Rapha - friend of all

Here are some of the many testimonials for Rapha...

We met by chance searching for destiny. You; wise beyond your years and full of heart. Me; with the experience of wild experimentation and indigenous street ways . We set out to find our mission with mindfulness and acceptance. We knew the magnitude of the challenge and the effort required, we bonded as brethren, as partners and soul mates. We found our way and we delivered. More than we could dream, more than we could plan.
We were blessed with our time together, what we learnt, what we shared, and what we have grown and helped to create.
Mao

When i met raf he was young so was i.
We lasted a while.
Argued alot.
And in time we agreed.
I cant define raf at a point.
He has become to much of me and me of him.
I could not say a friend. we shared and expected the world on each other.
Like a brother.
He told me he wanted a big family with 4 or 5 kids
Im so sorry for him.
He was looking to settle down with a girl.
He wanted to go to berlin and japan.
Its hurts to talk about him in this way.
I thought we would grow old together.
Paddy

Raphaël my big brother, ill never forget you and playing music with you and of all of our wonderful adventures. Immigrant Swing forever.
Annalise

Once Rapha wrote me a beautiful letter, He ended up with a lovely note of hope for me to enjoy every moment. He said: 
"Enjoy the time we are given with those we care about and it's easy to forget when we are stuck thinking about what will be… and before we know it, the people we care for are gone." 
The spirit never fades, like a river, like the water of a river, the stream of events and the music of life! 
I know I will find you everywhere at the same time at the source and at the mouth! 
Sara 

In Raph I met a person who so genuinely lived by its Jack Kerouac ideals. I never thought I'd meet someone who so perfectly encapsulates this quote.
"[...]the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
JOE ODELL

I come close to your human form one last time Raphaël, with melodies that come to me from the distance like an orchestral suite, and luminous thoughts freed from gravity, like you.
I watch you join the gigantic dance of lovely stars that nursed my heart, in a cheerful gibe. Thankyou solar Raphaël, my little brother, star dust that watches over me. I feel your kindness, I send you my deep affection.
Olivier

Raf was our friend, he never complained about others. He played devils advocate. It was his lot, he always made us tell the truth.
Anonymous

We sang, we danced, we played, we laughed. Because of you we and so many others had the greatest of tunes.
Kat

I will really miss hearing you talk about william blake and music and love and life and philosophy. You showed me how much wonder their was in the world.
Jazz

An angle plucked to soon. A man who knew all the tunes. Each memory of you makes us true. Your vibe and inspiration lives on through the brightest smile on this earth. We love your soul. Your smile of silk, it makes us realise the truth we always knew.
Maddy

I will miss your smile and the happiness you made me feel when ever you were around.
Shannon

Thank you for representing the immigrant spirit that makes bristol so great.
Camilla

Shine on you crazy diamond.
Anonymous

The world wont be the same without your smile. Keep smiling wherever you are.
Ko

You were my teacher, on how to be always present, how to be really there, and how to share yourself with everyone with that big old smile.
Pete

I think your going now means that you had to, because you have a different mission, a better something, a better place somewhere or other people to love and inspire.
Anonymous

If the words joy of life had a face, it would be yours my dear rafa, may you light up with your smile all the worlds you visit.
YAYA

Rafa your with us forever, your heart still beats on, your one of a kind, a prefect stranger, you touched everybody and we love you so.
Ray

You are a legends and I will miss your cheaky little smile. You are an inspiration to us all. With Love.
Lorna

I was Raphaël's friend.
In Copenhagen we really grew up together. Our lives were infiltrated into each other, like companions, in everything. Raphaël changed my life, together we shared all dreams, thoughts, everything, without filters.
Raphaël was someone incredible for his ability to be true to himself, to always follow his instincts, to live harmoniously, to reflect on all thoughts, to maintain an open spirit and to push the people around him to give up "parades".
It was a true lighthouse, a true lighthouse.
Raphaël will always live in me, his presence is very clear to me, as it has always been.
Of course, you can not doubt the light that surrounded Raphaël in this life, but it seems appropriate to share with you the importance that Raphaël had for me.
Two days before Patrick contacted me, I said to my girlfriend: here, we are, we stop beating: we go to Bristol to find Raphaël and then we go to Sicily! We follow the dreams!
These days I understood that these impulses must be followed immediately. We must never allow rational contexts or the ridiculous idea of ​​a certain code of conduct to curb the expression of our emotions.
Raphaël will always be an essential part of my way of seeing the world.
I have spent these last few days contemplating the world around me enormously, and I know that the next steps I will take will be to live.
I know that atrocity, punishment, incapacity are real, but the subtlety of communication, the beauty of the people, the music, the world, are to be lived to the end.
For the rest of my days I will share this ardor with all those around me.
A friend, Peter

