Thousands of Guyanese at home and in the diaspora have become familiar with the recent social media sensation ‘Wello – the Substitute Teacher’ through his Guyanese alphabet series.
The young comedian and artist made himself and the Guyanese creole a major talking point by featuring a letter per day, using a Guyanese word and definition, put together in the most comical and entertaining way.

In a recent interview, the 26-year-old- whose real name is Kwame Simpson but who also goes by the alias ‘Ragga Rebel’ or ‘Wello’- said that his ultimate goal in life is to obtain financial freedom.
While most persons may see him as an entertaining social media character, there’s more to what he brings to the table, to make well of his life and family.

Wello hails from New Amsterdam, Berbice, but later moved to Saint Maarten and then to the US, as his parents got exposed to new and better opportunities.
He said that he grew up on a big farm mining cows and his family didn’t have it all. Because of how he grew up and the advancement of the world since, Wello said, “I want my children and family to have it all,” as such, he grabs every opportunity to market his craft to become successful at what he does.

After moving to the US, he started acting, performing and entertaining which gave him the foundation to later open his own store in Brooklyn and build the platform he now has.
Because he believes in his business and being an entrepreneur, the young man said he quit jobs to focus on his business and build his brand.

“I have a thrift store in Brooklyn, the Raga Closet that has been going for five years. When I was younger, I was always called a ‘ragamuffin’, playing in the gutter, getting dirty. I was always referred to as a ‘raga’. So growing up, when I was trying to find my fashion sense, I realised that it was so clean because I couldn’t find a name for it in the fashion index. It’s raga, it’s free form, it’s edgy, it’s how I feel. And I grab inspiration from art itself,” Wello said.

Added to his clothing store, due to how receptive the public was with his alphabet series, he now has T-Shirts and different types of merchandise with the Guyanese words available for purchase.

Because of the pandemic, the physical store is closed in Brooklyn, but all his items can be purchased online at ragacloset.com.
This young Guyanese is an all-round creative. In addition to being a comedian, having a creative mind that entertains the masses, a clothing store and t-shirt line, Wello is also pursuing a career in music.

He said that he has been doing music for a little while and has a SoundCloud account: Raga rebel, where his music can be found. “Although I like my Jazz and other genres of music, I’m very rooted in reggae and dancehall. I have a song out right now, ‘Youths must rise’, but I paused to focus on the business for a little while. I have been talking to some producers in the US and so you should be expecting more,” he disclosed.

Because of the genuine love he has for the arts and the skillset he developed for different forms of art, Wello said that all of what he is doing now is part of a bigger picture to build a “great platform for brown folks to have a safe space to create and express themselves through art. Hopefully, I can bring it back home to Guyana and where I used to live in Saint Maarten… I miss Guyana all the time. I came back in 2017 with my wife and now it is her favourite place in the world. We had plans to come this year but then the pandemic, and we’re expecting now, so we’ll be here for a while longer.”

He said that he wants to add theatre and dance to what he has already built and to create this network for his people while achieving the ultimate goal of happiness and financial freedom.
“We have a lot going for us than we think against us, and it works out best when we are all together. I feel this is a time we really need to come together and make things happen,” Wello said.
You can follow his socials to keep up with his artistic projects and support his business: @ragarebel on Instagram.