The 22nd March, Raga the SON (Adam Radwan) released Blessed with Juju Rogers & Kumar, the second single from his forthcoming debut LP Son Of Nile. Following on from Spell released on the 1st of March, the artist continues to develop his sound and musical palette by delving into his Egyptian heritage and collaborating with a range of proficient artists.
“The goal was to create a project where I could explore my mixed cultural and musical identity by merging my influences and bringing artists from different genres and cultures together in the hope of expressing thoughts and parts of myself I couldn’t have expressed on my own.” Raga the SON
The album feels like a deeply personal and cathartic journey for Raga the SON, as across the album’s fourteen tracks he navigates a range of themes. Self-worth, gratitude, and personal growth are all touched upon in Blessed, Spell, Distorted Reflections, and Feuer. Raga the Son explores the responsibility that comes with being an artist in Power of Mind, as it acts as “a reminder to create art with the aim to impact the culture and society”, whilst in Floating he explores “the struggles and joys of being creative”. Opening the album is Children of the Nile which encourages the listener to “get in touch with their heritage and see other people around them as family.”
A significant and underlying theme throughout the album is family, with four of the tracks featuring recordings of Raga the SON’s family. Ibn el Nil / النیل ابن) Interlude) features his father on vocals, explaining to the Son of Nile (listeners) how he forgot his culture and roots because he forgot his own worth. Dammy (دمى) / This Blood of Mine (Interlude) features an Arabic poem written by Raga the SON’s father, where he expresses the feeling of loss and missing a person whilst also enjoying the memories that are still lingering on.
Resting Lion (Prelude) features old cassette recordings of his grandfather’s voice that he discovered after he had passed away – including a recording of Adam and his grandfather singing and playing together. Raga the SON produced the Resting Lion instrumental the year his grandfather passed and it helped him realize and express his emotions he otherwise couldn’t find a way to deal with. Fatouta’s Blessings closes the album and features his grandmother reciting the Fatiha and blessing Adam and acts as a farewell to the listener leaving them blessed and calm.
