From the rugged green mountains of Dominica a passionate manifestation of R… Read Full Bio ↴From the rugged green mountains of Dominica a passionate manifestation of Rastafari comes forward in reggae. His name is Nasio Fontaine and his music has the power to flow into your consciousness and lift your energy. His voice has an unmistakable resonance and his lyrics speak to all Jah children.

Nasio was the youngest of seven children born to a Carib Indian mother and father of African descent, in the village of Carte-Bois, Dominica. The family lived in a one room wooden country house without running water or electricity. Before heading off to school, Nasio and his brothers and sisters walked miles to the Gwiyo River to fetch fresh water for the household.

When he was eight years old, Nasio began singing in the Bagatelle school and the village Catholic church. Nasio had a habit of making instruments out of everything he could find. "My Dad, Atto, made my very first instrument, a piece of board with fishing lines for strings; it meant everything to me." According to the village residents, Nasio was often the highlight of the annual school talent shows, and "a blessing to listen to".

Nasio’s musical inspiration comes from Rastafari but on the earthly plane, reggae greats such as Culture’s Joseph Hill, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller and of course Bob Marley. He is also influenced by Marvin Gaye, the Beatles, Curtis Mayfield, and Dominican Cadence music, like Chubby and the Midnight Groovers. He is very focused on what his music is saying, the message he wants to portray.

In the mid-1980s, Nasio moved from Dominica to the hustle and bustle of the island of St. Maarten where he recorded his first 12" single Born to Be Free (1986) and EP Babylon is Falling (1990). His first full length CD Reggae Power (1994) was followed by Wolf Catcher (1997) and Revolution (1999). He soon became a sensation by the power of the music and word of mouth alone.

Lovers of reggae music throughout the world know Nasio’s name, his voice and his conscious lyrics. He speaks of revolution, of waking up the sleeping consciousness of oppressed and freedom loving people across the Earth. In his own words, “the music is important; I want my music to be my contribution to the people of the world.” The world of Reggae and indeed the world of music needs a new voice, get ready to be "Living in the Positive" with Nasio Fontaine.

Ras Tafari
Nasio Fontaine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every morning I rise
Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari
Knowing his eyes are on I
Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high
Even inna drought I nuh cry
These are the times when I hail ras tafari
Knowing that jah will provide for I
I said he giveth and he taketh away

Understanding nothing is belonging to me
Earth will provide you with the necessity
Me say simplicity is what we use in these days
And ras tafari prophesied there would be wars
Many possessions would be lost
What you live is what you leave with, so
Hold it close, it's the only thing that's yours
'Cause every morning I rise
Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari
Knowing his eyes are on I
Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high
Even inna drought I nuh cry
These are the times when I hail ras tafari
Knowing that jah will provide for I
Because we know jah we cannot walk away
Heart of the lion is telling us not to stay far
‘Cause when it all passes away
To abide in your presence is the only thing I pray for
‘Cause it is beautiful to know
Storms all around and you safely guide the way home
Yes, you lightening my load
Keep me right here on the straight road
Every morning I rise
Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari
Knowing his eyes are on I
Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high
Even inna drought I nuh cry
These are the times when I hail ras tafari
Knowing that jah will provide for I
Haile love I, you never forget
Haile bless I, don't you ever forget
Haile love I, don't you ever forget
Haile bless I, don't you ever forget
Every morning I rise
Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari
Knowing his eyes are on I
Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high
Even inna drought I nuh cry
These are the times when I hail ras tafari
Knowing that jah will provide for I

Haile is the power and the knowledge and the key
One, two, three, the holy trinity, yeah

Overall Meaning

In Nasio Fontaine's song Ras Tafari, the artist expresses his devotion and faith in the Rastafari movement and its iconic figure, Haile Selassie, former emperor of Ethiopia. The chorus repeats the phrase "Every morning I rise, peace to my mind when I hail Ras Tafari, knowing His eyes are on I, Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high, even inna drought, I nuh cry," emphasizing the daily ritual of prayer and meditation that brings comfort and guidance to the singer's life.

The verses delve deeper into Rastafarian philosophy and ethics. In times of scarcity and war, Fontaine turns to the principles of simplicity and detachment, knowing that earthly possessions are fleeting and ultimately irrelevant. He also acknowledges that nothing truly belongs to us, and that everything, including our bodies and material goods, will eventually return to the earth. The artist emphasizes the fleeting nature of human existence and emphasizes the importance of cherishing the present moment and being grateful for what we have.

Line by Line Meaning

Every morning I rise
I wake up everyday

Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari
I feel calm and at ease when I pay respects to Ras Tafari

Knowing his eyes are on I
I am aware that Ras Tafari, or Jah, is watching me

Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high
Jah is my guide, and I live with him

Even inna drought I nuh cry
Even in the most difficult times, I don't cry

These are the times when I hail ras tafari
It's during these tough times that I show my respect to Ras Tafari

Knowing that jah will provide for I
I have faith that Jah will take care of me

I said he giveth and he taketh away
I acknowledge that Jah can give and also take away

Understanding nothing is belonging to me
I understand that nothing really belongs to me

Earth will provide you with the necessity
The Earth provides us with the things we need to survive

Me say simplicity is what we use in these days
We should focus on being simple nowadays

And ras tafari prophesied there would be wars Many possessions would be lost
Rastafarianism prophesied that there would be wars and many people would lose their possessions

What you live is what you leave with, so Hold it close, it's the only thing that's yours
You can only take with you what you lived for, so hold onto it tightly because it's the only thing you truly own

Because we know jah we cannot walk away
Since we know Jah, we cannot just walk away

Heart of the lion is telling us not to stay far
The lion's heart tells us to stay close

‘Cause when it all passes away
Because everything will eventually pass away

To abide in your presence is the only thing I pray for
The only thing I pray for is to be close to Jah

‘Cause it is beautiful to know Storms all around and you safely guide the way home
It's reassuring to know that even amidst chaos, Jah guides us safely back home

Yes, you lightening my load
You are making my burden lighter

Keep me right here on the straight road
Please keep me focused and on the right path

Haile love I, you never forget
Ras Tafari's love is unforgettable

Haile bless I, don't you ever forget
Ras Tafari's blessings should never be forgotten

Haile is the power and the knowledge and the key
Ras Tafari is the source of power, knowledge, and guidance

Every morning I rise Peace to my mind when I hail ras tafari Knowing his eyes are on I Jah be my guide, I reside with the most high Even inna drought I nuh cry These are the times when I hail ras tafari Knowing that jah will provide for I
Reiteration of previous verses

One, two, three, the holy trinity, yeah
The holy trinity is made up of three divine entities

Contributed by Mila W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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