YASUS AFARI – The Edutainer – Jamaican Reggae Artiste, Dub Poet & Author
Born Without a Birth Date – Yasus Afari – The Public Secret
Born to parents whose combined age was in excess of 100 years, Yasus Afari was born in the 1960’s, late on a Sunday night during a thunder storm in a deep rural village in St Elizabeth, Jamaica. There was no clock, radio, watch, television or electricity in his small mud house and it was a home delivery so no one knew if it were really Sunday or Monday morning. When this matter was been debated his grandfather intervened and asserted that he should be given the new day so it was decided to register the date as Monday September 4th.
Yasus Afari, or Tonie as he was called by his family and community, was slow to speak so he was fed from calabash (gourd) and finally began to speak at about two years old. Not surprisingly, he developed a love affair with nature, the environment and the cultural livity of Jamaica. He was the beneficiary of positive re-enforcement both at home and at school. A case in point, he was asked to write a poem by his English teacher and his poem, ‘The Travelling Sun’ was read to the class and the teacher told him, ‘this is a very good poem, you must continue writing’. Hence the poetic birth of the world renown poet, Yasus Afari - Rasta-Reggae-World Traveller.
After high school, Yasus worked with the Jamaica Telephone company from which he received a scholarship to study engineering at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) which is now known as the University of Technology (UTech). The birth of Yasus Afari, Rastafari Performance Poet and Reggae Dub Poet took place during this period, during the 1980’s.
Yasus Afari is widely considered to be the embodiment of a Jamaican cultural icon and, in fact, has frequently been described as one of Jamaica’s national treasures, a best kept secret and yet an international jewel. He operates across many spheres of activity, which are grounded in, and informed and inspired by his Rastafarian Faith and Livity and the concept and his mantra of “One Earth, One Love, One Humanity.”
Yasus Afari, thr ‘Reggae Dub Poet’ and author has skilfully combined education with entertainment, which he has dubbed “Edutainment”. He uses ‘edutainment’ as an instrument of empowerment in dispensing his positive, inspirational and uplifting messages to the international community, the world of reggae music as well as to numerous festivals, reggae events, conferences, seminars, schools and in particular the youth in the over 40 countries, in which he has worked or travelled. However, Yasus Afari is perhaps best known as a premier exponent of the indigenous Jamaican literary and musical form called Dub Poetry, which is based on Jamaican reggae music and the Jamaican language and culture. In this field Yasus is also highly regarded as the premiere ‘Social Empowerment Specialist’.
The opening track ‘Poetree Caan Nyam’ which is on Yasus’ current Public Secret album was inspired by his mother, Mother Derinda, affectionately called Sister Derrie. When Yasus told his mother that he intends to develop a career as a Poet his mother asked if ’poetry can nyam?’ (Can poetry be eaten?’). ‘Poetree Caan Nyam’ brilliantly and creatively articulates Yasus’s determination and remarkable success at publicly demonstrating that ‘Poetry Caan Nyam’ / Poetry Can Be Eaten.
To prove his point that Poetry is viable, Yasus Afari has now released a total of eight albums: Dance Hall Baptism, Mental Assassin, Honour - Crown HIM, Gift of Vision - Yasus Afari & Friends, Revolution Chapter 1, Kiss Mi Neck, Ancient Future and Public Secret. He has published two books; ‘Eye Pen’ and ‘Overstanding Rastafari -Jamaica's Gift to the World’.
Yasus Afari is a social entrepreneur as well as a social engineer who has employed positivity to conquer the shackles and challenges of poverty, ignorance and injustice. Thereby, quickening and awakening vigilant, revolutionary and visionary vibrations with words, sounds and power, in action. Accordingly, he has developed many annual edutainment events such as Yasus Afari and Friends, Garnet Silk Earthday Bash, Rebel Salute, Poetry in Motion, The Pomedy Show and Jamaica Poetry Festival, among others.
In Jamaica, the Caribbean and internationally, Yasus Afari is widely considered as one of the world’s leading voices on The Rastafari Livity, as represented by Its Spiritual precepts, values, moral ethics and way of life (Livity). This is due largely to his organic spirituality, his creative and articulate methods of expounding on Rastafari Livity. Ambassador Yasus Afari is Jamaica's and Rastafari's first and only ambassador to the globally recognized Parliament of the World's Religions (PWR) which is now over 120 + years old and at which he presented the historic paper; 'Rastafari The Livity of Spirituality', in Melbourne Australia (2009).
As ‘Roots Reggae’ re-emerges into the international consciousness, Yasus Afari, the Traveling Reggae Dub Poet, Author and ‘Edutainer’ keeps his focus as one of the leading Rasta-Reggae World Travellers, heralding the sacred mantra, One Earth, One Love, One Humanity.
Bless it & set it – With Honour, Love & Poetic Prosperity
Yasus Afari "Public Secret" - (New Album 2013)
(Original Press):
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Tracks:
1) Poetree Caan Nyam. 2) Wine Pon Paper. 3) Let’s Talk New York. 4) Isus. 5) Ring Pon Comedy. 6) Guidance. 7) Four Eyes Mek Two. 8) Woman To Love. 9) Yu Gud Enoh. 10) Do Good. 11)Guidance Dub. 12) Dub Wine. 13) Woman Dub. 14) Dub New York. 15) The Isus Dub.
[Label: Senyacum / MMG / Fox Fuse (Cd: 2013)(Digital Release: 2013)]
Buy Digital Release on Amazon - Itunes - GooglePlay - Junodownload
Buy Cd on shop.foxfuse.com & www.yasusafari.com
Soundcloud
Website: www.yasusafari.com
Check out: Yasus Afari's Discography at Reggaediscography
Yasus Afari bookings and information please contact:
1) Jamaica
Edutainment Promotion
Email: edutainmentpromo@yahoo.com
www.yasusafari.biz
Tel: (876) 904 9690 or 398 8616
2) USA
Patrick Maitland
Email: patland2000@gmail.com
Tel: 16468673872 or 17187539469 -Fax 19146634973
3) Europe
Learning Links International
Liz Millman
Email: lizmillman@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 1447711569489
Yasus Afari press / media inquiries please contact:
FOX FUSE
Email: contact@foxfuse.com
and/or
SenYAcum/Edutainment Promotion
Email: edutainmentpromo@yahoo.com
Nixti ft. Yasus Afari "Black Majik" (Official Video)
Yasus Afari "I feel like crying"
Yasus Afari "Jah is the essence of my life 2"
Yasus Afari "Crown Him"
Yasus Afari "Now That UR Gone"
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A huge thank you to Yasus Afari for his great generosity and friendship
Jah Bless
Marco
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Missing you Yasus Afari, was such a blessing to meet you! Catrina Jones xxx
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