Down in the motherland

Ras is homage to his Rastafarian faith. And Ceylon is his personal tribute to the country he never knew, but hails from.

Ras Ceylon has never lived in Sri Lanka before, and his glimpses of the island come from occasional trips to visit family; but despite all this, he is hundred percent Sri Lankan through and through. Perhaps even more than your average islander, for he speaks of Sri Lanka with the same reverence one would hold for paradise. The hip hop and reggae artist, already making a name for himself in the US with his uniquely rasta-oriented music and lyrics that hit home, is down in the motherland for a six month stint at a non-profit organization.

Pic by Indika Handuwela

Sanjev De Silva, that’s his real name. His parents moved to the US in the 70’s, and Ras and his sister Shelana grew up in the suburbs of sunny California. His love for music stems from the influence of his older sister - who would sneak him into concerts and gigs. Growing up, his musical preferences changed, and he began listening to more hip hop.

“Before the advent of the gangster hip hop culture, the music held so much meaning,” he muses. “It was educational, you know? Conscious rap played a huge role in my life, and I firmly hold the belief that a song must mean something, and that something you must be passionate about.”

Take a listen to his music and you’ll see what he means. Songs like ‘War A’gwan’, ‘Time Not Wasted’ and ‘Play with Fyah’ talk about serious issues in Ras Ceylon’s own style. ‘War going on round the globe, down the road and some don’t know,’ he sings.

He is known for his music about Sri Lanka’s own conflict. He has chosen to speak about Sri Lanka’s situation, albeit in a manner different from the other rather notorious artists of the same origin. In Heal Lanka, for example, he recognizes that the healing process in post-conflict Sri Lanka is a two-sided process.

“I try to be objective,” he says. “I recognize that there are two sides to the story.” More so, he knows that it is a subject that must be dealt with a lot of understanding. For example the song ‘My Island’ (released in 2005) was written following a visit to Jaffna during the ceasefire period. Ras remembers the visit with obvious pleasure. “The people that we met were so open and friendly. My family is Sinhalese, but they never discriminated based on that. If anything, the visit drove home the fact that the majority of our country wanted to live in peace.”

He is clearly in the objective middle ground of two extreme ends that internationally known Sri Lankan musicians have taken. And that in itself is a refreshing change. Speaking about his Rastafarian faith, he describes it as something he ‘fell into’. “I wouldn’t describe it as a religion. More a way of life”, he smiles. “It inspires my music, and that’s good enough.”

He’s been around for a while, and acknowledges that he was possibly one of the first Sri Lankan artist abroad to take up rap and reggae. Ras remembers when he first released a mix-tape entitles ‘Red Tape’ in 1999. He handed them out on the streets of California’s West Coast. “We just gave them away by the hundreds,” he grins.

An accomplished emcee, he’s done three solo projects since 2005. The first was a full-length solo release, Collegraduate: Lesson 1999-2004, released in 2005. Scientific/ Non-Fiction followed it in 2008, with Gideon.Force Vol.1, a mixtape/street album that saw him return to his Rasta roots. Gideon Force: Vol 2 is to follow. He’s worked with several hip hop and reggae legends, including Shabaam Sahdeeq, Munga Honorable and Norris Man. Visit his website at rasceylon.com to get more of an insight into his work.

On his decision to move back to Sri Lanka, if only for just six months, he maintains the need to give back. “My sister and I-living in California, we were very privileged, when kids our age in Sri Lanka were suffering at the hands of a war. It was almost a duty, the need to come back.” With a degree in International Relations, he had already been approached by several non profits to work with them. It was through one such non profit that he heard about Lanka Corps (a programme that encouraged the Sri Lankan Diaspora to engage in post-conflict work).

He applied and was unfortunately disqualified since he was over age. Ras’ disappointment abated though, when another non-profit offered him an opportunity to coordinate a campaign for them. The six-month stint now keeps him occupied, and he absolutely loves it.

The music still speaks to him. He came down to Sri Lanka with a resolve to take a break from writing music, but found that it wasn’t as easily done as said. He’s played in several gigs in the country, and hopes to organise a dancehall reggae night at Club Silk soon, with the help of new found friend and fellow reggae musician Rude Bwoy Sharaz.

At the end of the day, he can’t help but smile at finally being able to spend some quality time in his motherland, not to mention namesake. For Ras Ceylon, the most important thing about his music is not the fame and fortune it brings him. It’s in the satisfaction it brings when his music speaks to the audience’ heart; and in ‘living his music’, he finds peace. With regards to the ‘one love’ his music often speaks about, he has this to say-“I will never be a contradiction to my music. If I’m singing it, I’m also living it.”