Singer Askala sees herself as chosen to spread the word about Rastafari.

Her adopted name means 'fruit of the holy trinity' and even though her given name, Melody, may be more conducive to a career in music, this young Briton of Jamaican descent is determined to reflect both the reggae roots and the Rastafarian message in her own career.

Beginning at an early age, Askala attracted attention and interest for her singing ability. She would perform at various formal and informal venues. In time, she would also be featured on shows with top reggae acts from Jamaica, including Luciano who visited the UK, as well as with UK-based stars like Prince Malachi and Colour Red.

Her best link to date came through the Wailers band, with whom she toured Europe extensively. "It was a tremendous experience for me," she recalls, "but at times it was rough having to be on a bus and just driving for hours on end, going from city to city."

But the perseverance has been worth it, and Askala has found a favourable reception in Italy in particular, where she 'hooked up' with Steve Giant, well-known publisher of Italian reggae magazine Rasta Snob, who himself is a frequent visitor to Jamaica. Their collaboration yielded a tune, Oh Jah, slated for release shortly as part of an all-female reggae project called Super Reggae Girls.

She returns to Italy, and to the UK shortly, but her visit here is to finalise her single Faith (produced in collaboration with Wailers engineer Karl Topping) as well as a video directed by Ras Kassa.

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