Blakk Rasta

Ghana’s Kuchoko legend, Blakk Rasta, opened the Africa Reggae Festival in Ivory Coast as the guest of main act Tiken Jah Fakoly.

Before taking the stage, the “Barack Obama” hit maker told Asaase 99.5 Accra‘s King Lagazee in an interview that his fans should expect nothing but fireworks as he was performing before a Francophone crowd.

“This is my favourite audience. They don’t know me or speak my language. Watch how I will tear them apart. I will let the rhythm just talk,” the popular Ghanaian radio host said.

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True to his words, the set began with a slow Nyahbinghi song recently released by the artist called Le Pain de Dieu. It was a shocker and a good spiritual opening amidst heavy frankincense smoke carried by a Nyahbinghi priest.

Before the third song – Congo Bongo dropped – the crowd was already on fire, feeling the energy of the Kuchoko legend.

In the crowd were a lot of Ghanaians carrying the Ghana flag and jumping to the Kuchoko (African reggae, as named by Blakk Rasta) rhythm.

Tune after tune, Blakk Rasta split his pants in his energetic set and had to exit after performing Barack Obama, his 2007 global hit. The crowd at this point started shouting his name for an encore. Blakk Rasta returned after about 10 minutes in new Kente attire to the excitement of the crowd.

Those who thought they had seen enough were wrong, as the Kuchoko legend belted out two quick high-tempo records, Letter From Babylon and Zantan Bua.

Zantan Bua – the goat dance – excited the crowd  and they responded with loud cheers and joined in the dance. The house had come down at this point as Blakk Rasta joined the crowd to dance.

The crowd kept shouting his name again till the MC could not take it anymore so he invited the Ghanaian back on stage for a repeat. Blakk Rasta had a brief interaction with the charged crowd and went backstage.

Others who performed at the Africa Reggae Festival were Spyro (Côte d’Ivoire), Mo’ Kalamity (France), Takana Zion (Guinea Conakry) and Tiken Jah Fakoly, who gave excellent accounts of themselves.


Source: wwwasaaseradio.com