KEZIAH JONES | KOKOROKO | RAH & The Ruffcats

As one of the most sought-after and technically adept bands in the German live music scene, the Berlin-based Ruffcats are something of an institution. Comprising some of the country's most respected session musicians, the eight-piece band bring together all their diverse influences and create a unique interpretation of the music they love as "The Ruffcats".
Since their formation in 2007 and through their live jams at the Bohannon Soul Club in Berlin, The Ruffcats have established themselves as the backing band for artists such as Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sweet Charles, Lady Alma, Jaguar Wright, Miles Bonny and many more. In and out of the studio, they have also worked continuously with German soul singer Flomega, and in 2013 the Ruffcats were the touring band for the first Voice of Germany winner Ivy Quainoo.
In the meantime and for over a decade, Rapturous Apollo Helios, better known as RAH, has made a name for himself as one of Berlin's most outstanding rappers, songwriters and singers. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, RAH's music has always been influenced by his surroundings and a rich history of black music, from hip-hop to soul and of course
Afrobeat.
Since moving to Berlin, RAH has made a splash in the German capital with his weekly Swag Jam sessions. At these live events, he has not only been able to demonstrate his skills as an exceptional MC and improvisational genius, but has also attracted the likes of Erykah Badu and Bilal to the stage.
After crowning his move from Lagos to Berlin with the release of his debut album "How Far?" in 2018, RAH began the next stage of his sonic adventure by teaming up with his longtime friends, the band "The Ruffcats". Their first single together, the Curtis Mayfield-influenced "Shieing Sands", was released that same year to great acclaim, and it wasn't long before both parties were working on a larger project together. After a pandemic-induced break, their collaboration began to bear fruit, and this July they will release their debut album.
The album, titled "Orile To Berlin", chronicles RAH's move from the area he grew up in Lagos to the German capital he now calls home. It's an LP steeped in Afrobeat and highlife, but with funk sensibilities and a hip-hop attitude. Produced by Jochen Ströh, the producer of Ebo Taylor's classics Love & Death and Appia Kwa Bridge, and the mixing engineer for Pat Thomas and the Kwashibu Area Band, it has a strong production background. It represents their own version of Afrobeat within the unwritten laws of this music and without trying to deliver a Fela Kuti copy.