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.
Rise Up
Nasio Fontaine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We gonna Rise up uhh
We gonna Wise up, yeah!
We gonna Wake up
Come on! You Mighty people
Hey, Rise up people Rise up
Don't make them fool you no more
Wake up people
Wake up come on!
Can't make them fool you more more
Nuh, Liberation is a must
Yeah! Power to the people
Set the captives Free
Freedom is a must
Come on and up with the people's movement
Liberation is today now.
And the people Rise and Say
We gonna Rise up come on!
We gonna Wise up, uuhh!
We gonna Wake uo
Rise up Mighty people
We gonna Shake up
Pah dap, pah, pah, pah, pah, dap, pah
Hey! Rise up people Rise up
Don't make them fool you no more
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Wake up people wake up
Can't make them fool you no more
Yea! Break the Chains things must be rearranged
Up you Mighty race accomplish what you will
And the people Rise and Say
Politicians must obey
We gonna Rise up
Come on ye mighty people
We gonna Wise up
Liberation is a must
We gonna wake up huhh, come on, come on
We gonna Shake up,
Cause you've been kept down for so long, yeah,
And the people Rebel
We're gonna Win now
And the people Rebel
Revolution time
And the people Rebel, Lord, Lord, Lord
Yes the people Rebel, yes and the people rebel
Yeah! And the people rebel, Ras Tafari Live
Nasio Fontaine's song "Rise Up" is a powerful call to action for oppressed people everywhere to unite and work towards their liberation. The song immediately establishes this theme with the opening lines, "Rise up ye Mighty people, we gonna rise up, we gonna wise up, we gonna wake up." The repetition of the phrase "we gonna" creates a sense of urgency, inspiring listeners to take action. Fontaine urges listeners to wise up and not be fooled any longer by the lies and propaganda of the dominant powers. He emphasizes the importance of liberation, proclaiming that "power to the people" and "freedom is a must."
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Rise up people, rise up" as a rallying cry for those who have been kept down for too long. The line "Break the Chains things must be rearranged" symbolizes the need for a complete overhaul of the oppressive systems that keep people in chains. Fontaine encourages listeners to take action, reminding them that they have the power to accomplish what they will. The song ends with a call to rebellion and revolution, exemplified by the line "And the people rebel, Ras Tafari Live."
Overall, "Rise Up" is a powerful anthem of resistance and hope, inspiring listeners to join the struggle for liberation and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah! Rise up ye Mighty people
Addressing the strong and powerful individuals to stand up
We gonna Rise up uhh
We will rise above our oppressors
We gonna Wise up, yeah!
We will gain knowledge and act sensibly
We gonna Wake up
We will not remain ignorant anymore
Come on! You Mighty people
Encouraging the audience to join the movement
Hey, Rise up people Rise up
Reiterating the call for the oppressed to rise up
Don't make them fool you no more
Do not let the oppressors deceive you any longer
Nuh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Affirmative reply to the previous line
Wake up people
Awaken from ignorance
Can't make them fool you more more
Cannot let people deceive you any longer
Nuh, Liberation is a must
A must for oppressed to achieve freedom
Yeah! Power to the people
Empowering the oppressed masses
Set the captives Free
Free the oppressed individuals from their captors
Freedom is a must
Freedom is essential for everyone
Come on and up with the people's movement
Join the freedom movement
Liberation is today now.
The time for liberation is now
And the people Rise and Say
The masses are standing up and speaking
We gonna Wake up come on!
We will awaken from ignorance
We gonna Shake up,
We will cause a stir in the society
Pah dap, pah, pah, pah, pah, dap, pah
An instrumental beat
Yea! Break the Chains things must be rearranged
The oppressive chains must be broken, and things need to be changed
Up you Mighty race accomplish what you will
The proud and powerful individuals should achieve what they aspire to
And the people Rise and Say
The masses are speaking out and acting
Politicians must obey
The politicians must follow and meet people's demands
Cause you've been kept down for so long, yeah,
The oppression has been continuing for an extended period
And the people Rebel
The masses take a stance and rebel
We're gonna Win now
The movement will achieve its goal
Revolution time
Time for a political revolution
And the people Rebel, Lord, Lord, Lord
The masses are rebelling against the oppressors
Yes the people Rebel, yes and the people rebel
Positive affirmation to the previous line
And the people rebel, Ras Tafari Live
The people rebel for the sake of Rastafarianism's beliefs
Contributed by Elijah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SeAnkhKaResadiosang
Nice song
@abriga8059
Big tune!