Addis Kitwana

ADDIS KITWANA

Written by Tina Brown Addis Kitwana hails from Bristol and has lived here all his life. Having a passion for exploring his roots, Ras Addis was inspired by the lifestyle and message that called to him through Roots and dub music. At 16 he went to London and bought his first record and he's been hooked since then, fully embracing music and a vibe that resonated with his personal beliefs. He started going up to London on a regular basis attending Shaka dances and meeting friends. Ras Addis started dj’ing in his early 20’s, performing his first show with Yoga Dan on Roots FM and Bristol Passion FM. Soon after forming the Negus Melody sound with Levi Roots and Kama Dred and more recently dj’ing his own sets at local venues such as Cosies‘. I like giving people the opportunity to feel what they want to feel through the music and embrace the joys and the sorrows together’. Addis said. Ras Addis has since recorded 3 songs: Jah Bible by Dubkasm and Aba Shanti, Clash of the Titans with Ishan Sounds and Cradle to the Grave by Dubbing Sun and Zygos. In February, Addis came to me to record some vocals for another tune that is being produced in France, so look out for Divide and Rule - Ras Addis meets Ishiban that's due out in January, a huge blessing for a man that has gone through so much.

Originally Ras Addis wanted to be a carpenter, however, food called to him and he drifted into it. He has since developed a passion for cooking Ital vegan food, experimenting with different ingredients and finding new ways to create delicious healthy food. He has volunteered with Fairshare, because his heart is with the people around him. He is always available to help and has since catered for festivals and pursued his own research into ‘herbalism’, drawing on the rich cultural history of herbs, good nutrition and healthy living. Ras Addis has first hand experience as to how the conventional medical system can let you down, especially when ‘the experts’ do not follow through with concerns, giving little time to really listen and generally brushing people off with their expert knowledge and panicking in times of crisis just like today. Ras Addis had complained of issues two years prior to the 19th of March, when lockdown was instigated in the UK and in the two months running up to lockdown was showing clear symptoms of TB Meningitis (a virus that takes a very long time to develop), however, in the panic, and in the absence of essential notes that should have been on his records, Addis was left to get into a critical state. His children called the emergency services 4 times from the 20th to the 24th March before an ambulance came to the door, and by this time Addis was delirious and in a terrible state. He had been in this state for a good two weeks complaining of severe headaches and being unable to function properly. Ras Addis is now confined to a wheelchair and has suffered some brain damage,he now needs full time care and his life has completely changed. However, despite all of this, he has come back to us after 8 months in hospital, still with that positive attitude and cracking jokes. He's a true warrior, fighting against all odds to get back to his life in St. Pauls. I think there is a message here: people like Addis who are generous and always willing to help, someone who sacrifices his time and energy for others; they are not often people who do call out for help, and quite often ignore the fact that they need to take some time out for themselves. The first rule of caring is to care for yourself. Every parent, every carer in this world, quite often forgets this in the rush and demand of every day living. And it's an easy thing to do. Since the Conservatives have been in office these past two years they have been slowly and systematically cutting costs and essential services, criminalising disabled and ill people with ridiculous PIP interviews. All of the care industry has suffered over these past 10 years and we sit with a welfare system that has been stigmatised, and is thus ineffective. Welfare is for everyone. Families struggle to make ends meet despite being in full time employment and no consideration is taken overall for a healthy work/rest balance. Schools have been turned into crowded businesses, and vital key workers are deported. The planning is all around economic growth which in itself is unrealistic as we live in a finite world. So I ask you, would you rather work towards a better life for everyone, or would you rather wait for the powers that be to get us back on the economic track, because this is the only thing that they are considering. Addis has suffered from the consequences of bad administration, the Doctors and nurses have suffered the consequences of lack of funding and being ill prepared. In the pandemic panic, many people just like Addis have been put to the sidelines, no matter how chronic their condition is. And there are more solutions than just the one, and many ways to treat people that do not just rely on a vaccine. Herbal remedies, rest, getting outside in the fresh air are all vital to a wholesome life, and nothing will change or get better if we do not consider these things in government policy. I totally respect and value the contribution of modern medicine and I would envision a world where the logical and empirical, the scientific, can work alongside the holistic, the alternatives, providing a real growth in the welfare ‘economy’ - if that helps people see things in a different way. It's always good to have different perspectives on things, it's always good to listen, and not just to the experts.