Jah Mission Africa tour targets cultural unity

DJ Ras Tariq, a well-known selector from Amsterdam, is excited about the cultural possibilities of the Jah Mission Sound Africa Tour which kicked off in the Gambia, West Africa.

“We have been touring and meeting with ones and ones. They love reggae music, the reception has been incredible so far. It’s been a great vibe,” stated DJ Ras Tariq, whose real name is Tariq Khan.

The Jah Mission sound system has carved out a reputation in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands, for offering a mix of roots reggae, conscious dancehall, and revolutionary musical messages.

The tour kicked off in Banjul, The Gambia on August 27, before travelling through several cities like Freetown, Sierra Leona and Accra in Ghana where the Jah Mission sound did two shows in Selassi on the House and Takai Lounge on August 30. The tour rolls on through the countries of Kenya and Ethiopia, before climaxing in South Africa on September 13.

DJ Ras Tariq shared that Jah Mission Sound will seek to collaborate with homegrown artistes and musicians, to strengthen the cultural bridges between Africa, Jamaica and Europe.

“The tour aims to use the power of sound system culture to uplift reggae, promote Rastafari, and cultural unity across the African continent. For me, this is more than just a tour. It is a return to the roots, a tribute to the source of so much musical and spiritual inspiration. We come not only to play and share music with the people but also to learn, connect, and grow together,” DJ Ras Tariq, who is a Rastafarian, said.

The selector, who is of mixed heritage from a union between a Muslim Pakistani father and a white Christian Dutch mother, believes that reggae music has the unique ability to break down language barriers and build unity between cultures that are often vastly different in religion, history and political ideology.

“We are creating linkages, building communities through sound system culture and reggae music. We work with talent from Jamaica and we see that there are artistes who want to go to Africa. There are massive communities that love reggae music in Africa, so we want to create a bridge by playing Jamaican music for those who love the culture and value connection,” he said.

“That sharing is the true and divine, if we don’t have love for one another , we can’t have peace and unity. One of the realities, as someone from a mixed background, we realise that things are changing, a lot of right wing rhetoric is emerging, things are not changing for the better. Africa is the future. If we don’t build, nothing great can’t happen for quality of life in Europe and Africa,” he mused.