Rasta Children | Of Roots & Reggae
"One evening, a few years ago in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, the PFC crew and I were waiting for an 80-year-old cuica player to perform on a Song Around The World. I remember it seemed to take forever for him to make it down the hill, as he would stop off in every bar along the way for a drink and some conversation. As we waited I looked and saw a Rastaman walking across the street with his acoustic guitar in hand. I waved to him and he came over to see what we were doing with all our equipment. I told him about Playing For Change and he agreed to play a song for us while we were waiting. The result was an incredible, spontaneous performance of Dennis Brown’s 'Rasta Children.' His voice reminded me of Peter Tosh and he sang with so much soul that we realized this could be an amazing Song Around The World. Just one man and his guitar playing on the street set the tone for this song and we added a worldwide band of roots musicians around him. 'I and I deal with humanity…'"
- Mark Johnson, PFC Co-Founder
Rasta Children's Roots
"Rasta Children" was released in 1979 by Dennis Brown, who was known as The Crown Prince of Reggae. One of Bob Marley's favorite singers, Brown led a prolific career having recorded more than 75 albums throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's. It was actually in Brazil where his journey would end—falling ill with pneumonia in 1999 and dying of a collapsed lung days later. Yet, while his physical journey on this earth would come to a close, his musical legacy continues to live on years later thanks to a chance encounter in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
With help from 16 different musicians across 6 different countries, PFC's rendition of "Rasta Children" is a beautiful melting pot of talent. Of course, the Rastaman mentioned above is Paulo César "da Luz" Pereira, whom we met back in 2011. As he was the true inspiration for this Song Around The World, we are lucky considering all of the forces that allowed our paths to cross. Had it not been for the popularity of the 80-year-old cuica player, we may never have been able to capture such an organic and truly special performance, nor could we have gone on to share it with musicians and supporters around the world.
This meeting shows us the beauty in the world just waiting to be discovered, and the chance encounters that bring these moments to reality. One such story is that of another musician in this collaboration, Brushy One String, who began his career many years ago as a street musician in Jamaica. With an uncanny similarity to PFC's earliest beginnings, a filmmaker named Luciano Blotta was leaving a Jamaican recording studio when he noticed a man on the corner playing an old acoustic guitar with only one string. After recording his song, "Chicken in the Corn," Blotta left Jamaica only to find the video blow up on the internet with thousands of people suddenly showing their love and support for Brushy. Since then, he has led a full career performing in places like France, Argentina, Japan, and the U.S., while continuing to play throughout Jamaica. It seemed only fitting, then, that Brushy join with PFC to record "Rasta Children" in his hometown of Ocho Rios, and continue to promote a life dedicated to peace and unity through music:
“If we can change the words and melodies and bring back the love, we can have a balance between God and man,” Brushy reflects. “That’s what we need to put the world together.”
Nattali Rize
Very much in frequency with Rasta Children's nature sits Nattali Rize, a roots-rock-and-reggae rebel queen who has earned international fame as a singer/songwriter and social activist. Beginning as a street percussionist in Byron Bay, Australia, her career has grown through her dedication to an urban roots collective, Blue King Brown, and on to building her own band, changing her name from Natalie Pa'apa'a to Nattali Rize to reflect Bob Marley's lyrics for "Rise Up." With an emboldened attitude, Nattali Rize's performances are praised for their, "epic, high energy, thought-provoking and uplifting live performances," (Nattali Rize). Another featured musician in "Rasta Children" that deserves just as much credit to the success of Nattali Rize is Carlo Santone, a bandmate, manager, and partner of Nattali's, who has worked with her since 2004.
Currently, Nattali Rize is just coming off a West Coast California tour, and will continue performing her latest album, Rebel Frequency, throughout France until the end of August. The full album is available by following the link above, and it boasts just as much of its Rastafarian roots while blending her own New-Era style and humanitarian message.
"Never forget, we are one human family and no one, man or woman or child, is illegal. We are the pioneers of a paradigm change and creators of a new world!"
Nattali Rize has embraced her deeply rooted rebel nature but continues to deliver her work with a refreshingly new style and feel that is unique to her world and her mission.
New Feature: PFC Musician Tour Dates
We are introducing a new feature on the Playing For Change website. Now on musician pages, along with photos, featured videos, and related links and musician accounts, we will also be promoting individual tours and shows happening around the world. You can view our entire musician tour schedule by following the musician tour dates link above, as well as access individual events by searching for your favorite artists' PFC page.
While this is an ongoing process, you can expect more tour information to be uploaded and updated regularly as we are always collecting new and amazing musicians.
Quote of the Day:
"Playing For Change, man all my life I've been putting out love, but not like that."
-Grandpa Elliott
Photo of the Day: Bo Hème, @boheme.69
Special thank you to Bo Hème for this amazing portrait of Grandpa Elliott and for your continued support of the Playing For Change movement and its members.
Video of the Day: Happy Birthday Grandpa Elliott!
Please enjoy this glimpse into the amazing life and journey of Grandpa Elliott, one of the longest standing PFC musicians, and the closest to our hearts.
One Love,
Playing For Change
