Razia (singer)

Razia Said (born December 1, 1959) is a singer, songwriter, and activist from Antalaha, Madagascar. Razia's music draws on her African influences, such as Fela Kuti and Papa Wemba, while incorporating R&B and Jazz, which she found upon moving to New York City in 1987.

Razia is a nomad who spends her time between Africa, France, Italy, Ibiza, Bali and New York City. Before recording Zebu Nation, Razia recorded her earlier material, Magical, released in 2006 upon moving to NYC. Despite the excitement of fixing her work to a disc, Razia was unsatisfied. After many trips back to her home country of Madagascar, Razia had the opportunity to meet one of the country's most prominent acts, Njava. Razia's time recording in Madagascar inspired her to write and record songs in the Malagasy language while incorporating many of the familiar sounds and melodies with which she grew up.[1]

Much of Razia's musical focus is aimed at protecting and preserving the environment, namely that of her homeland. [2] Razia is an activist fighting illegal logging in Madagascar. An article in Broadway World described her album The Road as "a warm, welcoming set of songs that take us deep into the emotional reality of Razia's self-made, globe-spanning life."[3]