INTERVIEW : RAPHAEL
Interview by : Irie Nation
Pictures by : DR
on Friday, March 27th 2015 - 5 886 views
Ten years ago, Raphael and his band Eazy Skankers won the Rototom Reggae Contest and earned the right to play the main stage of the Italian festival. Born to an Italian mother and a Nigerian father, Raphael has now launched out as a solo artist. After a first EP, "My name is Raphael", he released the album "Mind vs Heart" in 2013. At the start of 2015, he is back with the mixtape "Here Comes The Soundblaster", concocted by the German sound system Sentinel and available as a free download. Time to make the introductions.
Reggaefrance / You started out in the group Easy Skankers. Can you go back over your beginnings?
Raphael / I founded the group Eazy Skankers with my friend Andrea Botaro, the bass player, when we were still at middle school. I was 16 at the time. Over all the years that have passed, we've played quite a few stages and entered plenty of music competitions. In 2005, we won the Rototom Reggae Contest, which allowed us to play the Rototom main stage, back when it still took place in Italy. During that period we built up solid experience and recorded a few albums. Our very first album was recorded at the Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica. Now that I devote part of my time to a solo career, I'm still very close to my band. They're still my official backing band. And they also contribute to three riddims on my latest album, "Mind Vs Heart". I could never leave or forget the people I've played with all these years.
Back then, were you playing original riddims or classics of Jamaican music?
We've always made original music, our own compositions, our own songs. I think it's important to try, even when you're young, even at the risk of writing some very ugly songs or music that sounds off-key. Because you have to start somewhere, and it's by practising that you improve.
When did you start voicing riddims from various producers?
Since 2010, I started doing more and more work under the name Raphael, and I also made my first recordings for the Italian label Bizarri Records. In 2012, we released an EP called "My Name Is Raphael". It's still available as a free download on the Bizarri Records website. That was my first official release as a solo artist. After that I started receiving offers from different producers abroad. So I recorded for the Englishman Chris Peckings, the French label Flash Hit Records, and others…
 Si j’avais écouté ma raison, j’aurais certainement fait de la chanson populaire italienne 
And the Austrians from Irievibrations, who produced the album "Mind VS Heart".
With them too, the vibe and the chemistry were instant. I started voicing a few of their riddims. They then put forward their idea of putting together a full album and working on this project together. It finally came out on CD and digitally. Irievibrations did a great job of promotion and distribution all over Europe. It allowed me to cross the Italian borders and go and play all over Europe.
What do you mean by the title of this album?
The title refers to the daily struggle that goes on inside each of us. Some of our choices are made by the power of our mind, and others are guided by our heart. In the past, I've made choices either by following my heart or by following my conscience. And perhaps a balance between the two would be the best choice… That's what the title of my album refers to.
And was the decision to make music a choice of the heart or of reason?
I followed my heart, I'm sure of it. I hope it was the right choice. I think if I'd listened to my head, I'd certainly have gone into Italian pop songs (laughs). Italy has a rather elderly population, so playing for an older audience would have been the more commercially profitable choice. But I have no regrets, I thank reggae for allowing me to make my voice heard.
You wrote a song in tribute to John Holt, who died recently. What motivated you to write it?
For me, he has always been one of the greatest reggae artists. When he died last year, Irievibrations and I had the idea of recording a tribute. But we didn't want to just do a straightforward cover of one of his songs. So I sang the original chorus of Police in Helicopter, and in the verses I talk about John Holt's life and explain who he is. That's necessary because I've noticed that times and generations change. With the internet, everything is easier to access but everything also gets lost in the mass of available information. So for me it was a way of telling young people: "We lost this artist, and here's who he was."
Musically you have a very roots side, but you can also groove in rub-a-dub mode. Is it important for you to be flexible, and do you think you'll do some dancehall one day too?
It's not really good for an artist to limit themselves to a single vibe. Artistically, I feel the need to travel between styles and genres. I've done dancehall in the past, but it's mostly reggae that makes me vibrate. I might occasionally voice a riddim with dancehall influences, but it's not really my priority.
What are your plans now that your mixtape is out?
Continuing to tour is my main goal for the moment. Possibly starting work on a new album. But I want to take my time. I don't want to produce an album just because the moment is right at this stage of my career, I want to keep things natural and take my time.
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