ABOUT

KALPANA DEVI & MANOU AFRICA
 

Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi first met in 1994 and joined creative forces composing, recording, performing, and touring together across the U.S. and West Africa. Together they are known as ReBelle.

 

ReBelle is a formidable band conceived in love, rebellion and the evocative musical talents of Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi. Kalpana and Manou's powerful voices chant meditations on liberation while instrumentals propel roots, reggae soul. Singing in 5 distinct languages, Wolof, English, Creole, French and Hebrew, their original music infuses a mystical mix of commanding African rhythms while their dynamic stage presence is internationally acclaimed.

 

Manou is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer whose musical calling is centered on Rastafari and on African liberation. His musical mission includes bringing forth stories of sufferation, justice, of love and triumph and bringing that story to the people.

 

Manou began as a teenager in Africa forming the band Black Rebels (that later became ReBelle) in tribute to amplifying a Rastafari message of love.

 

Kalpana is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer whose musical calling is centered on a love for humanity movement. Her musical mission includes the power of unity consciousness and unleashing a ferocity of visionary love. She stands for earthwide liberation.

 

Kalpana began her musical path as a child, playing music daily, growing up in a musical family and in devotion to ancestral remembrance. She was influenced by the power of African and Indigenous music, radical folk music and Jazz, social and environmental justice movements and the teachings of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti. Her first commission to compose music came through Yale University when she was 19 years old and from there, she collaborated with and led multiple innovative music and dance ensembles and projects including with Wadada Leo Smith, Children of the Sun, Susumi Dance Theater and Power of the Drum Ballet. Alongside her husband, Manou Africa, she is co-founder of ReBelle.

 

ReBelle has shared the stage with Skatalites, The Wailers, Burning Spear, Culture, Little Richard, Toots and the Maytals, Ijahman Levi, Israel Vibration, Sister Carol, Steel Pulse, Meditations, Mykal Rose, Itals, The Marleys, Lucky Dube, Yami Bolo, Midnite, Ras Iba, Tuff Lion, Ras Attitude, Batch, Toussaint the Liberator, Kabaka Pyramid, Kenyatta Hill, Andrew Tosh, Nattali Rize, Mike Love and many more. They have performed at festivals and venues across the U.S. and Africa including, The Parliament of World Religions Convening in Chicago, Il, Baia Das Gatas in Cape Verde, Reggae Sunsplash in Senegal, Blaise Senghor Institute in Senegal, LEAF Festival, Harmonic Convergence, International Festival of Arts and Ideas, SOB's, Fire Water Festival, Bel Chere, Ziontific, Vermont Reggae Festival, Ocean State Reggae, sell-out crowds at the Iron Horse Music Hall, Pearl Street Night Club, The Roxy, House of Blues, New England Reggae Festival, Guilford College, Warren Wilson, Hampshire College, UMASS, Amherst College, Smith College to name a few.  

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ReBelle also made the top 10 list in Reggae Report's, "Top 10 U.S.-Based Independent Albums". Their first album, "Thank U Jah", came in at #5. They've regularly been voted best reggae band and "Best World Music" by several popular polls in their region, for the last 2 decades including Valley Advocate best of and the 411 polls.

 

Kalpana and Manou have created platforms for and facilitated youth leadership and cultural activism and exchanges in schools, colleges, and universities – mentoring and counseling young people and families in their local, regional and global communities.

 

What the critics are saying about ReBelle:
"powerful musicianship" - "warm, contemporary, vital" - "spell binding" - "powerhouse lead vocals"  "eclectic, contemporary, African roots interpretation crossing all borders" - "transcendent" - "intrinsic element of protest" - "new, intelligent, trail blazing music".