“…and the music of the mountain has transmuted thy sorrow into blissful joy..”
“With her warm, powerful voice RANZIE MENSAH has been singing since childhood and certainly initiated many transmutations in her audience. She was born in Accra, Ghana, as a princess of the Fanti tribe and currently lives in Italy. Her artistic talent seduced PAOLO CONTE into giving her his song “Don’t Break My Heart”. She sang in numerous concerts in Africa, Europe and North Amerca, including a show in Italy with MIRIAM MAKEBA for an audience of 20.000, a festival in San Severino Marche featuring PAT METHENEY, JIMMY CLIFF, GILBERTO GIL.”
Gitta Schumann
Her father, A. A Mensah’s professional activities as an ethno-musicologist, research fellow and pianist took the family to California, London, then to Zambia and Uganda where Dad taught at the School of Music, Dance and Drama of the respective Universities.
Ranzie has produced several recordings of which "AMAZING GRACE", received publicity on the cover of a distinguished music magazine in Italy. Her latest recording is "Who is Writing the Future?" released in December 2004. She was invited to perform at the World Summit on Social Developpement in Copenhagen in 1995 and the Summit on Environment in Berlin.
RANZIE has taken part in various programmes for radio and television in Africa, France and Italy (RAI UNO, RAI TRE, CANALE 5, RAI UNO INTERNATIONAL by satellite for the presentation of her CD "The Music of the Mountain") She worked on the translation of MIRIAM MAKEBA’s autobiography from English to French, published by Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines.
In 1998 and 1999, she performed in Paris at the Théatre de la Mutualité, each time for an audience of 2000.
In 1999, RANZIE gave a concert at the fully booked prestigious Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, in Italy, where world famous conductor CLAUDIO ABBADO performs every season. On that memorable evening, the audience of 1.000 gave her a 10 minute standing ovation.
Ranzie was invited to perform at the EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany, for 10 consecutive days in September, where she sang at the Global House, the Africa Pavillion and the Christus Pavillion. She was highlighted in the newspapers for 5 consecutive days and her performance was filmed for national television.
In October 2001, Ranzie toured the United States and Canada. The performances took place in Vancouver, Victoria (British Columbia), Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
Ranzie has also performed with well-known Italian artists such as RON – on the occasion of a concert entitled "I Have a Dream" a tribute to Martin Luther King, for an audience of 2.000 in Livorno and with RICCARDO FOGLI, for a peace concert.
In November 2005, she was invited to sing in Rome at the prestigious auditorium "Santa Cecilia". The event was organised by the Mayor of Rome in the presence of Nobel peace laureates, including BOB GELDORF and GORBACHEV and 3.000 people. The performance was broadcast on RAI UNO television station.
The well-known Teatro Goldoni in Livorno was centre-stage for national celebration of social welfare in December 2005. Ranzie performed before former President of the Republic of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and a full house of prestigious guests and high authorities.
Her 2005 tour "A tribute to Ray Charles" was taken to several theatre halls in Italy, including San Marino and Ascoli Piceno where Ranzie, a full house, musicians, vocalists and 60 dancers celebrated a giant of modern music.
During the course of the following years , 2006, 2007, 2008, Ranzie has continued performing in prestigious theatres throughout Italy, including interviews of national radio stations – Radio Popolare Milano – she also toured Luxemberg on invitation of the NGO, Frères des Hommes, where she held intercultural workshops in several schools for over 200 students and a final concert at the auditorium of the Conservatory of Music, a concert for a full house at the historic theatre "Aquila" in Fermo, a concert at the Verdi theatre in Milan and a performance in Bucharest, Romania, on occasion of the world day of violence against women, with numerous interviews and programmes on national Romanian television.
On December 2009, Ranzie was awarded the Peace Prize by the municipality of Guardia Piemontese (Calabria, Italy).
"A prize that ideally wants to be a bridge between Italy and Africa – two worlds only apparently distant but especially in reference to Calabria, share common problems. A message of peace and solidarity that Guardia Piemontese has wanted to attribute to the person who through song and music has demonstrated that it is possible to build a better world." Gabriella Sconosciuto – Local Minister for Tourism, Sport and Arts).
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