Ras Sheehama

Introduction

A pioneer of the Namibian music industry, Ras Sheehama is an outstanding Afro-Reggae singer/songwriter. His lyrics show consciousness, integrity, sharp observation and humanity, while conveying both socio-political criticism as well as messages of peace, love and wisdom. Having grown up in several African countries, and travelled in other continents, he has developed his own style of music, which has a strong global appeal. Ras Sheehama is a very talented performer and a musical perfectionist with the ability to transcend a vibrant energy that reflects our experiences in life. With his 25 years of musical experience, soothing voice, diverse repertoire, and charismatic stage performances, he continues to capture audiences wherever he goes.

Biography

1966 – 1979 Born as Omeho Yaaliyatala (“the two eyes that observe”) Sheehama in Onakayale Ombalantu, Ras grew up in North-central Namibia, the heart of the struggle against the apartheid system.

1979 – 1984 Ras went into exile, lived in refugee camps in Angola & Zambia. During this time he started to develop his passion for music and he began singing and playing guitar at his early teens.

1984 - 1988 Secondary school in Nigeria. In Nigeria he was impressed with life performances of Fela Kuti and other Nigerian artists, and he further developed his love for African and reggae music. He played in the school band, and in 1986 he recorded his first demo. The demo included the song “Cassinga”, which later brought him fame in Namibia.

1988 – 1990 Back in Angola, Ras joined the Ndilimani Swapo Cultural Troupe. He would sing his own songs accompanied by acoustic guitar. He continued playing with Ndilimani when he returned to his home country Namibia in 1989, just before Independence. Ndilimani was the most popular band around the time of Namibia’s Independence in 1990, and the band toured around the country for the first free election campaign.

1990 – 1995 Start of solo-career. During the NBC Music Makers competition in 1990 Ras was noticed and contracted by Paul Joubert Music. He recorded 3 albums in this period, which were only available in Namibia as music cassettes. As one of the few Namibian recording artists he gained enormous popularity in the country, and several hits were regularly played on all the major radio channels. He extensively toured around the country, and performed as the opening act for Manu Dibangu, Salif Keita, Ismael Lo, Lucky Dube, and Brenda Fassie. During this period Ras also toured through the UK with Music Circuit, and performed in Cuba as part of a cultural exchange.

1996 -1997 Ras was the first Namibian artist to release an album on CD (“Travelling”). He was the overall winner of the NBC Music Makers award, which won him a voice training course in Paris, as well as performances at the French festival “Printemps de Bourges”, and as an opening act for Ismael Lo in Reunion Island. He also represented Namibia at the 1997 Expo in Portugal.

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