About Ratie
Her source of inspiration
Music influences
Ratie (Claire Ratidzo Dangarembwa) was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe which is known for its richness in Arts and Culture. According to her mother, she could dance before she started walking! She started singing in church at the age 7 and was always in the choir all through middle school to high school. Her first musical break was when she jo
Ratie (Claire Ratidzo Dangarembwa) was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe which is known for its richness in Arts and Culture. According to her mother, she could dance before she started walking! She started singing in church at the age 7 and was always in the choir all through middle school to high school. Her first musical break was when she joined an all female acapella group called Nobuntu in 2012. It was a great opportunity for her as she got a platform to be creative and wrote a song called Soka Lami which became the group's debut music video. The ensemble traveled to Europe for a tour and upon arrival back in Zimbabwe, Ratie was approached by Zimbabwean band Bongolove as they needed a backing vocalist for their album. In 2014 She performed with the band at the biggest festival in Zimbabwe, HIFA and months later left Zimbabwe for a US Tour where she has toured with an African Circus CirqueZumaZuma and in 2015 performed Beloved Festival.
RatieD currently performs in Eugene Oregon where she has been received well at festivals like Northwest Reggae Fest , Oregon Country Fair and Portland Pan African Festival.
Music influences
Her source of inspiration
Music influences
Most people have a parent who plays an instrument or sings but Ratie's story is a different one. Her father collected music from different countries and genres for example Steel Pulse, Hugh Masekela, Chiwoniso Maraire, Thomas Mapfumo and Bob Marley. He would have her play shakers from match stick boxes to the music and cheer her on as she
Most people have a parent who plays an instrument or sings but Ratie's story is a different one. Her father collected music from different countries and genres for example Steel Pulse, Hugh Masekela, Chiwoniso Maraire, Thomas Mapfumo and Bob Marley. He would have her play shakers from match stick boxes to the music and cheer her on as she danced. Her mother also encouraged her to sing in the worship team at her church where she also developed her love for gospel music.
Her source of inspiration
Her source of inspiration
Her source of inspiration
Ratie finds inspiration in her everyday life through her Creator. She believes that the different people she meets, the injustices in the world and also the joys that she has experienced, serve as sources of inspiration and means to growth. As she tries to trace where the music emerged from her family, she learns that her maternal grandfa
Ratie finds inspiration in her everyday life through her Creator. She believes that the different people she meets, the injustices in the world and also the joys that she has experienced, serve as sources of inspiration and means to growth. As she tries to trace where the music emerged from her family, she learns that her maternal grandfather, George Museta, was a well known tap dancer. She recalls her paternal grandmother, Molly Dangarembwa, telling her stories of how she was a well known dancer in a village in Zimbabwe. This drives Ratie to keep the family dream alive of performing. Listening to artists like Brenda Fassie, Dobet Gnahore, Alice Smith, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu has also had a big impact on her view or understanding of music.
