Rastabonzai

Infobox musical artist
Name = Rastabonzai


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Origin = Georgetown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Genre = Reggae
Years_active = 1999 - 2002
Label = Mango
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Past_members = Cliff Anahn Leon Katifa
Ra'ab

Rastabonzai is a reggae musical band. Originally formed at Kingston University, London, they were Cliff Anahn (lead vocals, drums), Leon Katifa (lead guitar, synthesizer) and Ra'ab (bass).

History

Formed in 1997, with their debut release, "Beach Rhythms", Ra'ab and Katifa arrived on the small independent label Dip. They followed it with "Roots". Surprisingly, they were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues because of their mildly Rastafarian beliefs. Eventually, they found themselves in support slots for Burning Spear, which brought them to the attention of Mango Records.

In 2001, the group headlined some of the world's biggest reggae festivals including Reggae Sunsplash USA, Jamaican Sunsplash, Japan Splash and Northern California annual Reggae on the River Festival. The band is particularly proud of "Rasta-explosive! Rastabonzai - Live In St. Vincent," a 17-song collection of Rastabonzai originals not appearing on any other album or collection.

The band is no longer touring and it is unlikely that they will ever release another album, despite persistent rumors. The band has publicly expressed disinterest in the recent developments of reggae music.

"We fight pretention on all fronts at the low cost of enjoyment. Forget all the hype and the beep, we're beating out all of the real noise," remarked Leon Katifa at Reggae Sunsplash USA (2001).

Discography

Albums

*"Beach Rhythms" (1999)
*"Roots" (2001)

Live Albums

*"Rasta-explosive! Rastabonzai - Live In St. Vincent" (2001)