Ras Minano & The Hope Of Africa Band Bring Roots Reggae From Ghana To Australia

Ras Minano & the Hope of Africa is one of Australia’s leading reggae and world music groups, effortlessly blending roots reggae with afrobeat and Ghanaian traditional rhythms in intense live performances and studio recordings. A regular act in Australian capital cities, Ras Minano has released three albums since 2009, and is poised to launch a new stripped-back reggae version of his band in South Australia where he will support the touring British-Caribbean singer Solo Banton on February 14, 2025.

Ras was born in Ghana and lives between Australia and his home country. He fondly remembers growing up surrounded by music, drumming, culture and football. It wasn’t long after Bob Marley and the Wailers first introduced reggae music to Africa that Ras came down with a bad case of reggae fever.

“Reggae came alive for me when I was introduced to the music of Joseph “Culture” Hill in the 1980s. My reggae started there, (those are) my roots.”

His listening then broadened to include the pioneers of African reggae like Lucky Dube from South Africa and Alpha Blondy from the Ivory Coast.Ras joined the strong community of Rastafarians in Ghana as his knowledge and passion for reggae music and its cultural and spiritual roots grew.

“(In Ghana) we have Bobo Shanti, 12 Tribes of Israel, Rasta Council of Ghana, and I and I creation, the Reggae Union of Ghana. My calling to be Rasta came through music and learning. I met a big Rastaman called Pappa Jah in Ghana in 1999.”

Minano was so taken with the captivating riddims and conscious lyrics of reggae music, that he soon began to write his own.

“(Reggae lyrics) give inspiration, are spiritually uplifting, and speak history and truth. These lyrics give freedom and emancipation from the reality of life when we listen, yes.”

The warmth is palpable when Ras Minano talks about Africa or reggae music. His lyrics are optimistic yet grounded, in keeping with the name of his band: The Hope of Africa. When asked about his vision for the band, he says that his goal is to “bring people together through my music to raise the hope of mankind through Jah music and works.”

“I have been drumming since I was four years old so, for me, this is where my journey began. In the 1990s, I wrote my first song, Jah Spirit. Then in 2006, I formed my band The Hope Of Africa and recorded my first album, Jah Spirit.” Dunia Mududu (2012) was Ras Minano’s second album, also released in Ghana.

In 2015, Ras Minano began living and working as a musician in Australia. His first Australian album Real Rasta dropped in 2020 and his Womba EP followed in 2021. These recordings and his performances downunder feature a multi-cultural group of Australia-based band members. His music is a reflection of his own roots and migration story from Ghana to Australia, carrying with it elements of roots reggae, afrobeat and Ghanaian high-life and traditional music. The mix of genres and influences makes him a versatile performer, able to be presented as a “world music” artist and as an African reggae artist. A career highlight for Minano was taking to the stage at the four-day music festival Womadelaide with his long time Ghanaian friend, King Ayisoba, in 2019.

While the repatriation of reggae music from Jamaica back to Africa began with Bob Marley, reggae and dancehall music are now more popular in Ghana than ever. It no surprise then, that Ras Minano continues to write, record and produce his music between the African and Australian continents.

To date, Ras Minano has three albums and one EP to his name and is constantly creating and performing. He has a second EP on the way, which will feature the songs Let’s Party and That Day and he aims to return to Ghana in 2025 to perform there again, with Ghanaian musicians. On a previous visit, he supported the Jamaican artist Eric Donaldson at Labadi Beach, and has performed there promoting peace and unity. No stranger to giving international performances, Minano has previously taken to the stage in Africa and Europe, mostly in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In Australia, he performs in his hometown of Adelaide, and in the neighbouring capital, Melbourne, which is home to the country’s largest reggae scene. Ras Minano & the Hope of Africa has a flexible line-up that can expand from a basic five-piece configuration to a thirteen member phenomenon with full brass section.

Ticket holders to the Lionhearts event in Adelaide, Australia on February 14 are in for a treat when Ras Minano takes to the stage in support of British-Caribbean singer, Solo Banton. Minano will be performing for the first time with a stripped-back reggae version of his band, and will be digging deep into his repertoire. Fans can expect to hear some of his early work from his very first album, Jah Spirit.

You can listen to Ras Minano & the Hope of Africa’s music on streaming platforms and on his Youtube channel.

Tickets are available now to see Ras Minano & the Hope of Africa supporting Solo Banton (UK) at Lionhearts, Unit Three, Lonsdale, South Australia on February 14, 2025.