Rai of light

Hailing from such locales as Iowa and Nebraska, Rai, the adopted son of former peace activists-turned-ministers, created his own brand of soul folk music by listening to hip-hoppers like Brand Nubian and rockers such as Led Zeppelin. He later honed his skills as a member of the Washington, D.C.-based funk-rock outfit Moya and as host of the open-mic forum “The Movement.” In June 2004, he moved to Atlanta based on divine direction. “My spirit brought me here,” he contends. “I came with the intention of making this record, but there’s a lot of ancient energy here in places like Stone Mountain and even Little Five Points.”

With a voice and style reminiscent of Ben Harper and John Lennon, Rai hopes that his music can do more than just help people get low. “I want people to be encouraged, inspired and come out of my show with a greater sense of their humanity and a greater sense of self.”Mikuak Rai plays Apache Cafe Sat., Nov. 13, 10:30 p.m. $10.??