After having received the texts written for Raphaël and read during the tributes,
Peter answers :
« Thank you for sharing those moving words.
In a way, all these words resonate in me, since they put their finger exactly on the nail - I recognize in each strand, in each person that Raphaël transformed by interaction, the character of Raphaël which is so important in me. I imagine you all, and although it is difficult to place yourself in your place and his recent friends, I am with you.
I tried in my letter to explain how impotence and incapacity, frustration, opened up in me as an earthquake, an ardor to share an unconditional love for the world, a million wishes that people would realise, coming together and sharing affection, dreams, and following their paths in the dawn.
Raphaël, we are followed and, in this space of contemplation, of patient comprehension, I resent your presence.
Since when Patric wrote to me, this mental space was opened up in me, in a way that I would say permanent.
In the days that followed, here in Copenhagen we celebrated a day of music, and food. I played with my group, and I took the opportunity to ask everyone present to kiss each other. I know that this energy would be something celebrated by Raphaël, be it in a church, in a sanctuary or in a crematorium where you marked this moment.
Since then, I continue to start a musical performance with this approach. In the space of music, the spirit of Raphaël and very strongly present in me.
I feel a little uncomfortable to write you so focused on my own feelings, but I succumbed to their violence and that's why these are the words that come to me.
I would like to write to you about Raphaël because Raphaël was a lighthouse, a person of very rare honesty who inspired and transformed the world around him. You know it of course.
So I hope that through this letter you can read between the lines that his way continues to grow, as circles in the water where we throw a stone.
Peter

Rapha was one of the most spirited and gifted people I have had the good fortune to know and I will miss him hugely as I know others will too. Life will not be same without him. I will always remember the impassioned conversations we had at work about almost anything and everything. Then there was his music...his inimitable style of playing, his love of jamming and his ability to soak up and play just about any style of music. He loved music from all over and had a gift for taking a folk song or poem and giving it his own touch. One of the poets he liked was William Blake. Here's some words by Blake that Rapha loved.
" He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise."
TIM

"Rapha, we are so happy you visited and shared your time and spirit with us. You helped us keep out the rain so we can continue to shelter others. You have left us much joy in your music.
You are now a part of our story and will remain in the glad part of our hearts and minds. Aum shanti shanti shanti."
With love,
Jag and David

I'm clumsy with words... I can't put the words together... Rapha was a radiant being he was warm, expansive, wonderful to know....so talented.... So very loved by so many people... His music and gorgeous voice will live on I learnt a lot from Rapha and feel truly blessed to have known him..
He really,really was the most wonderful man...
Helen

Rapha was straight away up-front and cool, no games, and I really liked that about him. I went to see him play with Annalise and saw that he was a natural leader and his playing and singing and general performing energy was so grounded and powerful that I think I could have been given a one stringed banjo to play and he could give it depth and authority. I was glad that he could come and play with us. Rapha was the foundation, the warm engine of the group. My favourite memory is of him having to sing with no microphone to a full house, and he just got up and went to the front and did this really challenging thing like it was nothing, like he was just hanging out busking.
I always knew he was a cool and talented guy, but until I went to the gathering at The Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft I didn't realise what a massive impact he'd had on so many people, especially in the artistic and activist community.
Alex

Dearest Raphaël,

I am writing to you here as I know not else where to go. I need to tell you how I feel and say goodbye one last time.
Today was beautiful - it was lovely to see your friends so passionately bidding you farewell.
Music was always everything for you and it made so many people happy to listen to you and be included.
I feel extremely grateful for you coming into my life when you did. We had the most lovely innocent friendship, which changed me.
You picked me up at the lowest point in my life and brought the light shining in. I never had any regrets, only that it did not last longer.
I felt that you were always my friend first and I wish we had been closer these last few years, but that's life.
Seeing you just a few weeks ago brought joy to my heart and reminded me of how close we had been. It was a very special evening - I will never forget you singing Autumn Leaves. It was so beautiful.
You live on in everyone's memories as a hero of the modern age. I will never forget you and I certainly have a special place for you in my heart.

You were my great love. To love is to let love go. Ours was just that.
Yours always, XX