Ras Cas & Kalolu

Formed around lead singer/ songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Trinidadian Christopher “Ras Cas” Castagne, and Guyanese percussionist Sule "Sulemon" Gordon with band members from Ethiopia, the Caribbean, California and Hawai’i and ancestral ties spanning most of the globe, Kalolū is best described as “a musical melting pot of Jah Jah children, sharing life-sustaining music from the roots and shoots of Rastafari and Reggae”. The name alone runs deep and rich with cultural and spiritual significance, being simultaneously a reference to the Afro-Caribbean dish Callaloo and a respectful acknowledgement of the presence, language and culture of Kanaka Maoli, the indigenous people of Hawai’i, where the band was formed and is currently based. While individual members had previously played together in various configurations, the band as a unit only formed in September 2022. However, the combined experience and impressive musical resumés of the individual members continue to propel Kalolū forward with impressive momentum. Added to this, the genuine love, unity and respect among members, whose interactions and livity are guided and informed by an authentic Rastafari core, result in a musical product that is not limited to a simple rhythmic pattern, image or aesthetic but rather an overall uplifting and empowering experience meant to inform, inspire and elevate the audience while they dance and groove to Afro-caribbean rhythms, words and sounds coming straight from the source.