OUT NOW – Listen Here!
Askala Selassie, the Warrior Empress of reggae, unveiled her soul-stirring new single, ‘Welcome to Africa‘, on the 25th April, 2025. This isn’t just a song; it’s a vibrant celebration of the African spirit, born under the blazing sun of the motherland and destined to echo across the globe.
The seeds of Welcome to Africa took root during Askala’s tour to Cape Town, where the land, the people, and the culture wrapped her in an embrace that felt like home. “I was flying over these vast landscapes, standing atop Table Mountain, and it hit me, the melody, the feeling,” her journey reveals. Inspired by the warmth of welcoming smiles, the pulse of bustling markets, and the sheer beauty of the African sun, the song flowed out of her naturally, lyrics and all, as if the continent itself was singing through her. What started as a spark became a fire when she teamed up with reggae royalty Jazzwad Paul Yebuah, multi-Grammy-winning producer behind hits like Garnet Silk’s Bless Meand Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock, at the UK’s Stingray Studio. Together, they laid down a riddim that thrummed with promise. But Askala wasn’t done. “It still felt incomplete,” her instincts urged. So she stepped into the producer’s chair, adding a fresh bassline, electric guitar, percussion, and backing vocals, transforming it into the anthem she’d envisioned. she recalls with a laugh. Mixed by her longtime collaborator Christian Cowlin, a veteran who’s been with The Wailers’ for over 20 years, Welcome to Africa is her first self-produced release, a bold step into her truest self. Azania, which is sung in the chorus, is in fact what native South African people call their country. It was an ancient name for South Africa.
From South London to South Africa, Askala Selassie’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Recruited at 21 after a live show to tour with The Wailers, earning her the title of youngest Wailing sister, she cut her teeth with reggae’s legends, sharing stages with icons like Sugar Minott, Rita Marley, Chronixx, and Beres Hammond. Her 2016 debut album Warrior Empress, recorded at Stingray and released on VP Records, snagged rave reviews from Reggaville and a Grammy nod. By 2017, she’d topped Jamaica’s CVM TV charts, and her 2023 singles Survivor and Rise and Shine with Mad Professor’s Ariwa label fueled a 2024 European tour. But it was her Mama Africa Awaits tour in Cape Town that left an indelible mark, opening new doors and hearts. With her pure vocals, heartfelt songwriting, and that captivating smile, Askala doesn’t just perform, she mesmerizes.
Influences
Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott
Socials
Instagram
Facebook
Spotify
Apple Music
