produce the hit single ‘ KuntaKinte’ released in February 2005 on the ‘Ganja Minister’ album (Blakk Rasta’s third album). Ras coz, Moffart, Sista B, SistaLahnah, Suniel and dancehall great, MackaB all featured on this album.He has shared international stages with artistes such as Busy Signal,Kiprich, Alpha Blondy, Ras Kimono,Elephant Man,Capleton,Mutabaruka,Rita,Damian,Stephen and Kymani Marley amongst others.
Blakk Rasta is currently Ghana’s number one Reggae star. His greatest assets are his humility, consciousness and fearlessness.
Beside music, writing and traveling, Blakk Rasta is a reggae DJ. on ZYLOFON 102.1 FM, Accra, and judged as the best Reggae DJ in Ghana. He is a vegetarian – no meat, fish, eggs, white sugar, flour, salt and anything animal.
Music Style
Blakk Rasta does KUCHOKO which is preokminantly Reggae music fused with African rythmns and energies pouring out conscious lyrics about Love, Equal rights and Justice, Blackness, Rasta and spiritual love et cetera. The music is done in English, Jamaican Patois and some African languages. Live instruments are used in recording Blakk Rasta’s Reggae. Harmonies are never compromised. Blakk Rasta loves female harmonies backed by powerful harmonies from the horn family. Roots reggae is the backbone of Blakk Rasta’s music though a few dancehall vibes and toasts come flinging in. Dub poetry is another aspect of his music. Huge fans of Blakk Rasta’s music always hail him for his uncompromising consciousness and inspirational spirituality. Blakk Rasta’s current KUCHOKO sound innovation came about after a long period of research into a new sound which will ride on Reggae music and establish a sound which will cut across indigenous African sights, sounds and spirituality and be accepted worldwide in these fast changing times of musical tastes and preferences. Indigenous African instruments such as the Xylophone,Talking Drum (Dondo),Kette,Flutes, Kolgo, Kora fused wit animal sounds,jungle sounds,market sounds etc.can now be heard in Reggae. It is accompanied with indigenous African dance fusions and styles.
Education
Education has always been a priority in Blakk Rasta’s upbringing. He attended the following schools:
1. Ahmadiyya Primary School (Tamale, Ghana) 1979 -1985
2. Zogbeli Junior Secondary School (Tamale, Ghana) 1985 – 1988
3. Tamale Secondary School (Tamale, Ghana) 1988 – 1989
4. T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School (Kumasi, Ghana) 1989 – 1995
5. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (Kumasi, Ghana) 1997 – 2001
6. University of Coventry (England) 2015 – 2016
Blakk Rasta holds a Bsc degree in Land Economy and an MSc in Oil & Gas Management with a PHD lurking in the shadows.
Family
Blakk Rasta was born to a teacher/businessman father Samuel Abu Awudu Kumburwah and a teacher mother, Adeline Fuseina Adam in Tamale. He has four siblings, none of who is into music.
International Acclaim/Awards
In 2009 Blakk Rasta’s Barack Obama song brought the American President to Ghana for his first visit of that part of Africa. He met with Blakk Rasta and they exchanged pleasantries over dinner.
Blakk Rasta’s Barack Obama song was the only song endorsed by the President during and after his campaign. This was the first ever song for Barack Obama the world over (first released November 2007).
July 2011 saw Blakk Rasta being voted and confirmed again as the Reggae radio show host of the year by the Ghana Radio And TV awards.He has won other awards such as THE BASS REGGAE/DANCEHALL AWARDS in July,2013.
His album, a 16- track album called BORN DREAD received international acclaim and rave reviews with such singles as KUNKUNDA, MISS RIGHT, KWAME NKRUMAH and others.
Another single,Gaddafi,my hero hit the airwaves in January,2012 and imade waves tremendously.
A new chart-breaker album, ANCESTRAL MOONSPLASH came out on July, 20 2013.It marked the birth of Blakk Rasta’s new African KUCHOKO reggae innovation.
Blakk Rasta has ten (10) full length albums and several singles to his credit. His latest is the unprecedented 32-track album called TIMBUKTU BY ROAD which was released on November 1, 2019 to such a tumultuous welcome all over Ghana.
DISCOGRAPHY
2000: The Rasta Shrine
2002: More Fyah
2004: Ganja Minister
2006: Natty Bongo
2008: Naked Wire
2010: Voice of the African Rebel
2011: Born Dread
2014: Ancestral Moonsplash
2016: Kuchoko Revolution
2019: Timbuktu By Road
*These are all full length albums and do not include singles.
BOOKINGS
TEL +233 244505010
Mail to: PIXIE douglagirlgt@yahoo.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blakkrasta
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blakk.rastadarootical
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakkrasta/
Website: http://blakkrasta.com/
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