BIOGRAPHY
Eloy Carrero A.K.A. Ras Sparrow is a reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Born in Venezuela on July 16th, 1976, and raised in Miami, Ras grew up listening to a wide variety of musical genres. As a teenager he picked up the guitar, which became his main musical instrument. Being a multi-instrumentalist, he also plays bass guitar, drums, keyboards, and percussion. Also during his teens, Ras started dabbling with music recording on a 4-track multitrack tape recorder, inspiring in him a deep interest in music production.
During his early twenties, Ras adopted reggae as his musical style of choice, almost immediately after experiencing what he explains as a spiritual awakening. In reference to this, Ras has been known to make the statement, “I really didn’t choose reggae music, reggae music chose me. It was given to me as a guiding light during a time in my life that was full of confusion. Reggae became like medicine to my soul, the uplifting & prophetic message, the driving syncopation of the rhythm. I decided that I was going to use the musical talent that JAH has given me, to do good in this world, to heal and uplift, but also as a peaceful means of protesting oppression and injustice.”
Ras Sparrow’s unique style of reggae comes not only from the original Jamaican roots reggae and dub sound, but from a blend of all of his musical influences. From his early years of playing the guitar along with blues and psychedelic rock records, to the hip-hop and latin music he grew up listening to in Venezuela and Miami. Ras has created a truly authentic sound style which allows his work to transcend beyond the genre.
Currently based out of Santiago de Chile, Ras continues to produce new material out of his home recording studio, under his independent label, Ras Sparrow Records. His most recent release, “By The Waters (Official Video 2021)”, filmed in Santiago, features the participation of his wife, Mayerlein García A.K.A. La Makeda, who has been recording and performing alongside her husband since 2014. Her vocals can be heard on songs such as “Irie Island (2015)”, “Lion in a Cage (2016)”, “Rebels in da Hills (2018)”, “By The Waters (2020)”, and the most recent single release, “Like The Son (2021).
La Makeda accompanied Ras on two incredibly successful tours of Brazil in 2015 during which Ras Sparrow & La Makeda were billed as a duo, and backed by local brazilian reggae bands. Since then, Ras has put together his own 5-piece band consisting of top venezuelan reggae musicians with whom he rehearses consistently in order to establish and deliver his signature sound during live performances.
Reaching multi-million downloads, views, and streams all across the globe. Ras Sparrow has achieved international recognition in the reggae world as a recording artist and producer.
When it comes to production, he has been known to make the impossible possible through versatility and adaptability. In 2007, during which time he was based on the island of Hawai’i, Sparrow recorded, mixed, and mastered his debut album, “Sovereign People'', using solar power. Then in 2013, he produced the entirety of his second album, “12 in Digital Dub Mixes”, in Caracas, Venezuela using strictly an iPhone 4s.
In 2010, “Zion Town” was released. Song which has become a mega international reggae hit (reaching over 30 million views on YouTube alone) and which marked the formation of the short lived duo, Ras & Queen Sparrow (2010-2013).
As a performer, Ras has had the privilege of having shared the stage with reggae greats in the likes of Israel Vibration, Alpha Blondy, Midnite, Groundation, Kymani Marley, Anthony B, Bambu Station, Winston Jarrett, Dezarie, The Wailers, Don Carlos, among others.
Ras Sparrow continues his mission to spread conscious music worldwide with the hopes of reaching the heart and soul of his listeners and making a positive impact.