Rasselas came to Planet Earth under the sign of Aries – The Fire Sign. Guided by the wisdom of the omnipotent creator he was born in the Ancient Land of Ethiopia. Being of spiritual parentage Rasselas was strongly influenced by the doctrine of the church, where he got his early musical training, and made his vocal debut.
Rasselas is a true Arian. He is enthusiastic, adventurous, independent, trusting, outgoing and assertive. No matter what upheaval, challenge or triumph confronts him he has a wonderful ability to bounce back. His faith in life and the future remains untouched by hardship. He is always a child at heart and the world is always a magical place for him.
There have been many challenges in the career of this multi-talented Ethiopian who now resides in Toronto, Canada, the most significant being the migration from his homeland to the North American Continent in the summer of 1997. He landed in Montreal and immediately began to sharpen his musical tools – his skills and his burning desire.
Rasselas's first conquest was a Montreal based band called Ethiopian Tis Abbay. This experience assisted his growth, improved his craft, and created a buzz in and around the City of Montreal. The band also played gigs in the USA. He performed traditional Ethiopian songs and rapped his original lyrics with the band for a while. As the band gigs he gained knowledge of the international marketplace. As his knowledge grew, so did his desire to be in the recording studio. He was on fire. He really wanted to get his work on the Internet.
The opportunity came when the energetic youngster met Producer George Bennet of Homegrown Records Inc. Rasselas found a second home in the recording studio. Producers, arrangers, musicians, and background singers became his extended family. In 2001 Homegrown Records released his debut CD - Pure Science. This project proved Rasselas' genius, the depth of his lyrics, his ambitious energies, and his creativity in beats composition.
In 2002, his Amharic Hip Hop CD – Guzo Wode Ethiopia (Journey to Ethiopia) was released. This time he teamed up with his amazing vocalist sister Helena. Together they complemented each other in a very interesting and entertaining way. The effort was very well received in Amharic speaking communities globally.
This was another stage of his five-stage success plan. He's been in the studio composing beats, working with arrangers and musicians. He had released his debut CD of original compositions. He has released a complete CD in his mother tongue. Rasselas was now ready for stage four.
Stage four include: Creating an International Masterpiece: Marketing Research: Promotional Campaign Design. The masterpiece was motivated by a return trip to his homeland. It bears the title – Here I Come. Promoting this CD was the highlight of his trip to celebrate The Ethiopian Millennium.
Among events & venues at which this super talented Arian has performed are: Montreal - The Montreal International Reggae Festival 2005/2006, Old Port 2005/2006: Toronto – Harbor Front 2003, Queens Park 2007, Afro Fest 2003/2007, Dundas Square 2008: USA – San Francisco 2001, Washington DC 2002: Ethiopia – Expo Exhibition Center 1997, Millennium Hall 2007.
Rasselas has shared stages with giants like: Beyouce Knowles, Ludacris, Tadele Roba – from La Fontaine, Beenie Man, Morgan Heritage, John Holt, Luciano – to name a few. He looks forward to performing in Jamaica, at The Apollo, and to do a full tour of Africa.
Rasselas' target market is males and females between 16 and 35 years young - internationally. He speaks English, French and Amharic. He performs in English and Amharic, and soon will make his French performing debut. At the moment he merges his linguistic abilities to create a fresh vibe within the hip hop music industry. He has good knowledge of the international marketplace, and is quite at home in the recording studio producing, composing beats, and rapping original lyrics.
His training at Dawson College in Arts and Culture, as well as accounting at Shadd Business Centre assist in honing his craft and his business development skills. His proficiency in computer applications is one of his favorite assets. At the moment Rasselas is an unsigned independent recording and performing artist.
Time and again Rasselas has proven that any show he appears on is guaranteed to rock. His presence and charisma capture audiences and ignite immediate desires to purchase his albums. He is indeed the best-kept secret fans are fortunate to discover. His mixture of Amharic and English sets him apart from regular Hip Hop Artists. He grew up listening to artists of different genres from Tupac Shakur, Rakim, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kross, MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Lionel Ritchie, and Michael Jackson.
Rasselas is a 'doers' rather than a 'talkers'. His ability to live life close to the edge provides him with a wealth of 'real experiences' to call upon. When he raps about something or somewhere he usually has done it or been there, rather than simply read about it in a book.
Rasselas strives on challenges He is constantly motivated by Jimmy Cliff's “The Harder they come” in which Jimmy sings “You can get it if you really want”. Rasselas loves to race where angels fear to tread. He is a leader – the trend setting kind. He enjoys blazing the trail for others. His pursuit in life is the Thrill of the Moment. He's got a red-hot passion to be 1.
On stage he is transformed, energized, focused and very interactive with his audience. Catch him live when he breezes through your city, village, state or town. His message will capture your heart and provoke your imagination.
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