RASSELAS - Band in Toronto ON

SEEKING

Vocalist, Vocalist - Bass, Vocalist - Baritone, Vocalist - Tenor, Vocalist - Soprano, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Other Percussion, Violin, Trumpet, Saxophone, Keyboard, Piano, Background Singer, Harmonica, Flute, Other, Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Dobro, Vocalist - Alto, Trombone, Bagpipes, Steel guitar, Upright bass, Cello, Accordion, Ukulele, DJ, Electronic Music, Clarinet, Harp.

ABOUT

http://rasselasmusic.com/
Born in the land of heritage and culture, Rasselas has been fortunate to grow up familiarized with tradition. He was the only son out of three children. His father traveled very often on business. When he returned home from his business trips, he would always bring along many souvenirs from the country he has visited. Rasselas was most interested in the records that his father would bring. These records grew into a considerable collection of a variety of music from around the world. As a result, he was familiarized with many genres of music and he enjoyed all of them very much. Among the records he used to listen to as a child were The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and many other Ethiopian and African artists like Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, Mariam Makeba. Some of his favorite Hip-Hop artists include Tupac, Snoop Dogg, KRS-One, Rakim.

During his school years, he grew up exposed to different cultures and languages other than his mother tongue Amharic. He had the opportunity to learn English and French. In high school, he was known as the class musician, always entertaining his friends with a new rap verse he has learned. His English teacher was very impressed by his rap and often called him to the front of the class to demonstrate his art.

In December of 1997, Rasselas moved to Canada with his family. They first landed in Montreal, where he had his first chance to record his independent album, Pure Science. He also joined a local Ethiopian band called the Tis Abay Band. They played in many community events, entertaining with traditional songs from Ethiopia. This gave him the idea of blending hip-hop with traditional Ethiopian music.

Even though the band separated, Rasselas persisted on his dream of making music. Since he is the type who is actually fueled by challenge, he worked very hard to make his dream come true. He moved to Toronto, where he became well known performing at the Ethiopian night club, then known as Cottage. At this club, he was able to sell-out his second independent CD, Here I Come, which included the title track, well accepted by his audience.

Rasselas mostly raps in English, even though he sometimes adds hooks in Amharic, which adds to the uniqueness of his sound. The themes of his lyrics revolve around what it’s like to be an Ethiopian-Canadian, expression of the culture and most of all, having a good time.

“Weather I am putting out an album or performing my show, I have one definite chief aim. And that is to bring joy to the listener! I really want to entertain my audience and make sure they enjoy the experience.”

He is indeed bringing Ethiopia to the world in a language that the world understands. On his newly released album, Injera Music, he has teamed up with producer Gezahegn Mamo, a multi-talented Ethiopian producer with a long list of production credits under his belt. The album also features many authentic Ethiopian traditional musicians who add a unique flavor to the Hip-Hop style of Rasselas.

Rasselas’ new album Injera Music is out in stores, on iTunes and other online music providers.